From this month, new rules for the registration of internationally-qualified dentists and dental professionals will come into force.
The new application processing fee has been set at a level that covers the cost of processing only. This will kick in from 9 March.
ORE candidates currently pay an examination fee for each sitting of the ORE, including any retakes. The GDC will be holding examination fees at current levels until the end of this year, under transitional arrangements that end on 31 December 2024 – around the time that the current ORE contracts end.
The application processing fee has been set, in line with the regulator’s fees policy, at a level that covers the cost of processing only, which is when the GDC carries out checks on qualifications, character, clinical experience and English language competence before adding someone to the ORE candidate list.
New examination fees will be in place from 1 January 2025 based on recovery of current costs, the GDC says. It adds that it may be necessary to revise examination fees when new contracts are in place in 2025 to ensure that the revised fees align with new contract arrangements.
Protecting patients
Gurvinder Soomal, is interim chief executive officer and registrar at the GDC. He said: ‘The aim of these reforms is to create a modern system of international registration which is fair to applicants, efficient to deliver, and above all is rigorous in protecting patients.
‘This marks an important step on the way to a comprehensive framework for international registration, but there is still more to do with a complex combination of legislative, contractual and operational changes needed to support the current and future demand for registration.’
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