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ORTHOFELLOW GUIDE · 14 MINUTE GUIDE

Orthopaedic Fellowships in Asia: Registration, Language, Pay

Asia has no single fellowship system. An orthopaedic fellowship in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, India, Malaysia or Thailand is a local arrangement between you, a host hospital or university, and that country's medical regulator, sometimes with a society or foundation grant on top. This guide sets out only what official regulator, ministry, board and society pages say as of 8 October 2026: who can register as a trainee, what language evidence is asked for, where pay or grant figures are actually published, and how long the paperwork takes. Rules change and hosts often add their own conditions, so treat every point as a starting question to confirm with the host and the regulator, not as a final answer.

By Anissa Feby Canintika, Founder and Clinical EditorPublished · Materially updated
Educational guidance, not legal, immigration, licensing or admissions advice.

How fellowships are organised in Asia

There is no regional matching scheme. Most posts are arranged directly with a hospital, university department or national board, and the host normally sponsors your registration. Official sources describe three broad formats. In clinical fellowships you take part in patient care under supervision, and you need some form of registration or permit. In observerships you watch and may assist, often under lighter rules. Research and society fellowships are short, funded visits. The same doctor may meet the conditions for one format and not another, so check which category the host is offering before you compare programmes.

  • Clinical fellow: supervised hands-on work, needs regulator approval (for example Singapore's Clinical Fellow temporary registration or Hong Kong's limited registration).
  • Observer: Singapore caps observerships at 6 months and bars observers from direct patient care, case notes and prescribing.
  • Structured national programmes: India's NBEMS FNB courses run for 2 years and are entered through the Fellowship Entrance Test.
  • Short society or foundation fellowships: typically 1 to 12 weeks, with membership, age and English conditions.

Society and foundation fellowships: APOA, APSS and AO

Several regional programmes publish their terms openly, but intakes are small and most 2026 to 2027 calls have already closed. The ARI-APOA Research Fellowship 2027 is a two-week stay at the AO Research Institute Davos (6 to 17 September 2027) for five fellows. Applicants must be 45 or under, members of both APOA and the AO Foundation, proficient in spoken and written English, and hold at least two APOA Journal Club badges. The deadline is 12 October 2026. The Asia Pacific Spine Society's 2026 host fellowships (Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur) required at least three years' paid-up APSS membership, age 45 or under, effective English, and at least 50% of workload in spine surgery. AO Trauma fellowships run for 6 to 12 weeks for members under 45 who have completed the Basic and Advanced Principles courses. Asia Pacific is one of AO Trauma's regions, with a regional coordinator who makes final placement decisions.

  • ARI-APOA 2027: housing in Davos covered by ARI/AO; APOA covers a fixed amount for travel and visa costs and about CHF 1,500 of living costs for the two weeks.
  • APSS Ganga Hospital 2026: 2 fellows, 3 weeks, closed 30 April 2026; the co-host paid economy return airfare and the host arranged accommodation.
  • APSS-UMMC 2026: 3 fellows, 1 week, closed 31 March 2026; hosts covered economy airfare, accommodation and airport transfer.
  • APSS DePuy Synthes Clinical (3 fellows, 3 weeks) and Travelling (8 fellows, 3 weeks, 3 countries) fellowships are listed with closed calls.
  • AO's 2027 short-term fellowship call (Trauma, Spine, CMF, VET, Recon) closed on 20 May 2026. AO Trauma expects its 2028 call to open in spring 2027.
  • We could not verify current APKASS fellowship terms on an official page, so they are not covered here.

Singapore: temporary registration and the work pass

The Singapore Medical Council grants temporary registration to international graduates training as Clinical Fellows or Clinical Observers, but only if they have a training offer from an SMC-approved institution. Both groups need a recognised basic degree, any national licensing exam their own country requires, at least 12 months of housemanship, current registration and good standing at home, and active practice for the 3 years before applying. Clinical Fellows also need at least 3 years as a medical officer (or equivalent) and sponsorship from their government, a regional health authority or their home institution (full-time, 40 hours or more a week). Fellow registration lasts up to 1 year and is not renewed. Observerships are capped at 6 months. SMC says straightforward applications take about 4 weeks on average, and up to 8 weeks for complex cases or busy periods. Incomplete applications are withdrawn.

  • Fellows may join patient care, write case notes and perform procedures under direct or Level 1 supervision. Observers may only assist under direct supervision.
  • The host signs SMC annexes. The applicant, the clinical supervisor and the head of department sign Annex A.
  • Singapore General Hospital's PGMI also requires a Training Employment Pass, malpractice indemnity, home-country approval of the training, and self-funding, with a 12-month maximum.
  • MOM states that the Training Employment Pass lasts up to 3 months, is not renewable and requires a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,000. Ask your host which pass applies to a longer fellowship.

Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea

Hong Kong uses limited registration under section 14A of the Medical Registration Ordinance. You must have been selected for a type of employment the Council has promulgated, hold an acceptable overseas qualification, have relevant full-time post-qualification clinical experience, be registered with an overseas authority and be of good character. Promulgation No. 2 covers full-time posts with the Hospital Authority, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Government. Limited registration lasts up to 3 years and can be renewed, and no Licensing Examination is required. Japan's clinical training system (臨床修練制度) lets a foreign doctor practise under a Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare permit for up to 2 years. Training takes place in a designated hospital (or a closely linked clinic) under a supervising physician, and the applicant needs 3 years of clinical experience after qualifying abroad. In South Korea, a Ministry of Health and Welfare notice lets foreign doctors in training perform limited medical acts. They need at least 3 years of clinical experience and must apply through the training hospital and an organising body to the Ministry, which decides within 20 days.

  • Japan: the host hospital and the trainee sign an undertaking to keep insurance in place for the whole permitted period.
  • Korea: approval is for up to 1 year and depends on at least 3 months of pre-training in Korea (waived if already completed). One extension is allowed, to a total of 1 year, or 2 years for government-to-government programmes.
  • Korea: trainees may not practise alone. They work only with patient consent and in the presence of a supervising specialist who has at least 3 years' post-specialist experience.
  • Korea: the host must be a hospital-level teaching hospital with current accreditation, and its internal rules must set language-ability criteria for trainees.
  • Korea: the application includes a recommendation letter from the trainee's own government that certifies their clinical experience.

India: NMC temporary registration and NBEMS FNB courses

India's National Medical Commission issued Guidelines on Temporary Registration on 18 January 2024. A foreign citizen enrolled as a doctor at home can be registered, if sponsored, for NMC-recognised postgraduate and super-specialty courses, for fellowships, certificate courses, clinical research, clinical training or observership, for expert visits, or for voluntary clinical service. Registration lasts as long as the programme, up to 12 months, except for formal postgraduate, super-specialty or fellowship courses approved by the NMC and the National Board of Examinations. It ends when your Indian visa expires if that comes first. You may work only under the sponsor's supervision. Surgical or interventional procedures are not allowed unless they are part of the approved programme. The sponsor sends course content, duration, facilities, fees and any past temporary registration to the Ethics and Medical Registration Board online, with a non-refundable processing fee. NBEMS runs 2-year FNB fellowships through the Fellowship Entrance Test, and from 2020 has admitted international doctors under its FPIS programme.

  • Orthopaedic-related FNB courses for Indian candidates in the FET 2025 bulletin include Arthroplasty, Hand & Micro Surgery, Paediatric Orthopaedics, Spine Surgery and Sports Medicine. DNB or MS Orthopaedics is the feeder qualification for Arthroplasty.
  • The bulletin lists Arthroplasty and Spine Surgery among the courses offered to international candidates.
  • International candidates need a no-objection certificate from their medical council or government, security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs where it applies, and NMC temporary registration before joining.
  • NBEMS issues a visa support letter, and there is no upper age limit for FNB training.
  • FNB trainees work as Senior Residents in a 'training cum employment' programme.

Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia

The Malaysian Medical Council's Temporary Practising Certificate (TPC) covers overseas-registered doctors who come for postgraduate courses, clinical attachments or training lasting less than one year. Longer stays need full registration, and a TPC is not issued for employment. A Malaysian supervisor with a valid Annual Practising Certificate applies through MeRITS at least six weeks before the start. The fee is RM500, and the council expects good standing, primary source verification of degrees, and professional indemnity. The Medical Council of Thailand's published English-language Announcement 60/2023 covers foreign physicians working as consultants or specialists. Government health bodies apply on their behalf at least two months ahead, a Thai physician supervises them, and permission lasts at most one year. We did not find an official English page setting out current rules specifically for foreign fellows in training, so ask the host institution. Indonesia's health council (Konsil Kesehatan Indonesia) states that STR registration for foreign nationals goes through its online registration portal. Its requirements page could not be opened when we checked.

  • Malaysia: the good-standing letter must go to the council directly from your last regulator. Degrees not issued in Bahasa Malaysia or English need an approved translation.
  • Malaysia: the council may attach conditions or restrictions to your practice.
  • Thailand (60/2023): THB 2,000 application fee, insurance covering patient harm, and practice reports every six months. Practising without permission can carry up to 3 years' imprisonment, a THB 30,000 fine, or both.
  • Indonesia: confirm the current STR category, documents and any language test with the host and the council before you commit.

Language requirements

Official language rules vary a great deal, and several regulators set none at all. Singapore asks Clinical Fellows for English test evidence if their basic medical degree was not taught in English. It accepts IELTS Academic (at least 7 in each component), OET (at least Grade B in each component) or TOEFL iBT. For TOEFL tests taken on or after 21 January 2026, the requirement is at least 5.0 in each component and overall. Results must come from a single sitting and are valid for 2 years. Clinical Observers in Singapore do not need to submit English results. Japan's clinical training system does not require Japanese, but the trainee must understand and use the language their supervising physician uses. Korea's notice requires each host hospital to set its own language-ability criteria. Society fellowships (APOA, APSS, AO) ask for English proficiency.

  • Hong Kong's limited registration page does not mention a language test.
  • Malaysia's TPC guideline asks for approved translations of degrees not in Bahasa Malaysia or English, but sets no test.
  • India's NMC guidelines require an English translation of any document in another language.
  • Patient-facing language matters in practice even where no test is required, so ask the host how much of the work you will do in the local language.

Pay, stipends and grants: what is actually published

Few official sources publish fellow pay. The clearest figures come from India. NBEMS's notice of 3 June 2025, reproduced in the FET 2025 bulletin, sets a minimum monthly stipend for FNB courses of ₹49,000 in the first year and ₹51,000 in the second. Private and state government hospitals must pay that or the state-government rate, whichever is higher. The stipend is not paid beyond 24 months, even if excess leave extends training. The same bulletin lists annual course fees of INR 1,25,000 for Indian candidates and candidates from SAARC nations, and USD 5,000 for international candidates from outside SAARC. Ask NBEMS and your host how the stipend applies to FPIS trainees. Elsewhere, published figures are grants rather than salaries. AO Trauma benchmarks its stipend at USD 550 a week in the United States and adjusts it for local price levels using World Bank purchasing-power data. Travel and insurance are the fellow's responsibility. The ARI-APOA fellowship covers housing and about CHF 1,500 of living costs.

  • Singapore General Hospital describes overseas clinical fellows as self-funding, with non-refundable administrative and department fees (amounts not published).
  • The Training Employment Pass route in Singapore assumes a fixed salary of at least S$3,000 a month. Confirm with the host who pays it and under what contract.
  • APSS host fellowships paid economy airfare and accommodation. Fellows paid for insurance and meals.
  • We found no official published salary scales for foreign fellows in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia.

Timelines and application steps

Regulatory processing usually takes less time than the host's own selection and paperwork. Work backwards from the start date and allow for documents that have to travel directly between authorities. Official minimum lead times include 4 to 8 weeks for SMC processing once a file is complete, at least 6 weeks for a Malaysian TPC, at least 2 months for a Thai permission application, and 20 days for a Korean Ministry decision, which is then followed by at least 3 months of pre-training. India's FET runs once a year with merit-based counselling. Society calls have fixed annual deadlines (APSS March to April, AO May, ARI-APOA October), so check each programme's own calendar.

  • 1. Confirm the format (clinical fellow, observer, research) and that the host is approved to sponsor it.
  • 2. Request good-standing certificates early. SMC needs one that is no more than 3 months old when you register in person.
  • 3. Arrange primary source verification, indemnity and insurance where required (Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand).
  • 4. Book an English test if needed, and check that the result will still be valid on the start date.
  • 5. Apply for the visa or work pass only after registration is approved or in progress, as the host advises. India ties registration expiry to visa expiry.
EVIDENCE AND ACTIONS

Sources checked and applicant checklist

Every rule, figure and deadline in this guide comes from an official regulator, ministry, national board, host hospital or society page opened on 8 October 2026. We left out points we could not confirm on an official page, including current APKASS fellowship terms, Thai rules specific to foreign trainees, Indonesia's detailed STR requirements, and rules for Pakistan, China, Nepal, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. Regulations and calls change often, so confirm details with the host institution and the regulator before you apply. This guide does not rank countries or programmes.

Before you act

  • Confirm the exact category (clinical fellow, observer or research fellow) and that the host is approved to sponsor it.
  • Get good-standing certificates, degree verification and translations moving early, since several regulators require them directly from the issuing body.
  • Check language evidence (for example SMC-accepted English test scores valid for 2 years) and any supervisor-language expectations.
  • Get a written statement of pay, stipend or grant, indemnity and insurance cover, and visa or pass type before you resign or relocate.

Official sources

Sources reviewed 8 October 2026. Recheck the linked source because cycles and regulatory requirements can change.
COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

Can I operate during an orthopaedic fellowship in Asia?

It depends on your registration category. Singapore Clinical Fellows may perform procedures under direct or Level 1 supervision, while observers may only assist. Korea allows limited medical acts only in the presence of a supervising specialist, with patient consent. India's NMC temporary registration excludes surgical or interventional procedures unless the approved programme requires them. Confirm your exact scope with the host.

Do I need to pass a local licensing exam?

Not for the training routes covered here. Hong Kong states that limited registrants do not sit the Licensing Examination. Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and India use temporary registrations or permits tied to a sponsored programme instead. Full registration is a separate route with its own rules.

Is English enough?

For most of the official routes covered, yes. Singapore accepts English test results (IELTS 7 in each component, OET Grade B, or TOEFL iBT) where your degree was not taught in English. Japan requires the language your supervisor uses rather than Japanese. Korea leaves language criteria to each host hospital. Society fellowships ask for English proficiency.

Are orthopaedic fellows in Asia paid?

Only some official pay figures are published. India's NBEMS sets a minimum FNB stipend of ₹49,000 a month in year one and ₹51,000 in year two (notice of 3 June 2025). AO Trauma and ARI-APOA publish stipend or living-cost figures, and SGH describes overseas clinical fellows as self-funding. For other posts, ask the host for a written offer.

How long can a fellowship last?

Official caps include up to 1 year for Singapore Clinical Fellows (6 months for observers), up to 3 years (renewable) for Hong Kong limited registration, up to 2 years under Japan's permit, generally up to 1 year in Korea, under 1 year for a Malaysian TPC, and 2 years for India's FNB courses. India's NMC caps other temporary registrations at 12 months.

Who submits the registration application, me or the hospital?

Usually the host is heavily involved. In Malaysia a registered supervisor applies through MeRITS. In Thailand government bodies apply on your behalf. India's NMC expects the sponsoring institution to send the course details. In Singapore you apply online, with annexes signed by the institution and supervisor.

When do society fellowships open?

Each programme has its own cycle. APSS host fellowships for 2026 closed on 31 March and 30 April 2026, AO's 2027 short-term call closed on 20 May 2026, and the ARI-APOA 2027 research fellowship closes on 12 October 2026. AO Trauma expects its 2028 call to open in spring 2027.

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