Healthcare professional registration requirements

Why professional registration matters

For employers:

You must verify staff registration before they start work
You must check registration is maintained throughout employment
CQC/regulators will check your registration verification processes
Employing unregistered staff can lead to prosecution and regulatory action

For professionals:

Registration is required by law for protected titles
Practising without registration is a criminal offence
Revalidation requirements keep skills and knowledge current
Registration provides public assurance of competence

GMC - Doctors

All doctors practising medicine in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and hold a licence to practise. The GMC regulates around 370,000 doctors. Since December 2024 the GMC has also regulated physician associates and anaesthesia associates under the Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order 2024, with registration mandatory for these roles from December 2026.

GMC Registration Fees for Doctors

GMC annual retention fee and registration costs for medical practitioners

Annual retention fee (from 1 April 2026): £481 (£463 in 2025/26)
Full registration application: See the GMC fees page for current application fees
New doctor discount: Discounted ARF (£177 in 2025/26) for up to around 5 years after qualifying
Income-based discount threshold: 50% discount if earning under £37,000
Provisional registration: For UK graduates in Foundation Year 1
Renewal deadline: Anniversary of initial registration date
Revalidation cycle: Every 5 years
Annual appraisal: Required for revalidation
CPD requirement: No set hours - GMC requires CPD relevant to your practice (royal college guidance applies)
Payment options: Quarterly or 10 monthly instalments available

GMC Revalidation for Doctors

Five-year revalidation requirements for maintaining medical licence to practise

Know your revalidation date
Revalidation occurs every 5 years from when you obtained full registration. Check your personal revalidation date in GMC Online and set reminders.
Participate in annual appraisals
Have an annual appraisal with your designated appraiser (arranged by NHS employer or private appraisal service). Review your practice, create personal development plan, and document CPD activities.
Maintain supporting information portfolio
Continuously collect: CPD records (the GMC sets no minimum hours - follow your royal college or faculty guidance), quality improvement activities, significant events, colleague feedback (multisource feedback), patient feedback, complaints and compliments review.
Ensure connection to responsible officer
You must have a designated connection to a responsible officer who will review your evidence. Most NHS doctors are automatically connected through their employer.
Undergo responsible officer review
Near your revalidation date, your responsible officer reviews your portfolio and appraisal evidence and makes a recommendation to GMC: revalidate, defer, or non-engagement.
Receive GMC decision
GMC reviews the recommendation and makes final decision. You'll be notified via GMC Online. If revalidated, your new 5-year cycle begins immediately.

Healthcare & Social Care Requirement

Annual appraisal mandatory for revalidation

All licensed doctors must participate in annual medical appraisal to maintain their licence. Appraisal reviews the previous year's practice and sets development objectives. This is distinct from (but supports) the 5-yearly GMC revalidation process.

Employers must ensure appraisal systems are in place for employed doctors. Locum and portfolio doctors must arrange their own appraisals through approved appraisal services.

Who this applies to: All doctors with a GMC licence to practise

Enforcement: Failure to engage with appraisal and revalidation can result in loss of licence to practise.

GMC revalidation guidance

NMC - Nurses and Midwives

All nurses and midwives in the UK, and nursing associates in England (the nursing associate role exists only in England), must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The NMC regulates around 850,000 professionals.

NMC Registration Fees for Nurses and Midwives

NMC annual fee and revalidation requirements

Annual registration fee (current): £120
Fee from 1 October 2026: £143 (approved, subject to Parliamentary approval)
Renewal deadline: Your own renewal date (shown in NMC Online)
Revalidation cycle: Every 3 years
Practice hours required: 450 hours over 3 years (900 for dual registration)
CPD hours required: 35 hours over 3 years (20+ participatory)
Reflective accounts: 5 written reflections per cycle
Reflective discussion: 1 per revalidation cycle with NMC registrant
Confirmer required: NMC registrant must verify evidence
Payment options: Annual payment or quarterly direct debit

NMC Revalidation for Nurses and Midwives

Three-year revalidation requirements for maintaining NMC registration

Know your revalidation date
Revalidation is required every 3 years from your registration date. Check NMC Online for your exact date and set reminders (6 months, 3 months, 1 month before).
Log practice hours
Record minimum 450 practice hours over 3 years (or 900 if registered as both nurse and midwife). Log in the NMC revalidation form.
Complete CPD hours
Complete minimum 35 hours CPD over 3 years, with at least 20 hours being participatory learning. Document what you learned and how you applied it to practice.
Write reflective accounts
Write 5 reflections linking your CPD or practice-related feedback to NMC Code standards. Keep these in your portfolio.
Collect practice-related feedback
Obtain minimum 5 pieces of feedback from patients, service users, or colleagues over your 3-year cycle. Use in reflective accounts.
Have reflective discussion
Discuss your 5 reflective accounts with another NMC registrant. Record discussion details and obtain confirmation from your discussion partner.
Obtain confirmation
Have an NMC registrant (confirmer) review all your evidence and confirm your declaration is honest. May be the same person as your discussion partner.
Submit revalidation online
Submit via NMC Online up to 60 days before deadline. Complete the form, pay your fee, and make revalidation declaration. You may be selected for verification (a sample of submissions is checked).

GDC - Dentists and Dental Care Professionals

All dentists and dental care professionals (dental nurses, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, orthodontic therapists) must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC).

GDC Registration Fees for Dental Professionals

GDC annual retention fee and CPD requirements

Dentist ARF (2025): £621
Dentist ARF (2026): £698 (confirmed)
Dental care professional (DCP) ARF: £108 from the July 2026 renewal (£96 covers the cycle ending 31 July 2026)
Renewal deadline: 31 December (dentists), 31 July (DCPs)
CPD cycle: 5 years (enhanced CPD scheme)
CPD hours required: 100 hours (dentists), 75 hours (hygienists, therapists, orthodontic therapists, CDTs), 50 hours (dental nurses, technicians) per 5-year cycle; minimum 10 hours every 2 years
Personal development plan: Required throughout cycle
Annual CPD submission: Submit records via eGDC annually
Indemnity insurance: Mandatory declaration on renewal

GPhC - Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland, and Wales must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Pharmacy premises must also be registered.

Pharmacy Registration

Pharmacy Registration - Sale of medicines (pharmacy)

Regulator: Gphc
Typical fee: £416 annual premises renewal; £1,088 total for a new premises registration
Timeline: 12 weeks for new registrations
Frequency: annual
Legal basis: Medicines Act 1968; Human Medicines Regulations 2012

Required for retail pharmacy premises in Great Britain. Must register with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC); pharmacies in Northern Ireland register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland instead. Company-owned (body corporate) pharmacies must have a superintendent pharmacist. GPhC inspections are risk-based and intelligence-led rather than on a fixed annual cycle. Must comply with professional standards. A Responsible Pharmacist must be in charge whenever the pharmacy is open, with a notice displaying their name.

GPhC Registration Fees for Pharmacists

GPhC annual fee for pharmacists and pharmacy premises

Pharmacist annual fee (from Sept 2025): £293
Pharmacy technician fee (from Sept 2025): £138
Pharmacy premises fee (from Sept 2025): £416
Renewal deadline: Anniversary of initial registration
Revalidation cycle: Annual
CPD records required: 4 per year (at least 2 planned learning)
Reflective accounts: 1 per year
Peer discussion: 1 per year
Responsible pharmacist: Must be on duty when pharmacy open
Geographic scope: Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

Note: GPhC regulates pharmacists and pharmacies in England, Scotland, and Wales. Northern Ireland is regulated separately by the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

HCPC - Allied Health Professionals

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates 15 health and care professions including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paramedics, radiographers, and speech and language therapists.

HCPC Registration Fees for Allied Health Professionals

HCPC biennial fees for 15 regulated professions

Biennial renewal fee (from April 2025): £246.68 (£123.34/year)
UK graduate discount: 50% discount for first 2 years (£123.34 total)
International applicant fee: Up to £692 (includes £495 non-refundable application)
Renewal cycle: Every 2 years
Renewal window: Set by profession - each profession renews in its own window (check your renewal date with HCPC)
CPD requirement: No set hours - continuous, standards-based record of CPD activities
CPD audit rate: 2.5% of registrants per cycle
Payment options: 4 direct debit payments per year available
Professions regulated: 15 (see list below)

HCPC regulates 15 professions: Arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists/podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists/orthotists, radiographers, speech and language therapists.

Employing international healthcare professionals

If you're recruiting healthcare professionals from outside the UK, they must obtain UK registration with the relevant professional body before they can practise. Post-Brexit, EEA qualifications are no longer automatically recognised.

International Healthcare Professional Registration Routes

Comparison of UK registration pathways for internationally qualified professionals

GMC (Doctors) - route: PLAB (which delivers the Medical Licensing Assessment for international medical graduates) or sponsorship
GMC English requirement: IELTS 7.5 overall, 7.0 each section OR OET Grade B
NMC (Nurses) - route: Test of Competence (CBT + OSCE)
NMC English requirement: IELTS 7.0 overall (6.5 accepted in writing) OR OET Grade B (C+ accepted in writing)
GDC (Dentists) - route: Overseas Registration Exam (ORE Part 1 + Part 2)
GDC English requirement: IELTS 7.0 overall, 6.5 each section OR OET Grade B
GPhC (Pharmacists) - route: OSPAP (Overseas Pharmacist Assessment Programme)
GPhC English requirement: IELTS 7.0 overall and each section
HCPC (Allied Health) - route: International application with qualification assessment
HCPC English requirement: IELTS 7.0 overall, no element below 6.5 (speech and language therapists 8.0 overall, no element below 7.5)
Post-Brexit change: EEA qualifications no longer automatically recognised
Test validity: English tests must be within 2 years of application

Immigration and visa requirements

Most healthcare professionals from outside the UK will need a Skilled Worker visa to work here. Healthcare employers must hold a sponsor licence to employ overseas workers.

The Health and Care Worker visa provides a cheaper, faster route for many healthcare roles, with reduced fees and faster processing.

Verify professional registration

All UK healthcare regulators maintain public registers that employers and the public can search to verify registration status.