Renew or update your registration

Why you need to renew your registration

The Register is the official record of who can practise veterinary medicine in the UK. Keeping your entry up to date helps you:

• Continue practising with confidence
• Keep your professional indemnity insurance valid
• Make sure colleagues and clients can trust the accuracy of your details

How to renew  

• Log in to My Account and select “Complete my renewal”
• Check your Register and contact details, and update them if needed
• Declare any convictions
• Submit the form and pay the renewal fee

Even if your employer pays your fee, or you've set up a Direct Debit, you still need to complete the renewal process yourself.

Renewal deadlines

You’ll need to renew your registration by:

• Vets: 1 April  
• Vet nurses: 1 November

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.

Renewal fees

You’ll find the current fees on our Fees page.

Vets: if you pay after 30 April, an additional £36 late fee applies.

The final dates to pay before removal from the Register are:

• Vets: 1 June
• Vet nurses: 1 January

If you miss these dates, you’ll need to pay both the restoration and removal fees.

How to pay

Online

• Log in to MyRCVS, complete your renewal form, then go to “Online payment”.
• Pay by Visa debit/credit card or MasterCard.
• You’ll get an email confirmation once payment is received. Receipts are stored under the “Receipts” tab.

If your card payment doesn’t work:

• Check your billing address matches our records
• Try another card - some Visa and Alliance & Leicester cards don’t work on our system
• If you don’t have a postcode, for example you live overseas, enter 00000

You have three attempts per card

Still having problems? Contact us at [email protected] and we’ll help.

Direct Debit

Your renewal fee is automatically taken each year. To set this up:  

• Go to “Direct Debits” in MyRCVS, select “Create a new mandate”, and complete the form
• Set this up at least 12 working days before your fee is due

We’re sorry, but payments can’t be made in monthly instalments. You can check, cancel, or unlink a Direct Debit anytime in the “Direct Debits” tab.

If your practice pays  

Employers can pay by bank transfer. They should:  

• Email [email protected] with names and membership numbers
• Use your annual renewal notice as proof of fees

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

Refunds can take up to 30 days to process during the annual renewal period.

Make changes to your RCVS registration

It’s important to keep your details up to date so we can stay in touch with you and your Register entry remains accurate.

Changing your details

Keeping your contact details current

Let us know within 28 days if you change your:

• Address (Register or correspondence)
• Phone number
• Email address

Update your details in MyRCVS, contact us by email at [email protected] or post.

Updating your practice details

If you move to a new practice, update us so we can keep practice staff lists accurate.

Changing your name

Because the Register is a legal document, we’ll need official proof. You can upload documents in MyRCVS:

• After marriage: send a photocopy of your marriage certificate
• After divorce: send a photocopy of your Decree Nisi or Decree Absolute if you’re reverting to your maiden name
• Reverting to a previously recorded name: send a copy of your valid passport
• For any other reason: send us a deed poll certificate, plus either a passport in your new name or a sworn statement from a solicitor confirming the identity checks

For more on deed polls, visit gov.uk. 

Changing your signature

If your signature changes, let us know; especially if you sign official records such as prescriptions, certificates, or drug orders.

Adding qualifications

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.

Changing your registration category

Complete the change of category declaration form in MyRCVS and select one of the following categories:

• Practising outside the UK
• UK-practising
• Non-practising  

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.

What counts as practising?

“Practising” includes not just clinical work, but any role where your veterinary qualification is required, such as government, academia, research, or industry.

What you’ll need to provide to change your category

• Less than 12 months away: declaration form and passport copy
• More than 12 months abroad: form, passport copy and letter of good standing from the authority where you were registered
• More than 12 months non-practising: form, passport copy and sworn declaration

If you’ve been non-practising for 12 months or more, you may also need to provide confirmation of your good standing before returning to practise.

The RCVS Academy Vet Return course is available to support you.

What should I include in a sworn declaration?

A sworn declaration (sometimes called an affidavit) is a formal legal statement you make in front of an authorised official. We require this if you’ve been non-practising for over 12 months, to confirm your identity, qualifications, and conduct before rejoining the Register.

Your sworn declaration should clearly state:

• Your qualification – “I graduated from [name of university] with a [name of primary veterinary qualification] on [DD/MM/YYYY]”
• Your registration status – explain why you are not currently registered with a regulatory authority in your home country or elsewhere outside the UK
• Your professional conduct – confirm: “I have not been found guilty of serious professional misconduct or subject to employment disciplinary proceedings in the UK or elsewhere”
• Any convictions – state whether you have ever been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or abroad and list the offence(s) clearly

How to make a sworn declaration

You must speak your declaration out loud, either on oath or in solemn form, in front of an authorised official. In the UK, this could be a solicitor, notary public, legal executive, barrister, or Commissioner for Oaths.

You must sign the document, and the official must also countersign it. Their full name, profession, and address must be included. Make sure the declaration clearly shows the date you made it.

Removing or restoring your RCVS registration

If you take a break from veterinary practice, you can also remove your name from the Register and restore it later when you return.

Removing your name

If you’re a vet

Remove your name via MyRCVS. We’ll confirm within three working days. This means you’ll no longer be able to:

• Practise or carry out veterinary-related activities in the UK
• Be a member of the RCVS
• Use the post-nominals MRCVS

Remove your name before 30 April to avoid being charged part of the new year’s fee. 

If you’re a vet nurse  

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.

Restore your name  

If you’re a vet

You can restore your name by completing a restoration form in My Account. This applies if you:

• voluntarily removed your name, or
• were removed for non-payment of fees.

If you’re a vet nurse 

If you’ve been unregistered for less than five years, you can apply to restore your name in My Account by providing:

• A valid passport copy
• The restoration fee  

If you’ve been away 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.

How to enrol in the PSP

• Complete the application form in the PSP Handbook
• Pay your fee
• Have your registration confirmed
• Send us a copy of your passport
• Once enrolled, you’ll also gain access to the RCVS Nurse Return course in the RCVS Academy to help guide your PSP.
• For any PSP questions, email the Veterinary Nursing Team or call 020 7202 0788

Disclose convictions and adverse findings

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:

• What you need to disclose
• Which offences don’t need to be reported
• What happens after disclosure
• How to notify us

You can disclose by:

• Completing the RCVS Convictions Disclosure Form, or
• Declaring during your annual renewal

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.

Order a replacement RCVS certificate

If you need a replacement certificate, email the Registration Team. You’ll need to:

• Pay a fee, which can be paid by bank transfer
• Provide a copy of your passport
• If your certificate is damaged, return it before we issue a replacement

Need help?

We’re here to support you. For general help with registration, contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 0207 202 0707
• Write to: Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Registration Team, 1 Hardwick Street, London, EC1R 4RB