Foreign Dentist Registration Law UK

Hylton-Potts - London Based Law Firm Helping People Across the UK since 1999

A Dentist has to register with the GDC to work in the UK.

The Dentist can apply to register provided he/she is an EEA National or married to one.

If not he/she must have a primary dental qualification recognised by the GDC.

Click here to download a pdf with the registration criteria.

We deal with primary care NHS applications.

The Aplication Process

If you meet the criteria above and wish to apply for registration with the GDC please print an application pack cover letter, an advice sheet, a list of fees payable and application form from the links below.

Once registered you must have professional indemnity to practise in the UK.

If you don’t meet the criteria above you may have to take an Overseas Registration Exam.

The Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) What is the ORE? The ORE is an exam that overseas qualified dentists have to pass in order to register with the GDC. Registration allows dentists to practise dentistry unsupervised in the UK.

The ORE tests the clinical skills and knowledge of dentists from outside the European Economic Area whose qualifications are not eligible for full registration with the GDC here in the UK. Candidates are expected to meet or exceed the standard of a ‘just passed’ UK BDS graduate.

The exam is based on the UK dental curriculum and uses modern assessment methods to ensure a robust and consistent exam. The exam has two parts:

• Part 1 is a written exam;

• Part 2 is a clinical exam.

We design and organise the exam, and manage its administration. We appoint dental authorities to run the exam sittings on our behalf.

Find out whether the ORE is your route to registration

Before you apply for the ORE To apply for the ORE you will need to fill in our application form, and send in supporting documents at the same time. Once accepted, please expect to wait six to 12 months to sit your first exam.

The fees for the exams are:

• Part 1 – £600

• Part 2 – £2250 Before applying, you need to make sure you meet our clinical experience and English language requirement. You will need to send evidence of the following:

Clinical experience requirement You must have at least 1600 hours of clinical experience where you have personally treated patients in the dental chair. The number of hours of this clinical experience will either be hours spent undertaking appropriate investigations and administering dental treatment:

• during your dental degree;

• during post-qualification experience; or

• a combination of the two. It could also be undertaken during temporary registration.

This cannot include time observing other dentists or assisting other dentists/dental students in undertaking diagnosis/treatment planning or provision of treatment.

English language requirement You will need to submit a single, Academic IELTS Test Report Form with your application or we will be unable to accept it. Only Academic IELTS Test Report Forms will be accepted. Other language tests or qualifications and the length of time spent in an English- speaking country will not be considered.

The form must:

• be no more than two years old on receipt at the GDC;

• show a minimum overall band score of 7.0; and

• show no score lower than 6.5 in any section.

You are exempt from submitting an IELTS Test Report Form if:

• You are a national of the EEA ; or

• entitled to be treated no less favourably than nationals of the EEA If you are not an EEA national and are married to a UK national you must submit a single,

acceptable Academic IELTS Test Report Form with your application.

To apply for this exam you must complete the GDC’s application form and send supporting documents including Clinical Experience Requirement and English Language Requirement. You may wait 6-12 months to sit the first exam and if you pass the ORE you may need to do one year’s vocational training to work for the NHS

Before you apply for the ORE To apply for the ORE you will need to fill in our application form, and send in supporting documents at the same time. Once accepted, please expect to wait six to 12 months to sit your first exam.

The fees for the exams are:

• Part 1 – £600

• Part 2 – £2250 Before applying, you need to make sure you meet our clinical experience and English language requirement. You will need to send evidence of the following:

Clinical experience requirement You must have at least 1600 hours of clinical experience where you have personally treated patients in the dental chair. The number of hours of this clinical experience will either be hours spent undertaking appropriate investigations and administering dental treatment:

• during your dental degree;

• during post-qualification experience; or

• a combination of the two. It could also be undertaken during temporary registration.

This cannot include time observing other dentists or assisting other dentists/dental students in undertaking diagnosis/treatment planning or provision of treatment.

English language requirement You will need to submit a single, Academic IELTS Test Report Form with your application or we will be unable to accept it. Only Academic IELTS Test Report Forms will be accepted. Other language tests or qualifications and the length of time spent in an English- speaking country will not be considered.

The form must:

• be no more than two years old on receipt at the GDC;

• show a minimum overall band score of 7.0; and

• show no score lower than 6.5 in any section.

You are exempt from submitting an IELTS Test Report Form if:

• You are a national of the EEA ; or

• entitled to be treated no less favourably than nationals of the EEA

If you are not an EEA national and are married to a UK national you must submit a single, acceptable Academic IELTS Test Report Form with your application.

Should I apply for the ORE? Most applicants whose primary qualification is from outside the EEA will be required to sit the ORE. Exempt persons are entitled to individual assessment, although this is not a guaranteed route to registration.

Use the questionnaire below to see whether the ORE is your route to registration. It may reveal whether you are eligible to apply for registration without taking the exam.

Question 1: Are you a dentist? YES – go to question 2 NO – you are not eligible to take the ORE. Please refer to our registration pages if you are a different type of dental professional.

Question 2: Are you an EEA national or are you married to an EEA national? UK nationals are NOT included in this category. YES – go to our registration pages NO – go to question 3

Question 3: Is your primary dental qualification recognised by the GDC? YES – go to our registration pages NO – go to question 4 Not sure – check that your primary dental qualification is recognised by the GDC.

Question 4: Is your primary dental degree from a university recognised by the GDC for the purposes of taking the ORE? YES – you are eligible to take the ORE. Find out more. NO – contact the Exams team to request a schedule of studies (a document you will need to complete which provides details of your primary dental degree course) Not sure- check that your primary dental degree is from a university recognised by the GDC

Working in the UK The Home Office has removed the categories of ‘employed dental practitioner’, ’employed dental assistant’ and ‘vocational dental practitioner’ from the list of UK shortage occupations.

We advise overseas-qualified (non-EEA) dentists who wish to take the ORE to investigate the employment opportunities available to them on registration. If you pass the ORE you may need to do up to a year’s Vocational Training (VT) in order to work for the NHS.

Challenging Exam Results

A disappointing result/grade or failure is not the end of the road.  Expert advice and the law can help you.

Examining bodies have duties. We operate highly competitive fixed fees.

Contact us by phone or email for a free expert opinion.

We can help with a legal complaint following failure to pass the overseas registration examination (ORE) for a fixed fee of £1250 including VAT or make representations following failure to pass or be properly graded at the  Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), for a fixed fee of £1250

We can also help with a legal review following failure to pass the Professional Linguistics Assessment Board (PLAB)  set by the GMC, for a fixed fee of £1250 including VAT..