The Ministry of Health recently announced the Administrative Measures for Medical Practitioners of the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions to Obtain Mainland Medical Practitioner Qualifications Through Accreditation and the Administrative Measures for Medical Practitioners of Taiwan to Obtain Mainland Medical Practitioner Qualifications Through Accreditation. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan doctors may apply for qualifications as mainland medical practitioners in accordance with these two documents and the qualifications cover clinical practice, traditional Chinese medicine and oral medicine.

In the Administrative Measures for Medical Practitioners of the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions to Obtain Mainland Medical Practitioner Qualifications Through Accreditation, medical practitioners of the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions refer to Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions and are legally qualified to practise medicine in these two places.

Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions who possess the following qualifications concurrently and meet the relevant requirements in the Law of the People's Republic of China on Medical Practitioners may apply for qualifications of mainland medical practitioners through accreditation: Permanent residents of the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions who have obtained the legal qualifications to practise medicine for five full years before 31 December 2007, who possess specialist certificate issued in the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, and who are serving in medical institutions in the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions.

Applicants are required to submit the following materials: Application form for the accreditation of medical practitioners of the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions as mainland medical practitioners; two two-inch half-length photos taken within the past six months showing a full front view of the face with no hat; proof of identity as permanent residents of the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Region; proof of medical qualifications relevant to the category of medical practice applied for; medical licence or proof of right to practise medicine issued in the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Region; specialist licence or proof of specialist qualifications in the category applied for issued in the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Region; proof of employment in relevant medical institutions or proof of registration of practice in the Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Region; and proof of no unsatisfactory records during their practice; and proof of no criminal records.