MyGDCHow to apply: Overseas Registration Examination (ORE)
Dentists whose qualifications are not recognised for the purposes of UK registration can apply to sit the Overseas Registration Examination (ORE). You can apply for registration when you have passed the ORE. Registration allows dentists to practise dentistry in the UK.
Before you apply
Please read this section and Key facts about registration before you start the online application process for the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE).
Character reference
You must provide a character reference. Please download the 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.
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 one or more clinical references to demonstrate you have completed at least 1,600 hours of clinical experience that involve treating patients in the dental chair. You may need to submit more than one form to satisfy the 1,600 hours requirement. Please download the clinical reference form and ask your clinical referee/s to complete it. You should then scan and upload the document/s where indicated within the online application. The document/s must not be more than three months old at the time of application.
If you are submitting evidence from your primary dental qualification as evidence of your clinical experience, the dean of the dental school or your professor/tutor acting on behalf of the dean must be the referee. Please ensure that the dean’s office stamps the form in all cases.
If you are submitting evidence from post-qualification work experience, the person verifying the reference must be or have been registered as a professional with the regulatory body in the country where you worked or studied, and must be or have been your employer.
If you are submitting evidence gained in the UK under temporary registration, the form must be completed by the supervising consultant(s) responsible for supervising your direction(s).
If you are unable to submit evidence of your clinical experience because you are a refugee or asylum seeker, please contact us to discuss alternative methods of verification.
Application reference checks
We will contact your ORE application referees by email and ask them to verify their reference. We will contact them again if they do not respond within five days. If they do not respond within 15 days, our examinations team will contact you, advising you of the delay, and ask you to contact your referee directly. If there is still no response from your referee, your application may be rejected.
You will need to update your references before you can resubmit your ORE application. You may also need to pay the ORE application processing fee again if you cannot resubmit within 28 days.
Contact us if you have questions about reference checks.
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 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, their professional status. They must then sign the photocopy.
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.
Certificate of Good Standing/Certificate of Current Professional Status
If you have been working outside the UK as a dental professional before your first registration with the GDC, you must provide an original Certificate of good standing (CGS) or Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS) from the dental authority of the country in which you were last working. This certificate should state that you are legally entitled to practise and that you have not been suspended, disqualified or prohibited from working as a dental professional. This document cannot be more than three months old at the time of registration.
You must also send us a Certificate or Letter of Good Standing from the dental authority in the country in which you qualified, if this is different to the country where you last worked or are currently working.
Qualifications
You will need to upload a certified copy of your qualification certificate. You will also need to upload a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability. More information can be found on the UK ENIC website.
Medical certificate
You must provide supporting medical evidence if you have a condition that requires adjustment(s) during exams. Please note that we may request an updated medical certificate up to five weeks before you sit an exam. If you have not supplied a medical certificate with this application, please tell us about any adjustments arising from any additional needs (eg physical or mental impairment) that you may have during an exam. It is your responsibility to tell us about any additional needs or changes that may arise. You must do this at least five weeks before an exam sitting. Exam centres cannot guarantee any adjustment, but will consider your needs and advise you accordingly.
Fees
You will need to pay an initial application fee of £96. If your application is successful, you will be added to the ORE candidate list. When you book a place to sit each part of the examination, you will be asked to pay a fee – see Fees for applying and sitting the ORE for more information.
How long will it take?
We aim to assess complete applications within 60 working days from the date we receive it. This timeframe can increase during peak processing times.