The allocation of reserve list applicants to foundation schools is still on-going. The UK Foundation Programme Office published an update on 3 July detailing two further reserve-list allocation rounds which will take place on 15 July and 29 July respectively. The update on the reserve-list allocations is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/ukfp-2026-reserve-allocation-update/

Erasmus+ will continue to provide opportunities for students to undertake placements outside of Europe.

As part of Erasmus+, grant holders in some sectors can allocate up to 20% of their project funding to support international mobilities to countries that are not associated with the programme.

Erasmus+ also supports global collaboration through partnership projects, with opportunities to involve non-partner countries under certain actions.

Students participating in an Erasmus+ placement are exempt from tuition and registration fees at their host institution, but they may still be required to pay fees to their home institution.

In 2018/19, there were approximately 31,000 inbound higher education (HE) student mobilities through the Erasmus+ programme and around 16,000 outbound HE student mobilities in the same year. The department expects there will be a greater number of HE mobilities on reassociation, given the expansion of the programme.

Erasmus+ provides a mobility grant to participants to contribute towards travel and subsistence costs. The amount received varies depending on the location and type of mobility.

EU students studying in the UK under Erasmus+ are not eligible for UK student finance support, including maintenance loans.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. The Act is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands, and graduates with a primary medical qualification from an institution in Ireland will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent all or a majority of their time training for that qualification outside Ireland.

The Government has no plans to introduce transitional or grandfathering arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) is responsible for managing the recruitment to the UK Foundation Programme, including ensuring that prioritisation status is applied appropriately in line with the Act. Information for students applying to the Foundation Programme, including those awarded UK medical degrees delivered outside the British Islands, is available at the following link:

https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year 1 post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

In 2026, there were more applicants to foundation training than places available, and only prioritised applicants were allocated to a foundation school in the primary allocation. For Foundation Programme places starting in future years, the UKFPO will confirm the status of applicants as part of the application process for those years in due course.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the Act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The Government has no plans to introduce pathways for British nationals who obtained medical degrees overseas when applying for National Health Service roles.

NHS employers work at a local level to ensure they have the workforce they need, which includes making decisions about recruiting doctors who have qualified overseas and determining the support they may require.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 implements the government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant NHS experience for specialty training places. It is designed to support a sustainable medical workforce that can meet population health needs, reducing the UK’s reliance on an unpredictable international labour market. By creating a clear pathway from medical school to specialty training, we also strengthen domestic talent and improve retention.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places but not if they spent the majority of time training for that qualification outside the British Islands. Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated.

The British Council is set to become the National Agency for Erasmus+, responsible for delivering the programme in the UK. In this role, it will support UK participants to access Erasmus+ funding and is not involved in managing inbound participants.

In 2018/19, there were around 31,000 inbound higher education (HE) student mobilities via the Erasmus+ Programme. There were also approximately 16,000 outbound HE student mobilities in the same year. The department expects there to be a higher number of mobilities on reassociation, given the expansion of the programme.

The following table shows the number of United Kingdom nationals with a non-UK primary medical qualification (PMQ) applying to the UK Foundation Programme between 2021 and 2025:

Source: NHS England foundation programme recruitment data.

The data is based on self-declared nationality. It is possible that some of these doctors gained UK nationality following their medical graduation, although the data does not allow identification of this.

The Turing Scheme is a global, demand-led programme and does not ringfence funding for specific destinations. Providers design placements based on their students’ needs and apply for funding accordingly.

The overall Turing Scheme budget for the 2026/27 academic year and decisions on future years will be confirmed in due course

The UK has taken the positive step to join Erasmus+ in 2027. Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship education exchange and partnerships programme and joining will open up world-class opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. We anticipate the first Erasmus+ placements will begin in the 2027/28 academic year.

As part of Erasmus+, grant holders in higher education can allocate up to 20% of project funding to support international mobilities to countries that are not associated with the Erasmus+ programme.

The Turing Scheme is a global, demand-led programme and does not ringfence funding for specific destinations. Providers design placements based on their students’ needs and apply for funding accordingly.

The overall Turing Scheme budget for the 2026/27 academic year and decisions on future years will be confirmed in due course

The UK has taken the positive step to join Erasmus+ in 2027. Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship education exchange and partnerships programme and joining will open up world-class opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. We anticipate the first Erasmus+ placements will begin in the 2027/28 academic year.

As part of Erasmus+, grant holders in higher education can allocate up to 20% of project funding to support international mobilities to countries that are not associated with the Erasmus+ programme.

Since the 2021/22 academic year, the Turing Scheme has been the UK government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad.

The Scheme funded 21,353 completed placements in 2021/22, 28,152 placements in 2022/23, 32,714 placements in 2023/24, 34,683 placements in 2024/25 and provided funding for an estimated 35,249 placements in 2025/26. In that time the proportion of students funded who are from a disadvantaged background has increased from 39% in 2021/22 to 56% in 2024/25, with an estimated 61% planned in 2025/26.

A full breakdown of placements using the Scheme is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/turing-scheme#funding-outcomes.

In 2027, the UK will join Erasmus+, which offers a wide range of opportunities for individuals to study, work, train, or volunteer abroad - whether for short or long-term placements. The department estimates up to 100,000 UK participants could benefit from the scheme in 2027 including up to around 30,000 higher education students.

Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, graduates of United Kingdom medical schools will be prioritised for foundation training places, but not if they spent the majority of the time training for that qualification outside the British Islands. The Government has no plans to introduce transitional arrangements for students studying at overseas campuses of UK medical schools.

Non-prioritised graduates can still apply for foundation training and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have been allocated. If graduates of overseas campuses have not secured a foundation year one post this year, there are alternative routes to full General Medical Council registration, such as completing an approved internship in the country where they trained.

The Government will, as for all legislation, keep the act under review to ensure that it delivers its policy intent.

The government provides funding to support students to undertake international study placements through the Turing Scheme. It is not possible to provide data on Turing funding for specific placements in New Zealand in these years because some elements are provided to education providers at an organisational level, rather than to individual placements. We can provide numbers of student placements in New Zealand funded through the Turing Scheme. In the 2024/25 academic year, 155 student placements in New Zealand were funded. For the 2025/26 academic year, the department estimates that around 162 student placements to New Zealand have been funded. This 2025/26 estimate is based on application data and may change as projects are delivered.

The Turing Scheme is a global, demand-led programme and does not ringfence funding for specific destinations, including the United States. Providers design placements based on their students’ needs and apply for funding accordingly.

The overall Turing Scheme budget for the 2026/27 academic year and decisions on future years will be confirmed in due course.

The UK has taken the positive step to join Erasmus+ in 2027. Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship education exchange and partnerships programme and joining will open up world-class opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. We anticipate the first Erasmus+ placements will begin in the 2027/28 academic year.

As part of Erasmus+, grant holders in higher education can allocate up to 20% of project funding to support international mobilities to countries that are not associated with the Erasmus+ programme.

The department holds data on students at UK higher education (HE) providers who receive Turing Scheme funding for overseas placements. The department does not hold data on student domicile and figures therefore include international students. Students can undertake both study and work placements, and the following information reflects both the overall number of HE placements in each country, with the number of study placements in brackets.

In 2021/22, 2,467 students undertook placements in the United States (of which 2,138 were study placements), 938 in Canada (841 study placements), and 342 in Australia (313 study placements). Fewer than five students went to New Zealand and so these numbers are suppressed.

In 2022/23, 1,900 students went to the United States (1,277 study placements), 948 to Canada (860 study placements), 1,012 to Australia (863 study placements), and 79 to New Zealand (27 study placements).

In 2023/24, 1,610 students went to the United States (1,127 study placements), 700 to Canada (590 study placements), 983 to Australia (775 study placements), and 142 to New Zealand (74 study placements).

The department holds data on students at UK higher education (HE) providers who receive Turing Scheme funding for overseas placements. The department does not hold data on student domicile and figures therefore include international students. Students can undertake both study and work placements, and the following information reflects both the overall number of HE placements in each country, with the number of study placements in brackets.

In 2021/22, 2,467 students undertook placements in the United States (of which 2,138 were study placements), 938 in Canada (841 study placements), and 342 in Australia (313 study placements). Fewer than five students went to New Zealand and so these numbers are suppressed.

In 2022/23, 1,900 students went to the United States (1,277 study placements), 948 to Canada (860 study placements), 1,012 to Australia (863 study placements), and 79 to New Zealand (27 study placements).

In 2023/24, 1,610 students went to the United States (1,127 study placements), 700 to Canada (590 study placements), 983 to Australia (775 study placements), and 142 to New Zealand (74 study placements).

The department holds data on students at UK higher education (HE) providers who receive Turing Scheme funding for overseas placements. The department does not hold data on student domicile and figures therefore include international students. Students can undertake both study and work placements, and the following information reflects both the overall number of HE placements in each country, with the number of study placements in brackets.

In 2021/22, 2,467 students undertook placements in the United States (of which 2,138 were study placements), 938 in Canada (841 study placements), and 342 in Australia (313 study placements). Fewer than five students went to New Zealand and so these numbers are suppressed.

In 2022/23, 1,900 students went to the United States (1,277 study placements), 948 to Canada (860 study placements), 1,012 to Australia (863 study placements), and 79 to New Zealand (27 study placements).

In 2023/24, 1,610 students went to the United States (1,127 study placements), 700 to Canada (590 study placements), 983 to Australia (775 study placements), and 142 to New Zealand (74 study placements).