Visiting Physician Temporary Permit Application

The Texas licensed sponsoring physician should review the Visiting Physician Sponsor Letter for the requirements of a sponsoring physician.  Individuals considering applying for a Visiting Physician Temporary Permit must meet the following eligibility criteria:   

• Be licensed to practice medicine in another jurisdiction; and
• Have a sponsoring physician licensed in Texas.

Except in emergency cases, a VPTP application must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the visiting physician entering the state.

Helpful Document

• Visiting Physician Sponsor Letter

VPTP applications cannot be submitted online and must be submitted by the TX licensed sponsoring physician to the Board at least 30 days prior to the visiting physician entering the state. The application must be submitted with the following documentation:

• The visiting physician’s curriculum vitae;
• Proof of US Citizenship or Lawful Presence; and  

• A statement from the sponsoring physician verifying that they will provide continuous supervision of the visiting physician and, if the visiting physician will be performing procedures that they have been credentialed by the Texas hospital/facility where the proposed procedure will take place.

   

The permit is valid for up to ten working days, except for educational purposes, including short-term medical faculty teaching positions not to exceed 6 months, or unless otherwise approved by the Executive Director.

Helpful Document

• VPTP Application
• US Citizenship or Lawful Presence Requirement*

* The Texas Medical Board (TMB) requires applicants for an initial license or license renewal to submit documentation establishing lawful presence in the United States from TMB’s list of acceptable documents: US Citizenship or Lawful Presence Requirement. Verification of this documentation is part of the Board’s licensure and renewal process to confirm a person’s eligibility to hold a license in Texas. 

Under 8 U.S.C. § 1621, an individual who is not lawfully present in the United States is not eligible to receive a public benefit. Licenses issued by the TMB constitute public benefits under the law therefore submission of documentation establishing lawful presence is required as a condition of licensure. 

Applicants must submit documentation from the list of acceptable documents before a license may be issued or renewed. Initial applications or applications for renewal will remain pending and will not be eligible for approval until the required documentation is submitted.  The documentation must be unexpired on the date the initial license is issued or the date the license is renewed.

Application Fee: There is no application fee for the VPTP.