NMC proposes single licence for doctors to practise across India

Key facts

• The National Medical Commission (NMC) proposed a draft amendment to the 2023 regulations for registration and licensing of doctors.
• Under the proposal, a doctor registered with a State Medical Council and allotted a Unique Identification (UID) number can practise across India without fresh registration.
• The draft was notified on August 11, 2026, and objections and suggestions are invited for 30 days.
• Registration and licensing will be routed through a unified portal of the NMC's Ethics and Medical Registration Board.
• The UID will incorporate the State/Union Territory code and the practitioner's State Medical Register number.
• The National Medical Register will serve as a central repository of registration details and disciplinary proceedings.
• The license validity remains five years; non-renewal within three months of expiry marks the registration inactive.
• An appeal mechanism allows applicants to appeal to the Ethics and Medical Registration Board within 30 days if a State Council rejects an application.
• Existing practitioners without a UID must update their details on the portal as a one-time measure with no fee.