Renew or update your RCVS registration to maintain your right to practise. Get support with fees, deadlines, changes, removals, and restorations.
If you’re a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse, you must renew your RCVS registration every year. You should also let us know about any changes, so your details stay accurate.
The Register is the official record of who can practise veterinary medicine in the UK. Keeping your entry up to date helps you:
Even if your employer pays your fee, or you've set up a Direct Debit, you still need to complete the renewal process yourself.
You’ll need to renew your registration by:
We’ll send you a reminder by email at least four weeks before your renewal date. If we don’t have your email address, we’ll post your reminder to your registered address. We’ll always send at least one reminder.
If you haven’t received a renewal notice, you can still renew using MyRCVS.
You’ll find the current fees on our Fees page.
Vets: if you pay after 30 April, an additional late fee applies.
The final dates to pay before removal from the Register are:
If you miss these dates, you’ll need to pay both the restoration and removal fees.
If your card payment doesn’t work:
You have three attempts per card
Still having problems? Contact us at [email protected] and we’ll help.
We’re currently in the process of updating our systems, including our direct debit payment procedures.
This update will take several months to complete and during this time you won’t be able to create, amend or delete existing direct debit mandates. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
We will email all members when the direct debit functionality becomes available again and, in the meantime, you can make payments using debit or credit card or by BACS.
Thank you for your patience whilst we undertake this work.
Employers can pay by bank transfer. They should:
Even if your employer pays, you’ll still receive a receipt. If you need to stop a Direct Debit, use the “Direct Debits” tab.
If your fee shows as £0
This may mean your practice has already paid, or your Direct Debit has been processed. If you’re unsure, please check with your practice; email [email protected] or call 020 7202 0722.
Refunds can take up to 30 days to process during the annual renewal period.
It’s important to keep your details up to date so we can stay in touch with you and your Register entry remains accurate.
Keeping your contact details current
Let us know within 28 days if you change your:
Update your details in MyRCVS, contact us by email at [email protected] or post.
If you move to a new practice, update us so we can keep practice staff lists accurate.
Because the Register is a legal document, we’ll need official proof. You can upload documents in MyRCVS:
For more on deed polls, visit gov.uk.
If your signature changes, let us know; especially if you sign official records such as prescriptions, certificates, or drug orders.
Upload your diploma or certificate in MyRCVS, email or post them to us.
If your qualification isn’t on our list, you can apply for it to be recognised by filling in an application form. Once approved, your post-nominals will be added to the Register.
Complete the change of category declaration form in MyRCVS and select one of the following categories:
If you’re not sure which RCVS registration category is right for you, check our page on registration categories or read these scenarios to help you decide.
According to the regulations, “practise or practising” means:
whether or not for remuneration.
This includes undertaking acts of veterinary surgery or any activity that is the sole preserve of a veterinary surgeon. Activities that are the sole preserve of a veterinary surgeon may include non-clinical work undertaken in the capacity as a veterinary surgeon, e.g. it could include work done as part of employment by government departments or agencies, in academia, at research councils, or in industry and commerce. In other words, “practising” is not limited to those in clinical practice, but includes veterinary surgeons using their professional qualification where the role is only open to those with a veterinary medicine qualification.
For further guidance on the appropriate registration category applicable to you, please see our registration category flow chart and registration scenarios.
For further guidance on whether the non-practising registration category may be applicable to you which also covers:
Please see our registration scenarios page and our registration category flow chart.
Change of category fees
Depending on the registration category you’re changing to, you may need to pay an additional fee. You may also be entitled to credit to your account for the registration fee you have already paid. Credits arising from a change of category are held on account and deducted against future fees. For further information on fees please see our Fees page.
Changing your category during annual renewal
You must submit your change of category application by 1 April.
If we don't receive your full fee by 1 May, your name will be removed from the Register.
To restore your name to the Register, you'll need to pay a restoration fee, in addition to your registration fee. During this time you will not be able to use the postnominal MRCVS. “UK Practising” veterinary surgeons will need to cease practising immediately.
“Non-practising” or “Practising outside the UK” for less than 12 months
If you’ve been “Non-practising” or “Practising outside the UK” for less than 12 months you need to:
“Practising outside the UK” for more than 12 months
If you’ve been “Practising outside the UK” for more than 12 months, you need to:
Your letter of good standing must come from the regulatory authority you have been registered with while practising abroad. Please check with your registered authority how long it will take to receive the letter of good standing.
“Non-practising” for more than 12 months
If you’ve been “Non-practising” for more than 12 months you need to:
A sworn declaration is a statement that needs to be signed and stamped by one of the following:
Sworn declaration template
This sworn declaration or affidavit should state:
a. that you graduated from [name of university] with a [name of primary veterinary qualification] on [DD/MM/YYYY];
b. the reason why you are not currently registered with a regulatory authority in your own country or elsewhere outside the UK;
c. that you have not been found guilty of serious professional misconduct or employment disciplinary proceedings in the UK or elsewhere
d. and whether or not you have been convicted of any criminal offences in the UK or elsewhere. If you have been convicted of any criminal offence/s in the UK or elsewhere, the declaration should state the criminal offence/s of which you have been convicted.
This declaration or affidavit must be made by you on oath, or in solemn form, before a competent judicial or administrative authority or notary public. In the UK, this could be a Solicitor, Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public, Legal Executive or Barrister.
The declaration must be said out loud, on oath or in solemn form, in front of the official as listed above. It must be signed by you and also countersigned by this official and include their full name, profession and full address. The declaration also needs to show the date you made your declaration on.
For more information, please contact the Registration Department on 020 7202 0707 or [email protected].
The RCVS Academy Vet Return course is available to support you.
Changing to “Non-practising”
If you’re not practising, undertaking any acts of veterinary surgery or any activity that is the sole preserve of a veterinary surgeon in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or overseas, whether or not for remuneration, you can change your status to “non-practising”. You can request this change via your MyRCVS Account.
“Non-practising” registrants must not undertake any acts of veterinary surgery or any activity that is the sole preserve of a veterinary surgeon, including signing any form of veterinary certification, including vaccination certificates or prescriptions.
Activities that are the sole preserve of a veterinary surgeon may include non-clinical work undertaken in the capacity as a veterinary surgeon, e.g. it could include work done as part of employment by government departments or agencies, in academia, at research councils, or in industry and commerce. In other words, “practising” is not limited to those in clinical practice, but includes veterinary surgeons using their professional qualification where the role is only open to those with a veterinary medicine qualification.
“Non-practising” registrants may only undertake activities that may be done by a layperson, for example, those laid out under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act.
If you take a break from veterinary practice, you can also remove your name from the Register and restore it later when you return.
Remove your name via MyRCVS. We’ll confirm within three working days. This means you’ll no longer be able to:
Remove your name before 30 April to avoid being charged part of the new year’s fee.
If you’re no longer practising or involved in veterinary nursing, you can also remove your name online in MyRCVS. We’ll confirm within three working days. Do this before 1 November to avoid part-payment of the new year’s fee.
You can restore your name by completing a restoration form in MyRCVS. This applies if you:
If you remain “Non-practising” for 12 months or longer, you will need to produce confirmation of your good standing before you are able to change your category to practising. This should be in the form of a Sworn Declaration.
A certified translation of the declaration will also be required if it is not issued in English.
If you’ve been off the register for less than five years, you can apply to restore your name in MyRCVS by providing:
If you’ve been off the register for five years or more, you’ll need to complete a Period of Supervised Practice (PSP) to update your skills under the guidance of registered colleagues. You won’t need to requalify or take exams. For more details, see the PSP Handbook.
If you receive a conviction or adverse finding that could affect your registration, you must let us know within three months. See paragraph 5.3 of the Code of Conduct.
Read our Protocol on Handling Convictions, which explains:
You can disclose by:
We understand this can feel worrying. Our Professional Conduct Team is here to support you. You can get in contact by emailing [email protected] or calling 020 7202 0789.
If you need a replacement certificate, email the Registration Team. You’ll need to:
We’re here to support you. For general help with registration, contact us:
