If you are a veterinary surgeon with questions about the new Registration Regulations and renewing your registration online, you may find the answers in the list of frequently asked questions below.
The new Registration Regulations
Why do I have to do something different this year?
Why am I being asked to use my work address as my Register address?
Will my Register address be published online?
By when do I need to confirm my registration?
What happens if I do not pay my fee by 31 March?
What happens if I do not confirm my details by 30 September?
Activating your online account
How do I renew my registration online?
I have lost my Annual Renewal of Registration notice, can I still pay online?
I have been locked out of my account, what do I do?
When I try to use my account, I just see a blank page. What should I do?
Confirming your registration details
How do I confirm my registration details online?
What if the information sent to me is incorrect?
How do I confirm I have met my CPD targets?
Paying retention fees online
How do I proceed to pay online?
My ‘fees due’ shows as zero, what should I do?
Why am I being charged a 3% credit card transaction fee?
Will I receive confirmation that my payment has been received?
Paying by other methods
How do I pay if I do not wish to pay online?
Why can’t I pay by monthly direct debit?
The new Registration Regulations
Why do I have to do something different this year?
In June 2010, RCVS Council approved new Registration Regulations. The changes flowing from this were outlined in the June 2010, November 2010 and March 2011 issues of RCVS News.
The new Regulations mean that members (veterinary surgeons) need to renew their registration on an annual basis. This means confirming their registration details – address and membership category – as well as paying their fee.
Council also wished for members to confirm that they had abided by the continuing professional development (CPD) requirements of the Code of Professional Conduct.
Why am I being asked to use my work address as my Register address?
The new Registration Regulations state that the Register address – which is in the public domain – ought to be the address at which the member works. This is in part to assist veterinary surgeons in complying with the requirements of the EU Service Directive, which requires official address information to be provided to clients.
If you do not wish to use your work address, for example, because you are a locum, another address may be used with the consent of the Registrar (Please email membership@rcvs.org.uk).
Will my Register address be published online?
At present your full Register address is available in the RCVS Register of Members, which is a publicly-available document – it is to be found in libraries, for example.
There are plans to discontinue hard copy publication of the Register and move this information online in due course.
By when do I need to confirm my registration?
Although retention fees are due by 31 March, you do not have to confirm your registration details until 30 September.
What happens if I do not pay my fee by 31 March?
A reminder letter will be sent to you. However, this year a late payment penalty of £35 will be added to any fees paid after 31 March.
What happens if I do not confirm my details by 30 September?
A reminder letter will be sent to you and every effort will be made to contact individuals for whom we do not hold a valid address. Ultimately a member could be removed from the Register if they fail to confirm their address and whether they are practising within six months of such a request. This provision is in the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and has not changed. In any event, members are under a duty to update their details with us within 28 days of a change of address.
Activating your online account
How do I renew my registration online?
You can confirm your registration details, and your CPD compliance, and pay your retention fees, online.
To activate your account, you will need your website login number, which is printed on the Annual Renewal of Registration notice that you have been sent in the post, together with your date of birth, which is your password. Your date of birth must be entered in the format ddmmyyyy. Ie 15 February 1969 would be entered as 15021969.
The login button is at the top right-hand side of the main menu bar. Click this button and follow the online instructions.
I have lost my Annual Renewal of Registration notice, can I still pay online?
Yes, you can still pay online.
Please email membership@rcvs.org.uk or finance@rcvs.org.uk with the following information in order to retrieve your online account number:
- Your full name as it appears on the Register, including any middle names
- Your date of birth
- Your RCVS membership number
- The university from which you graduated
Your online account number will be sent to you by email. Please note that this is not an automated service as manual security checks need to be made, so enquiries will be dealt with during office hours.
I have been locked out of my account, what do I do?
If the wrong information is used to log-in on five successive attempts, you will be locked out of your account as a security measure. To reactivate your account, please email membership@rcvs.org.uk, stating:
- What account number and password you used for your last unsuccessful attempt to log in
- Your full name as it appears on the Register, including any middle names
- Your date of birth
- Your RCVS membership number
- The university from which you graduated
Your account will be reactivated and you will be notified when it is accessible. Please note that this is not an automated service as manual security checks need to be made, so enquiries will be dealt with during office hours.
When I try to use my account, I just see a blank page. What should I do?
This may be due to the web browser that you are using. For example, some issues have been reported when using Firefox on a Mac. While we are rectifying this issue, it may help to try a different web browser. If you continue to have difficulties, please contact communications@rcvs.org.uk.
Confirming your registration details
How do I confirm my registration details online?
If the information included in your Annual Renewal of Registration notice is correct, login to your account then select ‘yes they are correct’ when asked - “Are the details laid out in the 2011/2012 RCVS Renewal of Registration letter correct?” - on the ‘Renew your registration’ page.
Then click ‘save’. This confirmation will be automatically sent to the Register database. You will not receive an additional confirmation email.
What if the information sent to me is incorrect?
If the information sent to you is incorrect, please select ‘no, they are not correct’ when asked - “Are the details laid out in the 2011/2012 RCVS Renewal of Registration letter correct?” - on the ‘Renew your registration’ page. You can then email membership@rcvs.org.uk or phone 020 7202 0707 with the updated information. You will be sent a confirmation that your details have been updated.
How do I confirm I have met my CPD targets?
There is a tick-box to confirm whether you have met the CPD requirements of the Code of Professional Conduct (ie 105 hours over a three-year period).
Please make your choice and press ‘confirm’. This confirmation will be automatically sent to the Register database. You will not receive an additional confirmation email.
Paying retention fees online
How do I proceed to pay online?
You can pay online whether or not you have confirmed your registration details are correct. This is because the fees are due by 31 March and the other confirmations by 30 September.
If you would like to pay online, click the ‘proceed to online payment’ button on the ‘Renew your registration’ page.
My ‘fees due’ shows as zero, what should I do?
If your fees due show as zero, this indicates that you or your practice have already paid your fee or that it is collected by direct debit.
Why am I being charged a 3% credit card transaction fee?
Credit card transaction fees are charged on many goods and services bought online as the vendor is charged a fee and it would be unfair in our case for this to be absorbed by all members for the benefit of those who pay by credit card.
In most other cases, you simply don’t see the additional charge as it is absorbed into the total cost of the goods or services provided. However, as the amount of the retention fee is laid down in the fee regulations approved by the Privy Council, it is not possible to vary the fee charged.
Can I use a debit card?
Unfortunately, at this stage the payment software which we use is unable to apply different charges to different fees being paid online. This means that we cannot accept debit cards at this time. We hope to introduce this in the future.
Will I receive confirmation that my payment has been received?
You will receive confirmation of payment by email. Please ensure a valid email address is entered on the payment details page. This should be a unique email address – ie not one shared by others in your practice.
Paying by other methods
How do I pay if I do not wish to pay online?
All of the same options exist as previously: by cheque, by credit card (forms were sent out with the Renewal of Registration letter and should be completed and returned by fax or phone), by bank transfer, even by postal order.
If you do not have a direct debit arrangement in place, it is too late to set it up for this year, but you might consider it for next year. Contact finance@rcvs.org.uk.
Why can’t I pay by monthly direct debit?
The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 refers to an annual fee, which cannot be made in monthly instalments.
We hope this page has helped answer your questions. If not, please contact:
For payment issues: finance@rcvs.org.uk.
For registration issues: membership@rcvs.org.uk
For general website issues: communications@rcvs.org.uk
