Join the RCVS Register: UK graduates

Information for final year veterinary students and recent graduates looking to join the Register in the current academic year.

If your degree was awarded more than three months ago, please follow the registration process on the UK-qualified vets page.

On this page

There are a few options for registering once your degree has been awarded:

Register as a UK-practising member from the day your degree is awarded

If you wish to be admitted to the Register from the day your degree is awarded, you need to:

Complete the online application form
Pay the registration fee

You can do this on the RCVS portal My Account.

Identification

When you apply, you'll need to upload a copy of the identifying pages of your passport or valid driving licence.

If you don't have a passport or driving licence, please provide a recent passport photo with your name, signature and date of birth printed on the reverse.

When to apply

Your university will give you a deadline to apply for registration and further details as the deadline approaches.

If you wish to be registered with effect from the date your degree is awarded, your application must be submitted at least two weeks before this date.

Once the deadline has passed, the online application form will remain open for re-sits and winter graduations.

You can only apply via this route up to three months after your degree has been awarded. After this date you will need to apply via the same route as all UK-qualified veterinary surgeons. Please see the UK-qualified veterinary surgeons page for more information.

What happens next

Once you've joined the Register, you'll receive a welcome email within 72 hours. If you don't receive this, please check your spam folder, and contact us if you can't find it there.

Your email will contain important information including:

Your username
A link to your RCVS My Account, where you can pay your fees and update your contact details
A link to the Code of Professional Conduct
Information about the Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP)

Receiving your certificate of registration

Some universities have certificates sent to them to be handed out at the graduation ceremony. Others requests that certificates are sent to graduates at home within two weeks of registration.

All new UK graduates registering will receive a hard copy certificate. If you are unsure where your certificate will be sent, please check with your university.

Using the title "Dr"

Once you're an RCVS-registered veterinary surgeon, you can use the courtesy title "Dr" in conjunction with the descriptor "veterinary surgeon" or "MRCVS".

If you wish to use the title "Dr" please select this title when you apply to register online.

If you don’t pass your exams

If you have applied to register with the RCVS and paid your fee, but don't pass your exams first time, we'll hold your application open (and your fee) until you have taken your re-sits.

If you need to start working as a veterinary surgeon before your degree is awarded

If you want to start practising before the awarding of your degree (and full registration with the RCVS), you can apply for temporary registration.

Temporary registration can only be granted:

after we receive the passlist from your university, and
if there are more than three weeks between the date we receive your completed temporary registration forms and your date of conferment.

See our temporary registration page for more information.

When will my degree be awarded?

Please speak to your university to find out when your degree will be awarded.

Delay your registration with the RCVS

If you do not intend to practise as a veterinary surgeon in the UK you can delay your registration with the RCVS for as long as you need to.

Should you need to register in the future you will need to apply via the same route as all UK-qualified veterinary surgeons. Please see the UK-qualified veterinary surgeons page for more information.

Register as a 'Practising outside of the UK' member

If you intend to practise as a veterinary surgeon overseas, you're welcome to join the Register as a 'Practising outside the UK' member.

The 'Practising outside the UK' membership is for vets who are undertaking veterinary surgery or associated veterinary activities outside the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. This type of registration is optional.

Overseas practising members are not permitted to practise in the UK. Their indemnity insurance may be invalid in the UK unless they change their membership category to UK Practising.

You can apply for this category of registration on My Account.

Registration fees

Please see our fees page for further information on how much you'll have to pay.

Contact our team

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact our Registration Team at [email protected] or on 0207 202 0707.