PSI Registration for Overseas Pharmacists 2026

Key Takeaways

• Overseas pharmacists from outside the EU/EEA (including the UK) must complete the TCQR process.

• The process includes qualification recognition, any required exam, and final PSI registration.

• Not every applicant needs to take the exam; the PSI decides after assessing your qualifications.

• Official documents must be sent directly by your university and pharmacy regulator.

• English language proof is required only during the registration stage.

• Always check the PSI website for updates on costs, dates, and requirements before submitting any documents.

If you are an overseas pharmacist wanting to practice in Ireland, knowing the ins and outs of the PSI registration process is the first step. And in this blog, we will provide important info related to the PSI registration for international pharmacists in 2026. Here you will know about the Third Country Qualification Recognition (TCQR) pathway that includes the 

• Qualification recognition

• Examination process (if required), 

• Registration requirements, 

• English language criteria, 

• Fee

All information that we are providing here has been obtained from the official website. So you can get only the right information that can be useful for you. Let’s go inside the blog. 

Who is This For?

This guide is for you if:

The official name for the process undertaken by the PSI is the Third Country Qualification Recognition. In short, this process contains three stages:

1. Get your qualification recognized (proving your training is good enough for Ireland).

2. The Examination Process

3. Apply for registration (getting your license to actually practice).

Part 1: Getting Your Qualification Recognized

This part itself happens in stages. Here's what PSI's own documents confirm:

A simple way to think about it: you pay a bit to apply, more to get assessed, and, only if PSI says you need it, you'll pay again to sit an exam. PSI does not ask for the full amount up front.

What You Need to Apply

You'll need to send PSI:

• A completed application form (called TCQR1)

• A Statutory Declaration Form, witnessed properly

• A Certificate of Identity Form

• Your degree certificate, transcripts, and CV

• Proof from your home country's pharmacy regulator that you're allowed to practice there

Important: your university and your home regulator must send your official documents directly to PSI; you can't just forward copies yourself.

You do not need to prove your English language skills at this stage. That comes later, at registration.

Part 2: The Exam (If PSI Asks You to Sit One)

Not everyone has to take an exam. After Stage 2, PSI decides on one of two things:

• Path A: Your training already matches Irish standards closely enough; no exam needed.

• Path B: There are some gaps; you'll need to sit part or all of an exam.

If you're on Path B, the exam (run by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, on PSI's behalf) has two parts:

You might be asked to sit just the MCQ, just the OSCE, or both; it depends on your Stage 2 result. If you need to sit both, you must pass each one separately; doing well in one doesn't make up for a weak result in the other.

Part 3: Applying for Registration

Once your qualification is officially recognized, you move to the actual registration application. This is done through PSI's online Registration Portal, which has step-by-step instructions and short videos to help you.

This is the point where you do need to show your English language skills. PSI accepts a few ways to prove this:

• You trained in a country where English (or Irish) is the main language.

• You've worked as a registered pharmacist full-time for 3 of the last 5 years in an English-speaking country.

• You pass an approved English test.

If you take a test, PSI accepts: