The General Dental Council (GDC) has opened its annual renewal period for dentists, confirming the steps required to remain registered and their deadlines.
To remain on the GDC register, dentist must pay the annual retention fee (ARF) of £698 by 31 December 2025. The GDC confirmed the fee would increase from £621 this year in late October.
Dentists must also declare that they have appropriate indemnity or insurance by this date and submit their continuing professional development (CPD) declaration by 28 January 2026.
Key dates
- 1 December 2025: direct debit payments taken
- 31 December 2025: deadline to pay ARF and declare indemnity
- 28 January 2026: deadline to make CPD declaration.
CPD requirements for dentists
- Complete no fewer than 10 hours of CPD in every two-year period
- Complete a minimum number of CPD hours across each five-year CPD cycle (the number of hours required varies by title)
- Make a compliant annual or end-of-cycle CPD statement.
How to complete the annual renewal process
Annual renewal can now be completed through the eGDC platform. Those who have set up direct debits will have their first payment taken on 1 December. If paying by post, dentists must ensure the payment is received by 31 December.
The GDC has reminded registrants that failing to renew by the deadlines will cause dentists to be removed from the register. If removed, dentists will need to apply for restoration to the register before being able to legally practise dentistry again.
The regulator also said that CPD compliance was a key area of focus. It reported that 409 dentists did not comply with CPD requirements last year, with 75 dentists failing to complete the mandatory 10 hours over two years. Even those who have not completed any CPD hours within the year should file a declaration.
In the final year of their five-year CPD cycle, dentists can apply for a grace period before the 31 December deadline. If approved, this will provide an additional eight weeks.
When renewing, dentists will also be asked to complete a voluntary survey on working patterns. Two thirds of dentists on the register have completed this survey at least once, helping to ‘improve the sector’s understanding of the dental workforce’.
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