India's National Medical Commission proposes nationwide doctor licensing

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed the ‘Registration of Medical Practitioners and License to Practice Medicine Amendment Regulations, 2026’, which aims to establish a ‘One Nation, One license’ system in India.

Under this framework, every registered medical practitioner will be assigned a Unique Identification (UID) number linked to the National Medical Register (NMR). This centralized system is designed to allow doctors to practice across the country and will require real-time electronic synchronization between National and State Medical Registers. Any changes in qualifications or disciplinary actions will be automatically updated across all databases.

Medical practice licenses will be valid for five years. Doctors must apply for renewal within three months of expiry to avoid their status becoming inactive. The regulations also address professional misconduct; disciplinary decisions made by State Medical Councils regarding negligence or unethical conduct will be reflected in the national database to ensure transparency.

The proposal also streamlines registration for foreign medical graduates and Overseas Citizens of India. Temporary registrations for foreign nationals may now extend up to 24 months, subject to a mandatory one-year cooling-off period following postgraduate or super-specialty training.