GDC (General Dental Council): Registration, Exams and Fees

• Dentists register
• Dental care professionals register: dental nurses
• Dental care professionals register: dental hygienists
• Dental care professionals register: dental therapists
• Dental care professionals register: orthodontic therapists
• Specialist lists for dentists

• Dental care professionals register: dental technicians and clinical dental technicians

• Dentists: your primary dental qualification is not recognised for UK registration (most qualifications from outside the UK and EEA), so you need to pass the ORE first.
• To join the ORE candidate list you need clinical references showing at least 1,600 hours of clinical experience treating patients in the dental chair, on documents no more than three months old.
• A UK ENIC Statement of Comparability for your dental degree, plus a certified copy of the degree itself.
• A current certificate of good standing from the country where you last practised, showing you are legally entitled to practise there.
• A character reference from a dentist, doctor or lawyer who has known you for more than 12 months (or from your dental school if you graduated within the last 12 months). Family members cannot act as referees.
• A valid passport for the GDC's online identity check, and certified copies of documents with the GDC's exact certification wording.
• Evidence of English language competence, such as an Academic IELTS result at the scores the GDC sets (see below).
• DCPs: you must hold a relevant DCP qualification from overseas. The GDC says you can no longer register as a DCP if you hold only an overseas dentistry qualification.
• A small group of older qualifications from named universities in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa are recognised for direct registration if granted before the GDC's cut-off dates.

Check your route with the route finder

1. 1

   1. Check your route

   Confirm whether you are a dentist who needs the ORE, a dentist with one of the few recognised overseas qualifications, or a DCP who applies for panel assessment. Read the GDC's recognised overseas qualifications list carefully, because the cut-off dates are strict. Most people trained in the Gulf, South Asia, the Middle East or Africa will need the ORE or DCP assessment.
2. 2

   2. Prepare your documents

   Gather your degree certificate, UK ENIC Statement of Comparability, character reference, clinical references and a certificate of good standing from your last regulator. Photocopies must be certified by a notary, solicitor, justice of the peace or embassy official using the GDC's exact wording. Documents that are out of date or certified incorrectly are a common reason for delay.
3. 3

   3. Apply to join the ORE candidate list (dentists)

   Apply through MyGDC with your documents and complete the online identity check, which works best on a mobile phone. The application fee is £115. The GDC says it processes complete applications within 60 working days, and longer at peak times.
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   4. Book and pass ORE Part 1

   Once you are on the candidate list, book Part 1 when the booking window opens. Booking is first come, first served, after priority candidates who are close to their deadline. Part 1 is two computer-based papers taken in London, and you must pass both. Plan for the possibility that a sitting fills before you can book.
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   5. Book and pass ORE Part 2

   Part 2 tests practical clinical skills through a manikin operative test, an OSCE, a diagnostic and treatment planning exercise and a medical emergencies exam, held at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute. You must pass Part 2 within five years of first attempting Part 1, and you have four attempts at each part. If you fail only the medical emergencies component, you can resit that component alone.
6. 6

   6. Apply for registration (dentists)

   After passing both parts, apply for registration through MyGDC with your character reference, identity check and supporting documents. The GDC aims to assess complete applications within three months. When you are approved, you pay the registration fee, which depends on the month you join.
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   7. Apply for assessment (DCPs)

   DCPs apply through the GDC with a learning outcomes form, a course syllabus validated by your institution, a certified transcript and certificate, and at least two clinical references on employer letterhead. Your application is reviewed by the GDC's independent registration assessment panel, which meets monthly and advises the Registrar. Weak, old or missing evidence against any learning outcome is a common reason for refusal.
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   8. After registration

   Once registered, you pay the annual retention fee each year and must meet the GDC's standards and continuing professional development requirements. Registration lets you practise, but to provide NHS care you will also need to meet NHS requirements in the UK nation where you work, and you need a visa if you are not already entitled to work in the UK.

• ORE Part 1

  Two computer-based papers of three hours each. Paper A covers dental science and human disease; Paper B covers clinical dentistry, including law, ethics, and health and safety. Questions are extended matching and single best answer. The exam is held in London, the provider is UCL Consultants, and the GDC lists 600 places per exam. From August 2026 each paper is standard set rather than using a fixed pass percentage. You have four attempts.

  Read the guide

• ORE Part 2

  Four components: an operative test on a dental manikin (three procedures over three hours), an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), a diagnostic and treatment planning exercise (DTP) with an actor, and a medical emergencies exam (ME) with a scenario-based oral and single-handed basic life support. It is held at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, Rockefeller Building, in London. You have four attempts and must pass within five years of first attempting Part 1.

  Read the guide

• DCP assessment

  There is no exam for overseas-qualified DCPs. The GDC's independent registration assessment panel reviews your evidence against the learning outcomes for your title. The Registrar can grant registration, ask for more information, or refuse. You can appeal within 30 days of a refusal, or submit new evidence in a fresh application.

• The GDC's IELTS requirement for dentists and all DCP titles is the Academic test with at least 6.5 in each of reading, writing, listening and speaking, and an overall score of 7.
• The IELTS Test Report Form must usually be no more than two years old when you apply. The GDC says IELTS One Skill Retake and IELTS Online results are accepted at the same minimum scores.
• You can instead show a recent primary dental qualification taught and examined entirely in English, with at least 75% of clinical interaction in English. 'Recent' means less than two years old.
• A recent pass in a language test used for registration by a regulator in a country where English is the first language can be accepted, with supporting evidence from that regulator.
• Recent and continuous practice (the preceding two years) in a country where English is the first language can be accepted, supported by employer references.
• Countries where English is the first language are those on the UK government's list of majority English-speaking countries. Gulf countries are not on that list, so practice there does not count for this purpose.
• The GDC also says it is reviewing its English language guidance and will update it when the review is complete, so check the English language controls page again before you book a test.

Estimate your total cost

• ORE application: the GDC aims to process complete applications within 60 working days, longer at peak times.
• ORE Parts 1 and 2: the GDC says passing both at the first attempt could take around six to 12 months, but current demand for places substantially extends this.
• ORE results: Part 1 within 30 working days; Part 2 the GDC aims for within 20 working days.
• Registration after the ORE: the GDC aims to assess complete applications within three months.
• DCP assessment: the GDC aims to assess complete applications within four months; panels meet monthly and decisions normally follow within four weeks of the panel meeting.
• Realistically, many overseas dentists should plan for two years or more from first application to registration, depending on how quickly they secure exam places.