Certificate of Good Standing/Current Professional Status

Applicants to the GDC register who qualified overseas, and UK-qualified applicants who worked overseas before applying to the GDC, will be required to provide a Certificate of Good Standing (CGS) or Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS).

The CGS or CCPS is a certificate or letter issued by the dental regulator/authority of the country in which you last worked. It states that you are legally entitled to practise dentistry in that country, and that you have not been suspended, disqualified or prohibited from working as a dentist.

You must also send us a CGS or CCPS from the dental regulator/authority in the country in which you qualified, if this is different to the country where you last worked or are currently working.

This document must be:

an original certificate or letter on headed/watermarked paper
no more than three months old at the time of your application.

If you’re an overseas qualified dentist or DCP, you or the relevant regulator/authority should email the original document to the GDC at assessments@gdc-uk.org. If you’re applying for the Overseas Registration Exam, the document should be emailed to examinations@gdc-uk.org.

A registration certificate, annual practising certificate or a reference from your university will not be accepted in place of a CGS or CCPS.

Unable to obtain a CGS or CCPS?

If you cannot obtain a CGS or CCPS due to the regulations of the dental authority in the country in which you qualified, you must provide a letter from that dental authority explaining why it cannot be provided. In addition, you must provide an affidavit or affirmation witnessed by a solicitor or other legal professional confirming that you are of good standing. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If you cannot obtain a CGS or CCPS due to your refugee status, again, you must provide an affidavit or affirmation witnessed by a solicitor or other legal professional, confirming that you are of good standing. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You must be prepared to swear, under oath, in the affidavit and/or affirmation, that you cannot obtain the CGS or CCPS despite attempting to do so. In the affidavit and/or affirmation you must state that you have the right to practise dentistry in the relevant country, and you have not been suspended and/or prohibited from practising as a dentist. Reasons for being unable to obtain a CGS or CCPS must be included. We may also seek confirmation of your affidavit and/or affirmation from the relevant authority.

UK-qualified dental professionals moving to work abroad

The GDC can provide a Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS) for UK qualified dental professionals moving to work abroad. This declares your current registration status and is used by competent authorities when considering applications for registration. The CCPS was introduced, including a uniform approach to the exchange of fitness to practise information, following an agreement between competent authorities from across the EU.

Obtaining a CCPS from the GDC

If the competent authority of the country you are moving to requires a CCPS, please complete the CCPS request form.

The GDC will send the original CCPS directly to the competent authority, and a copy will be sent to your registered address. We can also email a copy directly to your caseworker (we require a direct email account) at the competent authority. Your request will take 10 working days to process.

Please note that we cannot issue a CCPS for erased registrants.

Information we provide in a CCPS

The following information is included in a CCPS:

First and last names
Nationality
Registration type
Registration number
DCP categories (titles) currently registered (DCPs only)
Registered qualifications
Registered specialties (dentists only)
Registered address
Registration status: ie registered, registered with conditions or warning, registration suspended, temporary registrant, former temporary registrant, unregistered (administrative or voluntary)