MOH to recognise eight more overseas medical schools from February 2026

Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on 27 January 2026 that it will recognise eight additional overseas medical schools with effect from 1 February 2026.

This move will increase the total number of foreign medical institutions recognised by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) from 112 to 120.

According to the press release, this decision follows SMC’s regular review of the list of registrable medical qualifications. The council assesses institutions based on international rankings, the language of instruction—favouring English—and the past performance of graduates from those schools who have practised in Singapore.

The eight newly recognised schools are located in Australia, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, and the United Kingdom. Among them are the University of Adelaide’s College of Health, Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, and the University of Exeter’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

This expansion aims to bolster Singapore’s medical workforce, particularly in view of an ageing population and rising healthcare needs. The MOH stated that while local medical school intake has increased steadily—from around 440 students in 2014 to 555 in 2025—relying solely on local graduates is insufficient to meet future demands.

All graduates from the eight new institutions will be eligible to apply for registration with SMC to practise in Singapore, provided they meet prevailing registration requirements. This applies to all graduates regardless of their nationality or year of graduation.

In line with SMC’s commitment to maintaining high standards of medical care, all foreign-trained doctors will continue to be assessed under a supervisory framework during their initial years of practice.

The Health Minister, Ong Ye Kung, had previously highlighted the importance of this strategy during the Ministry of Health’s Committee of Supply debate in 2025. He noted that “Doctors are another key area,” and pointed to both the increase in local intake and the expansion of the overseas university list as essential to attracting more Singaporeans trained abroad to return and serve locally.

The full, updated list of recognised overseas medical schools will be available in the Second Schedule of the Medical Registration Act 1997 from 1 February 2026.