Australian General Practice Training - People Medical Consulting

This is a FAQ BLOG and you can refer to our Pathways to GP Fellowship in Australia blog here.

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Date Updated: 2026-08-25

What is the AGPT Program?

The Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program is designed to train doctors into General Practitioners (GPs) in Australia, providing full-time and on-the-job training from 3 – 4 years.

With only *1,500 training spots yearly in urban and rural areas across the country, the selection process for the program is competitive and is implemented through the following GP colleges:

Once doctors complete the program, they may gain Fellowship from the college they applied for. This will allow Doctors to apply for registration with the Medical Board of Australia and practice independently as GPs nationwide (within their 19AB restrictions if they’re an IMG).

*Note: “Fully-funded GP and RG training places will increase by an additional 200 commencing places in 2026, 300 places in 2027 and 400 places from 2028. This is on top of the 1,500 commencing places offered through the AGPT program…Under this new package, from semester one 2026, $30,000 in salary incentive payments will also be available for new GP trainees on a Commonwealth-funded GP training program when they transition into community general practice. GP trainees will also have access to payments covering five days of study leave per year, and up to 20 weeks’ paid parental leave. All payments will be made on a pro rata basis.” Read more about it in the AGPT page here.

Am I eligible?

You can apply for the program if you:

Hold General AHPRA Registration before the program commencement
Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or Australian permanent resident, or hold a visa:
- ACRRM: 820, or Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482, 457, 491, or 494 (NOT ELIGIBLE: 408 or 485)
- RACGP: 309, 482, 485, 491, 494 or 820 visa

How many supervisees can my supervisor have?

For AGPT, the supervisor to registrar ratio is 1:3. A supervisor can only oversee up to three registrars over time, regardless of training fraction and training program (e.g. AGPT, PFP, IP, FSP)

If I am restricted by 19AB, can I still join the program?

Yes, because you may be eligible for the rural pathway.

However, if you want to take the general pathway, you will need to apply for a rural pathway exemption. RACGP has recently released its guidelines for Rural Pathway Exemptions. You can find more information, including the application guidelines and form here.

Where can I train?

Where you train depends on your choice of pathway. There are 2 pathways to becoming a GP in Australia through the AGPT Program, specifically the rural pathway and the general pathway.

Rural Pathway

The rural pathway allows you to train in MM2 to MM7 areas. All doctors are eligible for this pathway, and IMGs restricted by their 10-year moratorium may only apply for the rural pathway.

You can take this pathway through either the:

ACRRM
RACGP

General Pathway

The general pathway lets you train anywhere in Australia. You are eligible for the general pathway if you are not restricted by 19AB or hold an exemption. This pathway is only available through the RACGP.

Non-composite: This is where you can undertake your training in metropolitan, rural or remote areas. You must also finish at least 52 weeks of training or two 6-month periods in any of the following:
- an outer metropolitan location or
- a rural location or
- a non-capital city location or
- in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training post.

Composite: This is where you’ll undertake 6 months FTE of your community general practice training in one of the following:
- New England/Northwest NSW
- Northern Territory
- North Western QLD
- Murrumbidgee (NSW)
- Western NSW
- Note: You’ll undertake the remainder of your community general practice training in your home training region or subregion (unless you choose to undertake further rural placements). You’ll also need to meet the AGPT general pathway training location requirements as detailed for the general non-composite pathway above. See Composite FAQs here.

How long does the training take?

The length of your training depends on the pathway you choose. Most training takes 3 to 4 years full time. You can apply for part-time training or take leave during your training. This will increase the time it takes you to finish.

There are limits on how long you can take to complete your training. But you can apply for an extension in some cases.

Here is a summary of their program duration:

Year 1: Hospital training – 12 months
Year 2-3: General practice training
- GPT1 – 6 months
- GPT2 – 6 months
- GPT3 – 6 months
- (*optional) Extended skills training – *6 months in a hospital, community general practice or community non-general practice setting

(*optional for RACGP) Year 4: *12 months for Additional Rural Skills Training (ARST) Rural Generalist Fellowship

Please note for RACGP AGPT applicants, you can apply for Recognition of prior learning and experience (RPLE) for up to 52 weeks FTE of hospital experience to reduce your training time.

How do I apply?

To apply for the AGPT program, it will depend on your chosen GP college. Click the link for your GP college below to apply:

ACRRM:
- Step 1: Eligibility & Application Key Dates
- Step 2: Apply here: apply.acrrm.org.au/login
- Step 3: Written suitability assessment
- Step 4: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
- Step 5: Offer outcome
- Step 6: Training onboarding

RACGP:
- Step 1: Check your eligibility and application intake dates
- Step 2: Apply online during the application period
- Step 3: Sit the national entry assessment
- Step 4: Receive your offer outcome
- Step 5: Participate in induction activities

For ACRRM, you’ll need to create an account to apply while for RACGP, you will need to fill up the details (including referees, preferred training region, and more) in the online application form during the program application period.

How much are the costs?

The program is fully funded by the government, but you will have to cover the application fees, membership fees, and Fellowship exam fees.

ACRRM
- Application Fee: $190
- Selection Fee: $500
- Membership Fee: $430
- Assessment Fees

RACGP
- Application Fee: No Cost
- National Entry Assessment Fee: $190
- Acceptance Fee: $525
- Membership Fee: $661 for IMGs and GPs in Training
- Fellowship Exam Fees

There are also registrar support payments, so if you are an AGPT registrar practising at MM2 – 7 location in general practice, you will receive nationally consistent payments (NCP) administered by Services Australia. You can also see the Registrar Support Payments here and RACGP support/subsidies for MM2-MM7 here:

$30,000 salary incentive when doctors commence training in a community-based general practice term
5 days study leave per training year
Up to 20 weeks parental leave

Here is a table for a summary of what you can receive from AGPT, based on the NCP 2026 Fact Sheet here.

You can also see if you are eligible for other incentives here.

We Can Help You

Here at People Medical Consulting, we have a passion for guiding medical practitioners through their career pathways to Australia. We have extensive experience in assisting medical facilities in recruiting doctors from local and overseas who will best suit their requirements.

We provide Document Assistance for those requiring support for their PESCI with IME, ACRRM or RACGP, registration and all other mandatory AHPRA requirements, fellowship program related forms and letters, application for Medicare provider and prescriber numbers, application for 19AB or 19AA exemptions and preparation of employment documents.

If you want to talk to someone about your pathway or practice management—book a consultation with us below, or if you need Recruitment or Document Assistance, contact us at help@peoplemedical.com.au or click the buttons below. We’d be glad to help you!

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Information from this blog has been taken directly from: