UK applicants

• You may apply for registration if you have a UK chiropractic degree recognised for the purposes of registration by the General Chiropractic Council
   
• If you are not sure whether your qualification is recognised please contact our registration team: registrations@gcc-uk.org or 020 7713 5155

• It is an offence to practise or call yourself a chiropractor in the UK without first gaining GCC registration. Make sure your employer does not include your name on their website before registration has been granted. We also strongly recommend not booking any patients until you have received confirmation from the General Chiropractic Council that registration has been granted
   
• Please be aware that if you are applying for practising registration, we will not register you until your indemnity arrangements (insurance) is in force.

As part of your application for General Chiropractic Council registration you must send us the following original documents by post, along with the registration fee:

1. A completed application form. The form outlines the documents we need you to send us.

2. Evidence of your chiropractic qualification recognised by the General Chiropractic Council.

3. A copy of your current passport, which must be CERTIFIED by any of the following individuals and stating: 'I confirm this to be a true and accurate copy of the original document as seen by me':
   - someone of professional standing, such as the person writing your character reference; it cannot be a patient, relative or employee

We define professional standing as either someone belonging to a regulated profession, where the integrity of the referee can be verified as far as is possible, or someone in good standing within the community. This includes other health professionals, as well as those who have a standing by virtue of the office they hold, for example a religious official. The following are some examples of who we accept references from, but it is not a definitive list:

• registered chiropractor

• other registered healthcare professional

• company director, where the company it registered with companies house

• teacher or lecturer

• accountant

• bank manager

• solicitor

• an officer from the college where you obtained your chiropractic qualification - this will also need to include the formal stamp of the college.

If you do not have a passport, please send a certified copy of your original birth certificate, as well as certified photo ID, such as a driving licence or ID card.

1. A character reference. This must be be no more than three months old at the point of registration. You may wish to use this form for your reference.

2. Your medical report – please refer to information here, if you have not already done so. You may wish to consult our guidance on health and good character here.

3. The registration fee. Please note that we do not allow pro-rata payments. This means your fee is the same regardless of the point in the year that you apply to join.

1. Evidence of your professional indemnity (insurance) arrangements for your practise in the UK. Please note that you will not be registered until your cover has started.

2. Certificate of good standing and certificates of current professional status from any regulatory bodies with whom you are or have been registered.

Certificates of Good Standing

All applicants for registration, restoration or transfer to practising registration must send us a Certificate of Good Standing, or equivalent, if they have practised in any regulated profession in any country at present or in the past, before we complete the application process.

What is a Certificate of Good Standing?

A Certificate of Good Standing is a document issued by a body that has a regulatory role, like the General Chiropractic Council, AHPRA or US chiropractic boards. It should include details of your registration or licensure, as well as confirmation of your disciplinary history. More information is here.

How do I know if I need to get one?

You will need to provide one if you work in a regulated profession, whether chiropractic or not, in the UK or overseas or have done so in the past. There is no time limit on when you worked in a regulated profession, so you should consider it to mean for the whole of your working life to date.

What if I can’t get a Certificate of Good Standing?

It’s very rare that someone isn’t able to provide a Certificate of Good Standing or Current Professional Status. If this is the case then you will need to provide documentary evidence to show that you have attempted to obtain one, and we would normally expect to see an official response to confirm that it isn’t possible to obtain a certificate. While we understand that in certain circumstances it can take some time to acquire certificates, we will not accept this as a reason for not progressing to registration without it

3. A police record check but only if you have a criminal record. Please be aware that if you have a criminal conviction or caution, it will take longer to process your application and you should send your application to us as soon as you can and well in advance of the date you wish to start practising.

4. Evidence of your name. If you practise under a different name to the one on your passport, you must provide us with legal evidence of that name, for example a certified copy of a birth or marriage certificate.

5. If you graduated two or more years ago and have never registered with the General Chiropractic Council, you are asked to complete a self-assessment form to show how you meet the General Chiropractic Council standards as set in the Code. Please note: if you are sending us a self-assessment form, please allow 7 days for us to get back to you.

Your registration may be delayed if you do not provide us with the documents we need you to send us to consider your application.

IMPORTANT: we are not able to guarantee if and when registration will be granted. For this reason we recommend that you do not book any patients until you have received confirmation from us that you have been registered.

When your registration application arrives, we will look at your documents to make sure they meet our requirements. If we need any more information we will email you with details.

Things that may help to speed up your application

We do not offer a 'fast track' application service that allows us to deal with your application ahead of others. However, the following pointers should minimise the time it takes to process your application. 

Please also note that we do not accept visitors to our offices without a prior appointment. Delivering your form personally will not reduce the time it takes us to process your application.

• Ensure your application is filled in correctly before you post it to us

• Check that the documents fit with the requirements we have listed on pages 2 and 3 of the application form

• Make sure you provide current contact details and an email address so that we can get in touch with you easily

• If you are in the process of moving make sure you keep us up to date with any changes to your contact details

• If you have new practice details please provide them as soon as you can so that we can add them to your website listing. Once registered you will be able to do this online

• Please note: we are required to list an address for you on the register. If you do not provide us with a practice address and telephone number, we will list your home address and telephone number instead

• Make your payment by card or electronic transfer (CHAPS), which will clear our account immediately.

Check your emails (including your ‘junk’ email folder) regularly after you apply for registration as this is our preferred method of contact.

How long will it be before I am registered?

We aim to check your application within 24 hours from its arrival, however this is not always possible and you should allow 2 working days before contacting us.

If any of the following circumstances apply to you, please be aware that it may take longer than usual for you to gain registration:

• you have a criminal conviction or caution

• you have a health issue where we need further information

• you have had disciplinary matters with another regulatory body.

Where there is a possibility that registration may not be granted, the Registrar will make a decision based on the application file, including all documents provided by the applicant and any subsequently obtained by the General Chiropractic Council following an investigation.

Process before the Registrar

Before making a decision, the Registrar must be satisfied that: 

• sufficient evidence has been obtained to enable a fair decision to be made

• the applicant has had an opportunity to comment on all documents that form part of the application file.

While most decisions can be made by the Registrar without the need for an interview, exceptional cases may arise where a decision will be taken to interview the applicant.

Explaining and recording decisions

All decisions of the Registrar are recorded with reasons. If the Registrar decides to refuse an application, the applicant will be informed of the process for appealing the decision through the Registration Appeals Committee.

Successful applicants

• Once you have been registered we will email you with your registration number and start date
• A letter confirming your registration and certificate will follow by post, together with a receipt for your fee
• We will return any original identity documents, naturalisation papers or certified translations to you by the most secure postal option offered by Royal Mail
• We will provide you with a website user number to sign up to use the General Chiropractic Council website
• Your name and practice(s) will be added to the General Chiropractic Council register either on the day of registration, or very shortly after. 

We also ask you to familiarise yourself with the following information on our website:   

• Our Continuing professional development (CPD) information
• PSA guidance on sexual boundaries

Unsuccessful applicants

Should the Registrar refuse someone registration, applicants would normally be aware of this possibility before a decision had been made. This is because we gather as much information as possible before making a decision.

Each application is viewed on its own individual merits and the Registrar carefully considers the information supplied. In most circumstances we ask for more information if we have any queries or concerns about your application. This might include:

• a health report
• criminal record documentation, such as a court extract, or a police record check
• the applicant’s observations, if he or she has been convicted of an offence.

This is not an exhaustive list, but is to give you an idea of what we might ask you for.

If you are refused registration then you will have the right to appeal the decision of the Registrar.