The National Medical Commission (NMC) on August 11, 2026, issued the Draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, further to amend the Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023.
The following has been amended, namely:
• The amendment introduces a centralised National Medical Register (NMR) and Unique Identification (UID) system for medical practitioners. It expands the definition of Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) to include Indian citizens and OCIs, recognises FMGE (until NExT comes into force) for registration, and requires electronic synchronisation between the State Medical Register and NMR.
• Registration and licence applications will be made through the EMRB/NMC Unified Registration Portal, and once a practitioner receives a UID through a State Medical Council, they can practise across India without obtaining fresh State registration/licence. The NMR will record registration, licence status and disciplinary actions, while EMRB/NMC will monitor State Medical Councils. The licence remains valid for 5 years, with inactive status after non-renewal within the prescribed period.
• A new mechanism is introduced for handling professional misconduct/medical negligence based on the jurisdiction where the cause of action arises. Existing practitioners without an NMR UID shall obtain it as a one-time measure without fee. Appeals against rejection of registration/licence can be filed before EMRB within 30 days. For foreign nationals, a Good Standing Certificate is required, and temporary registration for postgraduate/super-specialty courses is extended from 12 months to 24 months, followed by a one-year cooling-off period.
• The Draft “Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations 2026” pre-published in the Gazette of India vide notification no. 246, dated April 07, 2026 (R-11012/04/2025-Regn/NMC) stands withdrawn.
• The last date to submit comments is September 10, 2026.
[Notification no. R. 11061/05/2026-EMRB-Reg]
