Registration of medical specialists

Do you want to work as a doctor or a medical specialist in the Netherlands? Medical professional titles are protected by law. You must register with the Royal Dutch Medical Association (Koninklijke Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot bevordering der Geneeskunst, KNMG, in Dutch) before you can use the professional title. This applies to professions such as:

• general practitioner
• geriatric care specialist
• intellectual disability specialist
• medical specialist
• social insurance doctor
• company doctor

You can find a full list on the KNMG website (pdf).

How to register?

Before you can register with KNMG (in Dutch), you must be registered in the BIG register. You must also meet specific training requirements and pay the registration fees.

Do you have a foreign diploma? You must apply for recognition of your foreign diploma. You can contact KNMG's Foreign Diplomas Registration unit (Registratie Buitenlands Gediplomeerden, in Dutch) for more information.

Re-registration

After registration you can use your professional title. The initial registration is valid for 5 years. Following this period, you need to re-register (herregistratie). You must meet the conditions for re-registration (in Dutch). Do you need to re-register but do you have too little professional development hours as a result of the corona pandemic? Until 1 January 2027 relaxed conditions for re-registration apply (in Dutch).