Guides GDC registration
GDC registration for overseas dentists: the 2026 routes
Two exam routes lead to the same register. What each costs, what you need before you can apply, and how long the whole thing actually takes.
Every overseas-qualified dentist who wants to practise in the UK ends up in the same place: the General Dental Council register. Without it you cannot work as a dentist here. What varies is how you get there, and in 2026 there are two exam routes with very different costs and very different track records.
This page is the map. Each route has its own detailed guide, linked as we go.
Who needs to sit an exam at all
The exam routes exist for dentists whose primary dental qualification is not recognised for UK registration. If your qualification is already recognised by the GDC, you apply to the register directly and none of this applies to you. Check your own qualification with the GDC before you spend anything — it is the first question to settle, not the last.
The two routes, side by side
| ORE | LDS | |
|---|---|---|
| Awarded by | GDC, delivered by UCL Consultants | Royal College of Surgeons of England |
| Parts | Two | Three |
| Written part | In person, two papers on consecutive days | Remote online proctored, two papers on consecutive days |
| Total exam fees | about £7,567 | about £4,554 |
| Attempts | Four at each part | Four, then three, then three |
| Time limit | Part 2 within five years of first Part 1 | Five years across all three parts |
The cost gap opened in May 2026, when the ORE Part 2 fee rose 65% to £6,967. On price alone the LDS is now cheaper by roughly £3,000. On track record the picture is less comfortable: the LDS was restructured in 2026 and its new Part 2 is unproven. We set out both sides in the ORE versus LDS comparison, including where each route is weaker.
What you need in place before you can apply
Both routes ask for broadly the same evidence, and gathering it takes longer than most candidates expect. Start it before you start revising.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Clinical experience | At least 1,600 hours of treating patients, evidenced by a clinical reference form. |
| Qualification evidence | A certified copy of your dental qualification and a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability for non-EEA graduates. |
| English language | For the ORE: IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, no less than 6.5 in each skill, normally under two years old. |
| Good standing | A certificate of current professional status and a character reference from a registered professional who is not a relative. |
What it costs, end to end
The exam fee is not the whole bill. Registration itself costs money, and so does staying on the register.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| ORE application processing | £115 |
| ORE Part 1 | £485 |
| ORE Part 2 | £6,967 |
| LDS Part 1 | £1,025 |
| LDS Part 2 | £1,793 |
| LDS Part 3 | £1,736 |
| GDC registration application | £117.23 |
| Annual Retention Fee, dentist (2026) | £698, pro-rated in your first year |
Neither total includes ENIC assessment, IELTS, travel, or a UK visa. VAT now applies to ORE fees.
How long it takes
Nobody can give you a reliable total, because the queues move. What is published is the shape of it: the GDC asks you to allow 60 working days for your ORE application to be assessed, and longer at peak times. ORE Part 1 runs four times a year with 600 places a sitting, booking eight weeks ahead. LDS Part 1 results take five to six weeks.
Two things reliably cost people a year. The first is booking: ORE Part 1 places are first-come, first-served and typically go the same day, so the booking-day guide is worth reading before your window opens. The second is document deadlines: on the LDS, Part 1 eligibility documents are due within one week of booking, and the published consequence of missing that is withdrawal without refund.
Which route should you take?
If cost dominates, the LDS is about £3,000 cheaper. If you want the more established assessment with more preparation material available, that is currently the ORE. Both end at the same register, and the written first part of each tests the same core knowledge — so the decision is about cost, format and risk appetite, not about which one is “easier”. The full comparison lays out the 2026 figures with sources.
Whichever you choose, the Part 1 you sit is a written single best answer paper, and that is the part you can prepare for systematically. We build one course per exam — ORE Part 1 and LDS Part 1 — each with the question bank and the full revision guide together, and three hours of the whole thing free before you decide anything.
FAQ
Do I need to sit the ORE or the LDS? Only if your primary dental qualification is not recognised for UK registration. If it is recognised, you apply to the GDC directly.
Which is cheaper, the ORE or the LDS? The LDS, by roughly £3,000 in exam fees. Total exam fees are about £4,554 for the LDS against about £7,567 for the ORE.
Does passing the exam let me work in the UK? It entitles you to apply for GDC registration. It is not a job offer and not a visa.
Is OET accepted instead of IELTS? The GDC’s English language page names IELTS Academic and does not list OET. Do not assume OET will be accepted for dental registration.
How much clinical experience do I need? At least 1,600 hours of treating patients, evidenced by a clinical reference form.
Sources
Fees, dates and requirements change — confirm anything here with the GDC or RCS England before you act on it.