Yes, there is an application fee of €100 per application.

A scholarship is not necessary. Each trainee is employed by the HSE and receives a contract in advance of commencement of the programme and their employment date from the allocated Hospital. Trainees are paid during their training in accordance with HSE. Payscales are in line with HSE guidelines and will be notified to you by your employer.

No, there is currently no limit to the number of times you can apply to the HST Programme.

Yes, you must have achieved a relevant postgraduate qualification such as MRCPI in General Medicine, General Paediatrics or Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Please note: All HST candidates must have successfully passed their MRCPI Clinical Examination relevant to their speciality by 31st December 2025. There are no exceptions to this requirement. Please note: MRCP UK and Membership from other Irish college are not considered equivalent.

Applications cannot be submitted after the deadline. If you have missed the deadline, you must wait to apply the following year. We advise all applicants to ensure you have all your documentation prepared well in advance of the published deadline.

No, all information including IMC status, proof of English language, nationality, qualification results and work visa category are verified at the time of application. We do not accept supplemental documentation following the close of applications.

It is not necessary to have worked in Ireland prior to applying for the HST, however – proof of permission to work in Ireland is required and supporting documentation must be uploaded at point of application. 

Please note the exceptional conditions for those awaiting MRCPI examination results issued before 31st December. 

The onus is on the applicant to provide correct and accurate information at the point of application. Please note, outdated, expired, or late documentation will not be accepted. Error or inaccurate information cannot be corrected once you have submitted your application.

You should complete all required sections of the application form. Your application will only be considered based on the information you provide. 

Up until the closing date, you may complete your application in stages by saving a draft and exiting. Nonetheless, applications must be submitted before the closing date. Any applications not completed or still in draft by the closing date will not be accepted.  

General entry requirements for HST: 

• You must have completed Basic Specialist Training in the relevant specialty (or an equivalent programme). Please note that not all BST programmes offer consideration of equivalence. Guidelines can be found here. 
• You must have achieved a relevant postgraduate qualification such as MRCPI in General Medicine, General Paediatrics or Obstetrics and Gynaecology 
•  Please note: All HST candidates must have successfully passed their MRCPI Clinical Examination relevant to their speciality by 31st December 2025.  There are no exceptions to this requirement. 
• Be currently registered on one of the divisions of the Irish Medical Council (IMC) or Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council.The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances. Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance. 
• You must have proof of competency in the English language in line with  HSE specifications. Outdated or expired documentation will not be accepted. 
• You must be eligible to work in Ireland at the time of application. Proof of eligibility must be provided during the application process. Documents submitted after the application deadline will not be accepted. 
  
• You must have demonstrated an aptitude for, and an interest in the specialty applied for. 

You must provide your BST certificate at the time of application. The only exception to this is for those current BST Trainees who will take their final assessment at the end of their last year and arrangements for obtaining the certificate will be communicated to them. No other candidate may provide their certificate after they have submitted their application form. 

You may apply to more than one specialty; you will incur an application fee of €100 per application.

No, you must hold a full Medical Degree to apply for HST.

RCPI has a specific policy on the recognition of prior training or experience as equivalent to a Basic Specialist Training (BST) programme. You can find the full policy here 

Please note the following important points:

• Verification: During the application verification stage, we will only accept official letters issued directly by RCPI. Retrospective recognition after the application has been submitted is not permitted.
• Scope of Equivalence: Recognition of equivalence applies only to the BST requirement. All other minimum entry requirements—such as MRCPI—must still be met in full.
• Exception: The only exception to this policy is for applicants to the HST Paediatric Cardiology programme, which accepts UK-based training programmes as equivalent.

Recognition of Prior Training or Experience is considered on a case-by-case basis and on receipt of the applicable fee.  

Please review all relevant sections of our website to see if the conditions are applicable to you.

Applications for Recognition of Prior Training or Experience must be made in advance of applying for the programme. Please review the guidelines and policy here

Please refer to HSE documentation (PDF, 506KB). These guidelines are a statutory requirement for all employees in the health service in Ireland. There are no exceptions to the provisions in these guidelines

Such applicants must provide all three of the following at the time of application: 

• A copy of Irish Leaving Certificate/UK A-Level transcript results
• A copy of their Medical Degree
• Official certificate/confirmation from their university confirming their Medical Degree was taught and examined solely in English

Please consult the HSE specifications (PDF, 506KB) on English Language requirements for further details.  

Please note, outdated, expired, or late documentation will not be accepted. 

NCHDs applying for national training programmes who have completed IELTS/OET and are currently in employment or were previously employed by the HSE must provide a copy of the NER employment history from the NER app. Please note no other documentation such as contracts or letters will be accepted. Outdated, expired, or late documentation will not be accepted.

All candidates who meet the entry requirements may apply for the programme. You can review the current entry criteria on our website.

No, all information including IMC status, proof of English language, nationality, medical school results, MRCPI status and work visa category are assessed at the time of application. Outdated, expired, or late documentation will not be accepted.

Please visit the Irish Medical Council website for information regarding eligibility for Registration.

At the point of application, you must submit your IMC certificate proving you are registered in one of the divisions of the IMC

or

Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).
The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance.

Without the appropriate documentation your application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

You must have verifiable IMC registration at the time of application. We also need the IMC number to claim successful candidates on DIME to ensure they are on the trainee specialist division of the register.

At the point of application, you must submit your IMC certificate proving you are registered in one of the divisions of the IMC

or

Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).
The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance.

Without the appropriate documentation your application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

The Admissions Team is not in a position to assess potential applicants for eligibility to the Irish Medical Council. The onus is on the applicant to provide proof that they are registered with Irish Medical Council. 

At the point of application, you must submit your IMC certificate proving you are registered in one of the divisions of the IMC

or

Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).
The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance.

Without the appropriate documentation your application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

This is a matter for the IMC, nonetheless it is noted that this can be a lengthy process, and candidates are advised to begin the application process as early as possible.

At the point of application, you must submit your IMC certificate proving you are registered in one of the divisions of the IMC

or

Applicants are required to submit documentation that clearly demonstrates their eligibility for registration with the Irish Medical Council (IMC).
The specific documents needed will vary depending on individual circumstances.
Please refer to the section below for detailed guidance.

Without the appropriate documentation your application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

If the correct documentation is not supplied, you application will not be verified, and you will not progress to the next stage.

Yes, you need to register again. Proof of current and active registration with the Irish Medical Council is required at time of application. Outdated, expired, or late documentation will not be accepted.

No, the Irish Medical Council advise that they accept OET and IELTS results from exams conducted in a test centre only. OET@Home and the IELTS Online are NOT accepted.

As part of the application process, you are required to provide the names of two people to provide appraisals on your behalf. The two persons must be consultant supervisors from your two most recent medical employment posts, and they must be your two most recent employers and/or supervisors. Please carefully read the instructions on the application form. The onus is on the candidate to provide accurate contact details for their referees as mistakes cannot be rectified afterwards. Please note it is your responsibility to ensure that the nominated referee is willing and able to do so. via email in a timely manner.

RCPI will contact these people directly at a later stage of the application process and will then advise you further. Please note it is your responsibility to ensure that the person you nominate to give an appraisal on your behalf is willing and able to do so via email by the requested deadline. Post application –Admissions will not be in a position to comment or respond to queries regarding references/appraisals and receipt of same. 

Application forms are hosted on our dedicated application portal, and you can find the link on our website when applications open. On this site you will find eligibility requirements, a checklist which outlines what documents you should be compiling in order to apply amongst other documents. This will provide potential applicants with an idea of what information will be required once the application portal opens. We do not provide copies of the actual application to the candidates before applications open

Allowed file extensions:

• “jpg”
• “jpeg”
• “jpe”
• “png”
• “gif”
• “txt”
• “doc”
• “docx”
• “pdf”
• “xls”
• “xlsx”
• “rtf” 

Please note: If you upload a PDF this will increase the size of the document.

Yes, please limit to 30 characters including file name and file path. Please only upload the requested documents. Additional documents will not be reviewed. 

Please carefully follow the instructions on the individual application forms.

At the point of application, all candidates must provide a colour copy of their passport or National Identity card as proof of eligibility to work in Ireland. 

Non-EU and Non-UK candidates must also be holders of a current Stamp 4, 1G, 1H visa. A colour copy of the visa must be provided at the point of application. If a candidate does not hold a current Stamp 4, 1G, 1H visa their application will not be progressed.  

Please note: outdated, expired, or late documentation cannot be accepted. The onus is on the candidate to provide the required documentation at the point of application. 

• If you do not require a working visa in order to work in Ireland you should select “Not Required”.
• If you require a working visa in order to work in Ireland and have not yet been granted a Stamp 4, 1G, 1H permission you should select “NO”.
• If you require a working visa in order to work in Ireland and have been granted a Stamp 4, 1G, 1H and possess proof of same you should select the appropriate permission and upload proof of same when prompted.

Please note: Outdated, expired or late documentation cannot be accepted. The onus is on the candidate to provide the required documentation at point of application.

Please choose ‘other’ and state direct entry or graduate entry, etc., as appropriate.

There will be a series of drop-in sessions available throughout the application period in which you can speak to a member of the team to assist you in your query. The dates and times will be advertised on our website and through our social media channels.

Each specialty has scoring criteria based on the requirements of the specialty.  

Please see the requirements on our website. 

Each specialty has interview HST scoring criteria based on the requirements of the specialty. Please see the criteria on our website.

Verifiable proof will be required. Please follow the instructions on the application form.

This depends on the specialty. Please follow the instructions on the application form. 

No, the Admissions Team is not in a position to accept any documents or updates to applications following the close of applications.

Figures are subject to review year on year by RCPI, NDTP/HSE but applications considerably outweigh available places across all specialties, and the process is highly competitive. 

No, you may not defer a place on HST. If you are unable to take up a place, you must apply again in the following year. 

Posts are allocated by the NSD(s) taking into account rank at interview and available places. 

During the interview process - i.e. beforehand or at point of offer -  you may be asked to rank your preferences. This request is specialty specific,and you will be advised of the same in advance. 

Allocations are decided by the NSD and based on ranking and available places. Please note, expression of preference is not a guarantee of being allocated to a training site.  

Recognition of Prior Training or Experience is considered on a case-by-case basis and on receipt of the applicable fee.  

Please review all relevant sections of our website to see if the conditions are applicable to you.

Applications for Recognition of Prior Training or Experience must be made in advance of applying for the programme.  

Training is conducted nationwide and therefore Trainees should expect to rotate to various parts of the country. 

We do not provide feedback on applications or to candidates who do not proceed beyond the shortlisting stage.

All applicants who attend an interview will receive feedback on their interview performance highlighting areas of strength and improvement in comparison to other candidates. 

No, we strongly advise that you use a laptop/desktop for optimum performance.

We recommend you do not use the computing facilities in your hospital setting as there may be firewall /internet speed issues.

We recommend using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

If you are experiencing technical issues, we recommend you try a couple of things such as clearing your cache on your computer; switching to incognito mode on your browser. (You can readily find information online on how to do this)

You can use any personal email; however, we have noted issues in the past with college emails on both our application site so it would be advisable to use an alternative email if you can. Please ensure that you will have access to your chosen email address throughout the process as this is how we will contact you.

If you are attempting to register with an email address that is, or has been, associated with one of the college portals you will receive this error message. Please contact helpdesk@rcpi.ie providing a screenshot of the error and your email address in order to have your User Account reset to enable you to proceed. All contact with RCPI should reference your unique RCPI number.

Please take some screen shots of the error messages or relevant pages & email them to: helpdesk@rcpi.ie

Please note that due to the high volume of applications it is not possible to deal with applicant queries by phone, please put all queries in an email to helpdesk@rcpi.ie as this is the most efficient way of answering your queries or troubleshooting an issues that may arise, if you are experiencing a technical issue please include a screen shot of any error messages. Note: if you call the main RCPI line, you are unlikely to get to speak with someone connected with the admissions process, so please link with us via the correct email address directly.