A Medical Identification Number for Canada (MINC) is:
A unique identifier assigned to all individuals entering the Canadian medical education or practice system
A serial number with no encoded information other than country and profession
Nationally recognized by all provincial/territorial medical regulatory authorities
Supported by the
Medical Council of Canada (MCC)
and the
Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada (FMRAC) .
A MINC is comprised of 12 characters that work together to create a unique, permanent identifier
Hover over each component to see its purpose
A two-letter country code (e.g., CA for Canada)
2 CHARACTERSA two-letter profession code (e.g., MD for physicians)
2 CHARACTERSA seven-digit serial number with no encoded information
7 DIGITSA final digit generated by mathematical formula as a check for transposition errors
1 DIGITA MINC is an identification number only. It does NOT replace any other number issued to an individual for registration, membership, certification or other identification purposes; or convey any status, rights, credentials or privileges to the holder.
MINCs are assigned by Prime Users , which are the medical regulatory authorities in Canada and the MCC. Prime Users are the only organizations authorized to request issuance of MINCs from the MINC#NIMC Corporation.
Once assigned, an individual's MINC will not change throughout their entire medical career. It will stay the same if they:
Even after they pass away, an individual's MINC will not be re-assigned.
If you're a physician with questions about your MINC, please contact your medical regulatory authority's Registration Department.
