In France, a doctor can only see patients if they are registered with the Table of the Order of Physicians. This rule applies regardless of nationality or the origin of the diploma. For a patient, a hospital employer, or a healthcare facility, verifying that a practitioner graduated abroad has the right to practice relies on specific tools and public registers.
Directory of the Order of Physicians: the first reflex to verify a practitioner
The National Council of the Order of Physicians provides an online directory accessible to anyone. This register lists all doctors authorized to practice in the territory, including those holding a diploma obtained outside of France.
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The directory allows for searching a practitioner by last name, first name, specialty, or geographical location. If a doctor does not appear in this directory, they are not registered with the Table, and their practice is generally illegal. This is the most direct and reliable way to verify the identity of a foreign doctor before any care is provided.
Registration with the Table implies that the Order has already verified the diploma, the authorization to practice, and the absence of disciplinary sanctions. A positive result in the directory confirms much more than just the civil identity of the practitioner.
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RPPS number and ADELI number: two identifiers to distinguish
Each healthcare professional registered in France is assigned a RPPS number (Shared Directory of Healthcare Professionals). This unique number follows the practitioner throughout their career, regardless of their place of practice or changes in status.
The ADELI number, managed by the ARS (regional health agencies), was historically used to register healthcare professionals. For doctors, it has been gradually replaced by the RPPS, but some practitioners graduated abroad may still have an ADELI number in parallel, especially during transitional phases of registration.
The concrete verification involves asking the practitioner for their RPPS number, then cross-referencing it with the Order’s directory or the RPPS directory accessible online. A doctor without a valid RPPS number does not have the right to practice in France.
What these identifiers do not indicate
The RPPS number attests to administrative registration. It does not provide information about the specialty actually authorized or any temporary restrictions. For this information, direct contact with the departmental council of the Order remains the safest approach.
Authorization to practice for PADHUE: a process that conditions everything
Doctors holding a diploma obtained outside the European Union are referred to as PADHUE (practitioners with a diploma outside the European Union). Their right to practice in France does not automatically stem from their diploma: it goes through a specific authorization procedure.
This procedure, governed by the public health code, involves several successive steps:
- Submitting a file to the authorization commission (CAE), including diplomas, certificates, and proof of experience
- Passing tests to verify medical knowledge and proficiency in the French language
- A skills consolidation pathway, generally in the form of supervised hospital functions for several years
- The final issuance of an individual authorization to practice by the minister in charge of health, upon the advice of the CAE
As long as this authorization has not been issued, the PADHUE practitioner cannot register with the Table of the Order and therefore does not appear in the directory. A patient or recruiter noticing the absence of a doctor in the directory can deduce that the process is not finalized.
European diploma and the specific case post-Brexit: what has changed
For doctors holding a diploma issued in a member state of the European Union or the European Economic Area, recognition is generally automatic. The practitioner submits a registration file to the departmental council of the Order, which verifies the compliance of the diploma with European directives.
The case of British diplomas deserves special attention. Since Brexit, a diploma obtained in the United Kingdom no longer benefits from the automatic recognition reserved for European diplomas. A doctor trained in the UK after leaving the EU must now follow an authorization procedure comparable to that of PADHUE.
Verify the practitioner’s access route
When faced with a doctor claiming to be graduated in Europe, consulting the Order’s directory remains the control method. The specialty and place of diploma are mentioned there. In case of doubt about a British diploma issued after the transition period, the departmental council of the Order can confirm whether the authorization procedure has indeed been carried out.
Reporting illegal medical practice: who to contact
Illegal medical practice is an offense provided for by the public health code. If verification in the Order’s directory or via the RPPS yields no results for a practitioner who is actively consulting, several recourses exist.
- The departmental council of the Order of Physicians, competent to receive reports and investigate situations of unauthorized practice
- The ARS of the concerned territory, which has oversight power over establishments and healthcare professionals
- The public prosecutor, in case of suspicion of proven criminal offense
The report can be made by a patient, a colleague, or an establishment. It does not require formal proof, but providing factual elements (practitioner’s name, place of practice, absence in the directory) speeds up the processing of the case.
Verifying the right to practice of a foreign doctor in France relies on tools accessible to everyone. The Order’s directory, the RPPS number, and knowledge of the authorization process for PADHUE are sufficient in the vast majority of cases to eliminate any ambiguity. The main point of vigilance remains not to confuse holding a diploma with the effective authorization to practice on French territory.