Information for refugee and displaced dental professionals

To work as a dental professional in the UK you need to be registered. Dental professionals who are refugees or displaced will need to apply for registration before practising dentistry in the UK. Part of our role is facilitating access to the UK registers, and ensuring that overseas qualified dental professionals meet the standards that maintain public safety. 

Routes to registration are set out in legislation. That legislation does not provide for separate or faster routes to registration for refugees or those seeking asylum. Dentists who qualify overseas may need to pass the Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) (see below) before applying for UK registration. You can use these routes to registration, and we want to support you in your application, wherever possible. 

There are fees associated with:

applying for the ORE
sitting examinations
applying for registration
annual renewal of registration

If you cannot provide required documents

We recognise that some applicants may not be able to provide all of the documents required due to circumstances beyond your control, including where you have been displaced or cannot obtain documents from your country of origin.

In these circumstances, we may consider alternative forms of evidence.

Any alternative evidence must provide sufficient assurance that you meet the GDC’s requirements for registration or exam eligibility.

If you cannot provide a required document, you should:

explain why the document is unavailable
provide supporting information where possible
submit alternative evidence to demonstrate that you meet the relevant requirement

Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us and we will help you to consider how you might meet the requirements. 

Examples of alternative evidence

The following are examples of the types of evidence we may accept. The registrar has discretion over whether alternative evidence provides sufficient assurance that our standards have been met, therefore, providing any of the below evidence does not guarantee that an application will be successful. This list is not exhaustive.

Evidence required	Possible alternatives
Passport	eVisa Biometric residence permit (BRP) Refugee ID card
Original copy of primary dental qualification	Letter from the applicant’s education institution confirming that they completed the relevant education and training and that they would be eligible for registration in that country. Copy of academic transcripts. Confirmation from the regulator in the applicant’s country of training that they were previously registered.
Certificate or Letter of Good Standing	An affidavit or affirmation witnessed by a solicitor or other legal professional confirming that the applicant is in good standing. A reference from a recent employer if you worked in a regulated healthcare role in the last three years. A character declaration from a GDC registrant who was known the applicant for at least a year and who has been in contact with the applicant in the last six months before submitting the application.
Character and clinical experience references	Evidence of past employment in a registered role that requires a dental diploma. If referee is no longer affiliated with the university/institution where experience was gained, evidence that the referee had been connected to the university/institution and would have knowledge of the applicant.
Verification from the regulator that the applicant was previously registered, or that their qualification would make them eligible for registration in that country	Evidence of past employment in a registered role that requires qualification. Letter from another organisation or government body confirming that the applicant has been registered.
Verification from the education institution that the applicant has completed the relevant training and that they would be eligible for registration in that country	Copy of academic transcripts. Evidence of past employment in a registered role that requires an eligible qualification.

Routes to registration for dentists 

Qualifications from the UK and most European Economic Area countries are recognised for the purposes of registration and are unaffected by your status as a refugee. We also recognise some overseas qualifications from certain countries gained before 2001.

Dentists with qualifications from elsewhere will need to pass one of following before applying for registration:

Overseas Registration Examination (ORE): You will need to apply to become an ORE candidate, and pay an application processing fee. You will also need to pay for each ORE sitting. If a charity or organisation is assisting you to pay examination fees, please let us know as soon as the booking window opening date has been announced. We will ask for evidence of your refugee status.
Licence in Dental Surgery: From the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

You may be able to apply for temporary registration if you have been offered an approved supervised post. Find out more about temporary registration.

Eligibility for ORE priority booking

The GDC is committed to supporting dental professionals with refugee status in their journey to join the UK register. To facilitate this, the GDC has introduced a policy designed to help qualified professionals who have been granted international protection in the UK. This policy aims to eliminate unnecessary barriers for those unable to return to their home country to practise.

You may qualify for priority booking if you have been granted refugee status by the Home Office. This includes individuals 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

How to apply for ORE priority booking

Eligible candidates who are on the ORE candidate lists can apply for priority booking for up to two attempts at each part of the ORE. These attempts are part of a candidate’s permitted four attempts at each part of the ORE. Priority is granted after spaces are allocated to other candidates approaching the end of their five-year eligibility period.

To access priority booking, you must provide evidence of your refugee status by submitting either:

A screenshot of your e-visa with a share code
A photo of the front and back of your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) and a letter from the Home Office and a share code.

The GDC will verify the documentation before granting priority access. Candidates will receive further information from the GDC about the submission process and deadlines prior to each exam sitting. Details can also be found on the ORE latest information page when the booking window opens.

Route to registration for dental care professionals 

The dental team is made up of dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs).  

See the  list of DCP titles used in the UK.  

UK qualifications for any DCP roles are recognised for the purposes of registration and are unaffected by your status as a refugee. If you have a relevant overseas DCP qualification, you will need to apply for individual assessment to register. You cannot use a dentists’ qualification to apply for registration as a DCP. 

Organisations that may provide support 

The organisations below offer support to refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons who hold professional qualifications. You should get in contact with them if you need further support. 

Refugee Council  provides free advice and information to refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK.
Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit  provides specialist careers advice and guidance as well as employability training for all refugee health professionals.
British Dental Association  offers free membership for refugee or dentists seeking asylum until the registration process has been completed.
Council for Assisting Refugee Academics provides information, advice and practical help to refugee academics to assist them in rebuilding their lives and careers. 
Bridges Programmes supports the social, educational and economic integration of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants living in Glasgow.
BDA Benevolent Fund offers financial and wellbeing assistance to asylum seeker and refugee dentists.