Refugee dental professionals given priority ORE access

The General Dental Council (GDC) has introduced a new policy granting priority Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) booking access to dental professionals with refugee status.

This means candidates who provide evidence of their refugee status will receive priority access to the booking system for up to two attempts at both ORE parts. The regulator believes this will ensure they have a fair chance of completing the registration process.  

Under the new policy, a dedicated booking window for refugee candidates will open two weeks before the general booking window for the April 2025 ORE sittings. The GDC expects these priority places to represent a ‘small percentage’ of the overall seats.

This comes as the GDC’s stakeholder engagement revealed the number of barriers refugees face during the registration process. This includes difficulty accessing documentation that verifies their qualifications and inability to return to their home countries to practise. This could lead to skill deterioration and financial inequality, according to the regulator.

As a result, the GDC hopes this new policy will address the challenges these dental professionals face when registering to practise in the UK.

Commitment to support refugees

Stefan Czerniawski is the executive director of strategy at the GDC. He said: ‘We recognise the distinct challenges faced by refugee dental professionals in their paths to registration. By providing priority exam access, we’re helping skilled professionals restart their careers and provide much needed dental care in the UK at a time when their expertise continues to be in high demand.

‘This new policy demonstrates our commitment to supporting the integration of qualified refugee dental professionals into the workforce while ensuring all overseas-qualified dentists meet the same rigorous standards required to practice in the UK.’

To qualify for priority booking, you must have been granted refugee status by the Home Office. This includes those with: 

  • Refugee status under the 1951 United Nations Convention 
  • Humanitarian protection 
  • Indefinite leave to remain or enter (with refugee status)
  • UK resettlement schemes, such as the Afghanistan and Ukraine schemes.

Refugee dental professionals can find more information here.

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