MyGDCHow to apply: overseas-qualified DCP
Applications from dental care professionals (DCPs) who qualified overseas will be assessed by a panel. You can apply for more than one DCP title at the same time eg dental hygienist and dental therapist, but you must provide a completed application form and supporting documents for each title. You must also ensure that you have completed the relevant learning outcomes form for each application and title.
You can no longer apply for registration as a DCP in the UK if you hold only an overseas diploma in dentistry (degree or diploma that qualifies you as a dentist). To be considered for registration as a DCP, you will need a relevant DCP qualification.
Before you apply
Please read the information below and Key facts about registration before you start the online application process for dental care professionals (DCPs) with overseas qualifications.
Character reference
You must provide a character reference. Please download this form and ask your character referee to complete it. You should then scan and upload the document where indicated within the online application.
Who can be a character referee?
If you are applying for registration within 12 months of graduation, the character reference must be provided by the head of your dental training school or their nominee.
If you are applying more than 12 months after graduation, the character reference can be provided by another professional such as a doctor, dentist or lawyer who has known you for over 12 months. The character reference cannot be provided by a member of your family.
The character referee must have known you for over 12 months. The character reference cannot be provided by a member of your family.
We will accept either a handwritten signature or a scanned signature. Once the form is completed, it can be printed, signed, and scanned. Alternatively, a scanned signature (for example a JPEG or PNG image file) can be inserted into the electronic document.
Typed signatures will not be accepted.
Clinical reference/s
You must provide at least two or more clinical references detailing your clinical experience as a DCP in the title you are apply for. If you have recently qualified, please obtain clinical references from your dental institution.
Clinical references must not be more than two years old, they should be submitted on the employer’s/dental institution’s letterheaded paper, and must include the following information:
- The start date and end date of your employment or course
- The procedures you carried out
- The knowledge and experience you gained
- The level of skill when undertaking your work within your role, and whether this was supervised or unsupervised.
Proof of identity
You will be taken through an online identity check, which works best on a mobile phone. For this you will need:
• A valid passport
Certifying documents
The person certifying your documents must be different to your character referee. They should be one of the professionals listed below:
- Notary public
- Commissioner of Oaths
- Justice of the Peace
- Lawyer
- Solicitor
- An authorised official of an embassy or consulate
The person certifying the photocopies of your documents will need to see your original documents before they certify a photocopy. Photocopies must be copies of the original document.
The person certifying the photocopies of your documents must write (in English) ‘I have inspected the original document(s) and I certify that this is a true copy’. They should then write their name, address and, if they do not have an official stamp, professional status. They must then sign the photocopy. If this is not written in English, you must provide a translated document, in accordance with the GDC translation guidelines.
The person certifying the documents cannot be the applicant, their partner/spouse or a relative, even if they are one of the professionals listed above.
We will accept either a handwritten signature or a scanned signature. Once the form is completed, it can be printed, signed, and scanned. Alternatively, a scanned signature (for example a JPEG or PNG image file) can be inserted into the electronic document.
Typed signatures will not be accepted.
Qualifications
You must provide:
- Evidence of the learning outcomes for the DCP title you’re applying for. The 'Preparing for Practice' curricula details the learning outcome requirements for DCPs in the UK. These learning outcomes will be used in the assessment of overseas qualified DCP applicants applying for registration. Download and complete the relevant learning outcome form for your title and upload it where indicated in the online application.
- A copy of the DCP course syllabus you studied, which has been validated by your dean or head of department of your institution
- A certified copy of your transcript of marks for the course you studied
- A certified copy of your qualification certificate
- Evidence of any relevant postgraduate qualifications – certified course certificates and validated course syllabus to be provided
- Evidence of any relevant training courses or CPD, including the aims and objectives
- An up-to-date CV.
Self-reflection statement
You may provide a self-declaration or reflection statement (signed and dated) to demonstrate how you have obtained a non-clinical learning outcome. Your statement must be personal to you. However, these documents are unlikely to sufficiently satisfy a learning outcome on their own because they are often not considered suitably robust and cannot be verified.
Fees
You will need to pay an initial application fee of £549.09.
If your application is successful, you will then be asked to pay a registration fee. The amount you pay depends on the date at which you are registered with the GDC. Please visit the registration fees section of our website for more information.
How long will it take?
We aim to assess complete applications within four months from the date we receive it. This timeframe can increase during peak processing times