How do overseas radiographers register in Australia?
Checked against the regulator’s own pages, October 2026
Internationally qualified radiographers register with the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia through Ahpra. The Board has three pathways: the Comparable Regulator Pathway (for HCPC and CORU registrants in diagnostic radiography or radiation therapy), the Recognised International Qualification Pathway, and the Qualification Assessment Pathway, which can lead to the national exam.
Who this is for
Diagnostic radiographers and radiation therapists qualified outside Australia.
What the official guidance says
- Practitioners with a current New Zealand practising certificate apply under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.
- Comparable Regulator Pathway: for diagnostic radiography and radiation therapy, for practitioners regulated by the HCPC (United Kingdom) or CORU (Ireland) whose qualification was accredited when they studied. It is not available for nuclear medicine technologists.
- Recognised International Qualification Pathway: if the same qualification (same institution, year and title) has been assessed before as substantially equivalent.
- Qualification Assessment Pathway: the Board assesses your qualification portfolio before you apply for registration.
- After a qualification assessment, a “substantially equivalent” outcome lets you apply for general registration; a “relevant” outcome means you must pass the national exam for medical radiation practice.
- The national exam pass mark is a minimum of 65 per cent in both Part A and Part B, and after three failed attempts you cannot sit again. It is sat at approved exam centres, mostly in Australian capital cities.
- The Board lists 2027 exam sittings in January, April, July and October.
What it does not mean
- The Comparable Regulator Pathway is not open to every country. The Board names the HCPC and CORU.
- A skills assessment for a visa is not registration with the Board.
- Passing the national exam is not registration: you still apply to Ahpra.
What to do next
- 01Check whether you are HCPC- or CORU-registered with an accredited qualification.
- 02If not, check whether your qualification is on the recognised list, or prepare a qualification portfolio.
- 03If your outcome is “relevant”, book the national exam for a listed sitting.
- 04Apply to Ahpra with the documents the Board asks for.
Questions
Can a UK radiographer register in Australia without the exam?
The Board’s Comparable Regulator Pathway covers diagnostic radiographers and radiation therapists regulated by the HCPC whose qualification was accredited when they studied. Check the pathway page for the full criteria.
Where is the national MRP exam sat?
At approved exam centres located predominantly in capital cities around Australia, on a computer at the centre.
Is Migo part of Ahpra or the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia?
No. Migo is an independent service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ahpra or the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia, and it does not give legal or immigration advice.
Official sources
- MRPBA: Registration pathways for internationally qualified medical radiation practitioners
- MRPBA: Next steps after qualification assessment
- MRPBA: National exam for medical radiation practice
- Ahpra: Information for international practitioners
Checked October 2026. Regulators change their rules, fees and scores, so confirm them on the official page before you act.
The visa side
Registration and the visa are separate. Migo’s visa guides cover the routes for this country, from the official government pages.
Let Migo prepare the paperwork with you
Migo AI Mobility plans the Board’s steps for your profession, checks the documents you will use with the Board and Ahpra, and prepares your answers for Ahpra’s online application. You lodge the application yourself, and the exams are yours: Migo does not coach you for them. Migo does not give visa advice in Australia; it links the Department of Home Affairs pages and the register of migration agents instead.
Your plan is free. You approve every paid step.
Related guides
Migo is independent: it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the regulator named on this page. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice.