The reduced (non-practising) registration fee

The GCC legislation allows an individual who is not intending to practise as a chiropractor within the UK for an entire registration year (1 January to 31 December) to pay a reduced registration fee for the year, of £100.

Although this is sometimes called “the non-practising fee” or “non-practising status” it is not a distinct or separate category of registration.

If you pay the reduced fee you:

Must still comply with The Code and Guidance Documents.
Must still complete (and report on) Continuing Professional Development.
May still be subject to Fitness to Practise investigations if you do not comply with the Code or Guidance.
Must not practise in the UK – this includes treating patients, teaching chiropractic techniques or doing a job where being a chiropractor or using knowledge gained during a chiropractic degree is a prerequisite of the role – see “what is meant by practising?”
Will still appear on the register (listed as “non-practising”) and will still need to list contact details. This may need to be a personal address if you are not connected to a clinic.

The circumstances in which we will grant you permission to pay the reduced fee are set out in a guidance note, however we believe that there are very few situations where paying the reduced fee will be in your best interests – in most cases you will save money, and the need to meet the GCC obligations (particularly around CPD), by leaving the register completely.

We believe that having chiropractors on the register, who are not actively working in the UK, is confusing for both patients and the wider public, so if you are considering applying to pay the reduced fee, we urge you to make that decision carefully and justify that to us.

There is no penalty for returning to the register after leaving (i.e. there is no advantage to paying the reduced fee over removing yourself from the register).

If you have a question about whether paying the non-practising fee is right for your circumstances, please contact us.

Common scenarios:

I expect to take one or two years off work (e.g. maternity, paternity, travel, sabbatical etc):

It is likely to be in your best interests to leave the register completely - you will save the cost of the reduced registration fee (£100) each year, and you will not need to meet your obligations as a GCC registrant (particularly around completing and recording a full round of 30 hours of CPD each year).

Returning to the UK:

You can leave the register and return within two years by filling out an application form and paying the relevant fee. This is a similar process whether you have paid the reduced (non-practising) fee, or removed yourself from the register.

GCC registration numbers are not re-issued, so you will be given the same GCC registration number when you return to the register.

I expect to take more than two years away from work:

Returning to the UK:

If you have been registered with the GCC in the past, there is no requirement to pass the Test of Competence if you wish to re‐join the register after working or living abroad.

However if you have not practised in the UK for more than two years, you will be required to complete the return to practice in the UK programme.

This requirement will apply equally whether, during your absence from UK practise, you:

left the register completely
paid the lower fee
were practising abroad
were not practising

GCC registration numbers are not re-issued, so you will be given the same GCC registration number when you return to the register.

I am going to work outside of the UK (working abroad or in the Channel Islands).

The Isle of Man and Gibraltar:

The GCC has signed Memorandum of Understanding with the governments of the Isle of Man, and Gibraltar. Chiropractors practising in these jurisdictions are not eligible to pay the reduced registration fee.

Other areas requiring registration with the GCC:

There are some jurisdictions where local lawmakers have decided that registration with the GCC is a prerequisite of being able to practise. These registration requirements are a matter for the local government and the GCC does not currently have a Memorandum of Understanding with these governments.

Examples we are aware of include:

If you require registration to practise in one of these territories, you may pay the reduced registration fee.

Areas where chiropractic is regulated:

If you are going to work in a country where chiropractic is regulated by a local regulator, you will need to register with the regulator for that country and do not need to remain registered with the GCC. You may require a Certificate of Current Professional Standing to be sent to your new regulator.

In these circumstances you should apply for the Certificate of Current Professional Standing before allowing your registration to lapse.

Areas without chiropractic regulation:

Chiropractors in some countries (often without local chiropractic regulation) may choose to remain registered with the GCC to signal to patients that you maintain the high standards of registration. If this is the case, you need to inform us of your reasoning, and you may be eligible to pay the reduced registration fee.

Returning to the UK after a period working abroad:

If you have been registered with the GCC in the past, there is no requirement to pass the Test of Competence if you wish to re‐join the register after working or living abroad.

However if you have not practised in the UK for more than two years, you will be required to complete the return to practice in the UK programme.

This requirement will apply equally whether, during your absence from UK practise, you:

left the register completely
paid the lower fee
were practising abroad
were not practising

GCC registration numbers are not re-issued, so you will be given the same GCC registration number when you return to the register.

I plan on retiring or reducing my hours during the coming year

Unfortunately, our legislation does not allow us to pro-rata or reduce the fees when a person is only planning on working for part of the year.

If you are going to work as a chiropractor in the UK, Gibraltar or the Isle of Man for any part of a year, you need to pay the full fees for that year.

What is meant by practising?

For the purpose of defining when the lower fee is payable, the practice of chiropractic in the UK is not solely restricted to the provision of hands-on clinical care. It encompasses a wide range of direct and indirect clinical roles. Any work where your knowledge as a chiropractor is required to fulfil the role is likely to be considered as practising.

Examples may include:

practising as a health practitioner under a title other than chiropractor, but using the skills learned as part of a chiropractic qualification
patient management
chiropractic education
healthcare research
a leadership or advisory role
promoting or developing the profession

If you would like guidance as to whether a role is likely to be considered as “practising”, please get in contact with the registrations team for assistance.

Fitness to practice and other considerations

Practising as a chiropractor in the UK after paying the non-practising fee would be considered a Fitness to Practise matter. We may actively check that those who apply to pay the lower fee are not practising in the UK, and may request evidence of their non-practising status.

Being allowed to pay the lower fee in the past is no guarantee that you will be able to continue registration in the future - registrants who continue to pay the reduced fee year after year will also be checked, as this is likely to be of no benefit to patients or themselves.

How do I leave the register?

You can either allow your registration to lapse at retention, or you can take voluntary removal.

If you are not practising you are not expected to have indemnity insurance in place, however, you must ensure you have cover for previous periods of practice, which may include purchasing run-off cover, depending on your policy. If you are not sure please contact your insurer for advice.

Further information on leaving the register

Can I transfer to Non-Practising part way through the year?

If you are registered as practising, it's not possible to transfer to non-practising registration part way through the year, only during the retention period for the following year. This is because there is no provision within our rules to allow for pro-rata fees so we would be unable to refund any payments already made for that period. We appreciate this represents a challenge, especially for those on maternity/ paternity or who are not working due to illness, but unfortunately we have no power to over-rule this part of our legislation.