The reduced (non-practising) registration fee

Am I eligible for the reduced fee?

The reduced fee is for chiropractors who do not intend practising in the UK for short periods of time (normally less than 2 years), and is defined as:

For the purpose of determining the registration fee we do not consider engaging in the practice of  chiropractic in the UK to be solely restricted to the provision of direct hands‐on clinical care. 

Those involved in clinical contact with patients, directly or indirectly, or working in any capacity that seeks to develop the chiropractic profession, are considered as engaging in the practice of chiropractic and an application to pay the reduced fee is unlikely to be successful.

Direct clinical contact includes those practising as a health practitioner under a title other than  chiropractor, but who use the skills learnt as part of a chiropractic programme. 

Indirect clinical contact includes acting in an advisory capacity, or using chiropractic education and  skills in a way that influences the care of chiropractic patients. 

Chiropractors working in research, academia or in such a way as to influence the direction of the profession as a whole, and therefore develop the chiropractic profession, are also considered as practising as chiropractors.

You can read the full policy statement in our Reduced Fee information note [here].

When is it not appropriate to pay the reduced fee?

Anyone intending to work as a chiropractor in the UK at all during a registration year must apply for practising registration, as they will not meet the legal requirement allowing them to pay the reduced fee.

Where a registrant is not intending to practise in the UK in the future, for example as they have retired or reside permanently overseas, we advise allowing your registration to lapse or taking voluntary removal.

Our primary role is to protect patients, but this is only necessary where there is a risk. Chiropractors not practising in the UK do not pose a risk to patients so there is no need for them to remain registered with us.

It is also important to note that having chiropractors on the register who are not actively working in the UK in the long-term is confusing for both patients and the wider public.

Does lapsed registration or taking voluntary removal have any disadvantages?

No.  Allowing your registration to lapse or taking voluntary removal from the register will not disadvantage you in any way should you wish to return to practise in the UK in the future. If your circumstances change, restoration to the register is similar to transferring from non-practising to practising registration.

Apart from the fee, how is paying the reduced fee different from paying the full fee?

Essentially, there is no difference other than you must not practice as a chiropractor if you have paid the reduced fee. This means you will still need to complete CPD, retain on the register as normal as well as comply with The Code and are subject to the the complaints process. 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.

Does the register show my registration status?

Yes.  We annotate the register to indicate to the public and patients which registrants are paying the lower rate and therefore not practising in the UK. These details are also published on the website on the register.

Do you check the reasons for paying the reduced fee?

We reserve the right to require a registrant who has paid the reduced fee to provide evidence to verify the reasons of their non-practising status.

We may also actively check that those applying for the reduced fee are not in practice as chiropractors in the UK. If they are found to be doing so, they will be referred for investigation.

Any registrants who continue to pay the reduced fee year after year will also be checked, as this is of no benefit to patients or themselves.

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.

Working outside mainland UK

• Channel Islands: Our legislation does not cover the Channel Islands as they have their own legislature. Registrants practising in any of the Channel Islands and who wish to register with the General Chiropractic Council may pay the reduced fee. This is because the rules specify that only those working within our jurisdiction must register as practising.

• The Isle of Man and Gibraltar: We have has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with both governments requiring chiropractors in those jurisdictions to register with us as practising chiropractors and must therefore pay the full fee.

Working in education

If you are working at one of the UK institutions offering chiropractic courses you are required to pay the full practising fee.