Licence status
Glossary of credential verification terms
Short answer
- UK doctor suspension
- Up to twelve months 1
- NMC caution order
- One to five years 2
- Apostille treaty
- 5 October 1961 4
- EU alert deadline
- Three days 9
Removal and restriction
| Term | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Erasure 1 | A tribunal direction removing a doctor's name from the UK medical register, not available in health or language cases 1 | Medical Act 1983 1 |
| Striking-off order 2 | An NMC order directing the Registrar to strike a person off the register 2 | Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 2 |
| Struck off the roll 3 | Removal of a solicitor's name by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal 3 | Solicitors Act 1974 3 |
| Revocation 7 | Removal of a California medical licence by order of the board 7 | Business and Professions Code 7 |
| Suspension 1 | Registration that does not have effect for a set period, up to twelve months for UK doctors 1 | Medical Act 1983 1 |
| Conditions of practice order 2 | NMC order setting conditions for up to three years 2 | Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 2 |
| Caution order 2 | NMC order annotating the register for one to five years 2 | Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 2 |
| Warning 1 | Given by a UK medical tribunal where fitness to practise is not impaired 1 | Medical Act 1983 1 |
| Probation 7 | A California disciplinary order with monitoring costs paid by the licensee 7 | Business and Professions Code 7 |
| Restoration 8 | Return of an erased doctor's name, applied for no sooner than five years after erasure 8 | Medical Act 1983 8 |
Documents and recognition
| Term | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Apostille 4 | The certificate that replaces legalisation, issued by the competent authority of the state the document comes from 4 | Apostille Convention 4 |
| Legalisation 4 | The formality by which diplomatic or consular agents certify a signature, the signer's capacity and any seal 4 | Apostille Convention 4 |
| Allonge 4 | A sheet attached to a document on which the Apostille may be placed 4 | Apostille Convention 4 |
| e-Apostille 5 | An Apostille issued electronically under the same rules as a paper one 5 | HCCH 5 |
| e-APP 5 | The electronic Apostille Programme, launched in 2006 5 | HCCH 5 |
| Competent Authority 4 | The body a party designates to issue Apostilles, which keeps a register of them 4 | Apostille Convention 4 |
| Substantial difference 6 | The test a party must show to refuse recognition of another party's qualification 6 | Lisbon Recognition Convention 6 |
| National information centre 6 | The body each Lisbon Convention party runs to give advice on recognition 6 | Lisbon Recognition Convention 6 |
Mobility and renewal
| Term | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| European Professional Card 9 | An electronic EU recognition procedure handled through an IMI file 9 | Directive 2013/55/EU 9 |
| Alert mechanism 9 | IMI warnings to other EU states within three days of a decision restricting a professional 9 | Directive 2013/55/EU 9 |
| Partial access 9 | Access to part of a profession in another EU state, granted case by case 9 | Directive 2013/55/EU 9 |
| Practice hours 10 | The minimum time in practice, 450 hours over three years for a single NMC registration 10 | NMC 10 |
| Return to practice programme 10 | An approved course an NMC registrant completes if practice hours fall short 10 | NMC 10 |
Terms that are easy to confuse
- Suspension and erasure: a suspended UK doctor's registration has no effect for up to twelve months, and an erased doctor waits five years to apply to return 1,8.
- Striking-off and caution: a striking-off order removes a nurse from the register, but a caution order only annotates it 2.
- Struck off and suspended solicitors: the Tribunal may strike off, or suspend indefinitely or for a set period 3.
- Apostille and authenticity of content: the convention certifies the signature, the signer's capacity and any seal or stamp 4.
Common questions
What is the difference between erasure and suspension?
Erasure removes a UK doctor's name, with a five-year wait to apply for restoration 8. Suspension lasts up to twelve months per direction 1.
What is a caution order?
An NMC order that annotates the register for one to five years. It is separate from suspension and striking-off orders 2.
Is an apostille proof that a degree is genuine?
No. It certifies the signature, the signer's capacity and any seal 4.
What is the EU alert mechanism?
Warnings sent through IMI to other EU states within three days of a decision restricting a professional 9.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@thecredentialregistry.com.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk: Medical Act 1983, section 35D
- legislation.gov.uk: The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, article 29
- legislation.gov.uk: Solicitors Act 1974, section 47
- HCCH: Full text, Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
- HCCH: Apostille Section
- Council of Europe: European Treaty Series No. 165, Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region
- California Legislative Information: Business and Professions Code section 2227
- legislation.gov.uk: Medical Act 1983, section 41, Restoration of names to the register
- EUR-Lex: Directive 2013/55/EU amending Directive 2005/36/EC
- Nursing and Midwifery Council: Practice hours (last updated 26 May 2021)
Related
- Licence status terms explained: active, conditions, suspended, disbarred and more
What common register status labels mean, from active and inactive to conditions, undertakings, suspension, cancellation, disbarment and prohibition.
- Fitness to practise sanctions compared: doctors, nurses, solicitors and US boards
What tribunals can order against doctors, nurses and solicitors in the UK, Australia and California, with legal maximums for suspension and fines.
- Restoration after removal from a register: waiting periods and procedures compared
How professionals removed from a register apply to return: waiting periods for doctors, nurses, dentists and solicitors in the UK, California and the EU.
- Apostilles and legalisation for degree certificates: UK, India and the Hague Convention
What an apostille is, which countries accept one, and how the UK and India apostille degree certificates, with fees, times and the e-Apostille.
- Recognition of foreign qualifications: the Lisbon and Global Conventions, ENICs and national rules
How foreign degrees are recognised: the Lisbon Recognition Convention, the UNESCO Global Convention, UK ENIC, Canada's CICIC and the US approach.
- How to verify a professional credential with the official issuer
The basic method for checking a doctor, lawyer or accountant with the official register, what a register entry shows and where checks go wrong.