The ECFMG identification form, now called the Intealth Identification Form (and historically the Certification of Identification Form, or Form 186), is a notarized online document that links your identity to your medical education record. You complete it through a live video session with NotaryCam, and it must be accepted by ECFMG before you can submit an Application for ECFMG Certification or register for any USMLE exam.1Intealth ECFMG. Online Services
What the Form Does and Why It Comes First
The identification form is the gatekeeper for everything else at ECFMG. Nothing moves without it: no exam registration, no certification application, no credential verification. The form ties the passport you present to the biographical record ECFMG will carry for you throughout your career, so the agency verifies your identity once, in a controlled session, and then relies on that verification for every service that follows.
The entire process runs through MyIntealth, the portal that replaced the older IWA and OASIS systems.2Intealth. MyIntealth Applicant Portal You create an applicant account, pay a $100 account establishment fee (which includes the $50 NotaryCam charge), and complete the identity verification session.3Intealth ECFMG. Fees Overview Once your account is approved, you receive a MyIntealth Identification Number. That number is permanent; you only get one, and it cannot be changed.4Intealth ECFMG. ECFMG 2026 Information Booklet – MyIntealth Identification Number
What You Need Before You Start
Have these ready before you open the portal:
- A current, unexpired passport. ECFMG uses passports exclusively for identity verification. The name, gender, and date of birth you enter in MyIntealth must match the passport exactly. If they don’t, ECFMG changes your record to match the passport, not the other way around.5Intealth ECFMG. MyIntealth Applicant Account Establishment and Identity Verification – Section: Passport
- Your medical school’s official name as listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, your attendance dates, degree title, and graduation date or anticipated graduation date.6ECFMG. Application for ECFMG Certification
- A computer with a working webcam and microphone, plus an internet connection stable enough for a live video call.
Check your school’s World Directory listing before you pay anything. Your school must appear there with an ECFMG Sponsor Note confirming it meets eligibility requirements, and the Sponsor Note specifies which graduation years qualify. If your graduation year falls outside the listed range, or if no Sponsor Note exists for your school, you are not eligible for ECFMG Certification.7ECFMG. Requirements for ECFMG Certification
Translations for Non-English Documents
If any document you submit is not in English, you must include a word-for-word English translation. ECFMG is strict about who can prepare it: a government official, a medical school official, or a professional translation service. Translations by you, by a family member, or by a notary who is not one of the above are rejected. Summaries and abstracts are also rejected; only full word-for-word translations qualify.8ECFMG. Resources – English Translations
Every acceptable translation must carry all four of these elements:
- The official letterhead of the translating organization. A private company’s letterhead must identify it as a translation service.
- An English-language certification statement from the translator or a representative of the service confirming the translation is correct.
- The signature and title of the government or medical school official, or of the translation service representative.
- The entity’s official seal, if it has one.
Professional certified translation of a single-page document typically runs between $24 and $39, depending on the language and provider.
The NotaryCam Session
NotaryCam has been mandatory since September 2018; there is no in-person notarization alternative.9Intealth ECFMG. Upcoming Enhancement to ECFMG Certification of Identity Process for Applicants You schedule the session through MyIntealth and connect at the appointed time with your original passport in hand. Not a photocopy, not a scan on your phone. The original.
During the session, you display the passport to the camera. The notary inspects it, compares the photo to your live video and to the information on the identification form, and asks you identity verification questions. You then electronically sign the form while the notary watches, and the notary applies a digital seal and signature. The session is recorded for legal compliance. If your technology works and your documents are ready, the whole thing usually finishes in under twenty minutes.
When the notary completes the session, the signed form transfers to ECFMG automatically. You don’t mail anything or send follow-up documents. ECFMG currently estimates one business day to review a completed identity form, and about three business days for the broader account establishment review.10Intealth ECFMG. Current Processing Time Estimates by Service
How Long the Form Stays Valid
An accepted identification form is valid for five years from the date ECFMG accepts it. Within that window, you can register for USMLE exams and continue pursuing certification without redoing the form.11ECFMG. Upcoming Enhancement to ECFMG Certification of Identity Process for Applicants If it expires before you finish, you repeat the NotaryCam session with a new form.
A legal name change invalidates your current form even if the five years aren’t up. Once your record no longer matches your passport, you must request a name change through ECFMG, provide the reason and supporting documents, and then complete a new Intealth Identification Form before you can submit any further applications or service requests.12Intealth ECFMG. Changing Your Name Acceptable supporting documents include an expired passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, court order, immigration documents such as a U.S. naturalization certificate, or a driver’s license.13Intealth ECFMG. Name on Medical Diploma and Transcripts – Section: Verifying Your Name
Watch your passport expiration date too. If you renew a passport and the new one carries different biographical details, that can trigger a discrepancy in your ECFMG record and a new identification form along with it. You can track your status through the My Cases section of your MyIntealth account.
What Happens After Your Form Is Accepted
Acceptance of the identification form unlocks the Application for ECFMG Certification, which is a separate submission with its own $560 fee.3Intealth ECFMG. Fees Overview The application asks for detailed information about your medical education and requires you to confirm again that your name, date of birth, and gender match your passport exactly. If they don’t, you update your record first.6ECFMG. Application for ECFMG Certification
Graduates provide a copy of their final diploma and any transcripts documenting transfer credits; ECFMG then verifies the diploma directly with the issuing school. Students who haven’t graduated yet can have the application on file, but the school must confirm current enrollment and curriculum completion status before the student sits for an exam.14ECFMG. Certification – Eligibility for USMLE None of that work can begin until the identification form is accepted, which is why it belongs at the top of your to-do list.