Doctors moving to Ireland 2026 need to act now. May is your most critical planning month. May is the most critical planning month of the year. The July training intake is weeks away, DETE permit processing is active, and the IMC has published its updated 2026 fee schedule. This post consolidates every time-sensitive update you need to act on right now.

This post is written specifically for doctors moving to Ireland from Pakistan, India, and the Middle East. We have cross-referenced all figures with official sources — the IMC fee page, DETE processing updates, and ICGP programme communications. Where we cannot independently verify a specific claim, we link to the official source so you can confirm it yourself.

💰 Section 1 — Updated IMC Fee Schedule for Doctors Moving to Ireland 2026

The Irish Medical Council publishes its fee schedule at medicalcouncil.ie/registration-applications/fees/. The 2026 figures show an increase for doctors with more than three years on the register, while the newly qualified rate has been held steady — a deliberate IMC policy to reduce the financial burden on early-career international medical graduates.

Annual Retention Fee — 2026 vs Previous Year

For doctors already on the register with more than three years of registration — which includes most experienced GPs applying for the IMG Rural GP Programme — the €665 figure is the relevant one to budget for. If you are registering for the first time as a Pakistani MBBS graduate, the €560 newly qualified rate applies for your first three years, which is a meaningful financial protection during the most expensive phase of establishing yourself in Ireland.

The projected 2027 rate of €732 for the senior category underlines the importance of completing your registration process in 2026 rather than delaying. The longer you wait, the higher the annual retention cost becomes once you move past the three-year newly qualified window.

PRES Exam Fees — Confirmed 2026 Figures

A significant number of guides online are still quoting outdated PRES exam fees. The verified 2026 figures from the IMC website are:

📅 Section 2 — Section 2 — The July 13 Countdown for Doctors Moving to Ireland 2026: IMG Rural GP Programme 2026

For doctors targeting the IMG Rural GP Programme 2026 intake, the timeline is now tight. Here are the confirmed dates and what you need to have in place before each one.

💼 Section 3 — DETE Permit Processing Times and the €40,904 Salary Threshold

For doctors moving to Ireland 2026, DETE publishes current processing times weekly at enterprise.gov.ie. Processing times fluctuate significantly with application volumes — always check the live figure rather than relying on any estimate, including ours.

The €40,904 Critical Skills Salary Threshold

The minimum salary threshold for the Critical Skills Employment Permit is €40,904 per year for roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List (Pathway 1). For non-listed roles under Pathway 2, the threshold remains €44,000.

✈️ Section 4 — Booking Your Relocation Flight to Ireland

Doctors waiting on DETE permit decisions or Irish embassy visa stamps face a specific challenge: you cannot book a non-refundable flight until you know your exact travel date. The window between receiving your permit and your first clinical day is often only a few weeks.

🤝 Section 5 — Not Sure Where You Stand in the Process?

The IMG Rural GP Programme application involves coordinating across multiple bodies simultaneously — the ICGP, IMC, HSE, and your training practice. If you are unsure which step you should be on right now, use our contact form and we will point you to the right official resource for your specific situation.

📌 What Doctors Moving to Ireland 2026 Should Do This Week