Venezuela: no exam at home, five exams abroad

Medical and health education in Venezuela

Medicine in Venezuela is a six-year degree leading to the title of Médico Cirujano, with a final-year hospital internship (internado), taught in Spanish at universities including the Central University of Venezuela, Los Andes, Zulia, Carabobo and Oriente. A parallel programme, Medicina Integral Comunitaria, trains community doctors in a state-led model over six years. The Ministry of Health (MPPS) regulates the profession, together with the Federación Médica Venezolana and the state medical colleges.

Inside Venezuela, there is no licensing exam: graduates register with the MPPS and their state medical college after the degree, traditionally after a period of rural service. The multiple-choice demand comes from emigrants. Venezuelan doctors are the largest foreign group sitting Chile’s EUNACOM, and others sit Revalida in Brazil, ENAM in Peru, the CACES exam in Ecuador, and the MIR in Spain. Because of the crisis, the public information on the number of schools and the current service obligations is thin, so confirm details with the ministry.

A country of origin for exam candidates

Most pages in this series describe the exams a country sets for people who want to work there. Venezuela is better read the other way round. Its domestic rules are administrative, yet its health workforce is among the most visible among foreign candidates across South America. When a Venezuelan doctor, nurse or dentist plans a move, the question is rarely "what must I pass at home" but "which neighbouring country's exam should I prepare for".

That makes this page a map. It explains the short domestic route and then compares the foreign exams a Venezuelan graduate is most likely to face, with a pointer to the page for each country.

Who needs a licensing exam in Venezuela

Practising in Venezuela

Registration is by qualification. A graduate of a recognised Venezuelan university enrols in the professional college for their field (for example, the Colegio de Médicos of their state) and registers the title with the health ministry. A foreign graduate has the title revalidated by a national university through a reválida, whose content is set by the university. There is no national multiple-choice board that would give a general benchmark.

Because there is no exam to prepare for, the useful preparation here is documentary: certified copies of the title, transcripts, and the apostille or legalisation chain. Obtaining these from inside the country can take time, so start early if you may emigrate.

Where Venezuelans actually sit exams

These are the exams our research identifies as the main destinations for Venezuelan health professionals.

• Chile: EUNACOM. 180 multiple-choice questions plus a practical stage, twice a year, with a foreign pass rate around 50%. Venezuelans are the largest foreign group of examinees, followed by Ecuadorians, Colombians, Cubans and Bolivians.
• Brazil: Revalida. A two-stage exam in Portuguese: 100 MCQ and then a clinical skills stage, twice a year.
• Peru: ENAM. 180 MCQ, 3 hours, pass mark 11/20, no negative marking. Foreign-licensed doctors not yet examined may sit.
• Ecuador: CACES habilitation exam. Computer-based MCQ for doctors, nurses, midwives and dentists after title registration with SENESCYT.
• Spain: MIR. The residency selection exam. Spain's rules fall outside this page; see the Spain page.

Choosing between the exams

There is no universal ranking, but a few practical contrasts help. Chile and Peru both test in Spanish, so there is no language barrier beyond local terminology. Brazil requires Portuguese, which adds a language project of its own. Ecuador's exam applies to four professions, while EUNACOM and ENAM are physician exams. For non-doctors, the choice is narrower: Ecuador is the most direct example of a multiple-choice entry gate, and elsewhere the route is revalidation.

1. List the countries where you have family, a visa route or a job offer.
2. Check whether your profession is examined there, using the relevant country page.
3. Start the document chain (title, transcripts, apostille, translations) at once, since it governs every route.
4. Pick one exam and build a study plan around the next sitting date.

Why the document chain decides everything

Each of the foreign routes begins with paperwork that has to originate in Venezuela: the title, the transcript of grades, a certificate of the programme content and clinical hours, and an apostille. Receiving countries differ in what else they want, but nearly all of them ask for these. Many candidates lose a year waiting for documents they could have requested earlier, so the most useful single step is to request certified copies now, whatever your final destination.

Keep a digital copy of every document and a record of every reference number. Where a university or ministry office is slow, a written request through the formal channel leaves a record you can cite later. If you already live abroad, a trusted representative with a notarised power of attorney can collect documents on your behalf.

Finally, remember that passing is not the last step. After EUNACOM, ENAM or Revalida, you still register with the local council or ministry and may have conditions to meet, such as service in a designated region. Plan the whole route, not only the exam date.

Language

Venezuelan Spanish is a strength for the Chilean, Peruvian and Ecuadorian routes, but regional clinical terms differ. A drug may be sold under a different name, and local protocols may differ from those you trained on. Learn the host country's usage before you sit.

Exam comparison for Venezuelan graduates

Where to check the rules

For domestic registration, ask the health ministry and the professional college. For each foreign exam, use the body named on that country's page. TriagePass is independent of all of them.

Last reviewed October 2026