USMLE Eligibility Period Extension Request: 25-Day Deadline and Fee

If you need more time to sit for a USMLE Step exam, you can request a one-time USMLE eligibility extension that adds three months to the end of your current eligibility period for a $70 fee. The request has to reach the appropriate registration body no later than 25 days after your original eligibility period ends, and it applies to Step 1, Step 2 CK, or Step 3.1Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE Eligibility Extension

Who Can Request One

You qualify if you hold an active or recently ended eligibility period for a USMLE Step and have not already used an extension on that same application. One extension per application is the limit. A separate application for a different Step gets its own one-time extension opportunity.1Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE Eligibility Extension

The new window is contiguous with the old one. It starts the day after your original eligibility period ends and runs for exactly three months. If your eligibility expires on May 31, the extension runs from June 1 through August 31. You cannot pick custom dates or push the window later.1Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE Eligibility Extension

You also cannot submit the request until your original scheduling permit is available. Newly approved applicants waiting on a first permit have to hold off.

The 25-Day Deadline and What a Miss Costs

Your request must arrive no later than 25 days after your original eligibility period ends.1Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE Eligibility Extension Miss both the original window and that 25-day cushion, and you forfeit the application fee you already paid. To sit for the exam you then have to submit a new application with a new fee.2Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE FAQ

The gap between the two options is large. 2026 application fees are $695 for Step 1 or Step 2 CK and $995 for Step 3.3United States Medical Licensing Examination. Step Exams The extension costs $70. If there is any realistic chance you will not test within your current window, request the extension rather than wait and hope.

Where to Submit the Request

The portal depends on which exam you are extending and, for Step 1 and Step 2 CK, whether you are a U.S./Canadian medical student or graduate or an international medical graduate.

Have your USMLE Identification Number ready before you sign in. The system uses it to match your request to the correct exam record.6Federation of State Medical Boards. Getting Started with USMLE

Clear Your Prometric Appointment First

If you have a Prometric testing appointment booked, cancel or reschedule it before you request the extension. An outstanding appointment tied to your old eligibility dates blocks the system from updating those dates.1Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE Eligibility Extension

Two situations require an extra step before you can proceed:

  • You cancelled your appointment within 45 days of the scheduled test date. You must call Prometric at the number on your scheduling permit and pay a reinstatement fee to restore your eligibility record.
  • You missed your appointment entirely. The same requirement applies: call Prometric, pay the reinstatement fee, and get your record restored before requesting the extension.1Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE Eligibility Extension

Prometric may also charge a cancellation or rescheduling fee that varies with how close to the test date you cancel.7Prometric. Cancel Appointment Those fees go to Prometric and are separate from the $70 extension fee.

Fee and Refund Rule

The fee is $70 for any Step: Step 1, Step 2 CK, or Step 3.4NBME. Taking the United States Medical Licensing Examination After you submit the request, the portal takes you to a credit card payment screen. The $70 is non-refundable. If you pay for the extension and then do not test during the extended window, you do not get the money back.1Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE Eligibility Extension Save the payment confirmation; the transaction reference is what you will need if anything goes wrong in processing.

After You Submit

Once payment clears, the registration body processes the extension and emails you when your eligibility dates have been updated. A new scheduling permit with the revised dates is then available. The USMLE Bulletin of Information notes that scheduling permits are delivered by email, after which you can book your test date on the Prometric website.8United States Medical Licensing Examination. Bulletin of Information – Applying and Scheduling

Your old scheduling permit stops being valid once the new one is issued. Discard it so you do not bring outdated documentation to the testing center, since Prometric requires the current permit at check-in.

Key Numbers at a Glance

  • Earliest you can request: after your original scheduling permit is available.
  • Latest you can request: 25 days after your original eligibility period ends.1Federation of State Medical Boards. USMLE Eligibility Extension
  • Extension length: three months, starting the day after your original period ends.
  • Extensions allowed per application: one.
  • Fee: $70, non-refundable.