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Renew your registration

Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses must renew their RCVS registration every year.

On this page, you can find information on how and when to complete this annual renewal.

On this page:

Why you have to renew your registration

It’s illegal to practise in the UK while your name is not on the Register. Also, any professional indemnity insurance you have may be invalidated if you’re removed.

Because the Register is a legal record, we need to make sure the information we hold is correct. Annual renewal ensures that all vets and vet nurses revisit their Registration record and notify us of any changes.

How to renew your registration

The deadline for renewing your registration each year is:

  • 1 April for vets
  • 1 November for vet nurses

To renew your registration, you must:

  • confirm that your Register and contact details are up-to-date,
  • declare any convictions, and
  • pay an annual renewal fee.

You can renew your registration online in My Account:

  • Select “Complete my renewal”.
  • Confirm or amend all the fields on the form.
  • Click “Submit”.
  • Proceed to payment of fees.

You must complete the renewal process even if your employer is paying your fee. The same applies if you pay your annual fee via Direct Debit.

Confirmation

Once you’ve successfully submitted your annual renewal, you will be taken to a confirmation page. You will also receive a confirmation email.

If you don't see the confirmation page, or you don't receive a confirmation email, then your annual renewal may not have been successfully submitted. Contact us if you’re unsure.

You can review and print your submission at the time of completing your annual renewal. You can't go back and do this at a later date.

If your employer needs proof that you have completed your annual renewal, please give them a copy of the email confirmation.

Help with My Account

If you’ve forgotten your username or password

We’ll send you a username reminder when we send you your renewal notice. You can also find your username and reset your password via the My Account homepage, under the sign in button. Still not sure? Our video tutorial explains how to do it.

It’s worth remembering that your username is not case sensitive and will always appear in capitals, regardless of how it is typed. Your password however is case sensitive.

If you’re a first-time user

If you are logging in to My Account for the first time, you will be prompted to create a security question before you can enter.

If you do not have an email address on your record, you need to contact the Registration Team before you can access My Account.

If you need to change your password

You can change your password via your My Account profile page.

If you get locked out of your account

If you enter the wrong details five times, you’ll be locked out of your account. After 15 minutes, your account will automatically be unlocked and you can reset your password. There is no need to contact us.

When to renew your registration

We’ll send you a reminder at least four weeks before your annual renewal is due. Your notice will be sent by email. If we don’t have an email address for you, we’ll post your renewal notice to the address you’ve given us.

When to expect your renewal notice by email

  • Vets – First two weeks of March
  • Vet nurses – First two weeks of October

Deadline for completing your annual renewal

  • Vets – 1 April
  • Vet nurses – 1 November

Date when non-payers are removed from the Register

  • Vets – 1 June
  • Vet nurses – 1 January

The fee for vets will increase by £35 on 1 May.

Reminders

We will send you at least one reminder by email and by text, if we have your mobile number.

If we do not hold a valid email address for you, then we will send one reminder to your correspondence address.

If you haven’t received a renewal notice

Even if you haven’t received a renewal notice, you can still complete your annual renewal on My Account.

If you don't pay your fee

If you're a vet and you pay your fee after 30 April, the amount increases by £35.

If your fees are not received in full by 1 June for vets or 1 January for vet nurses, your name will be removed from the Register. Should you, at any point, need to restore your name to the Register, you will need to pay a restoration fee, in addition to your annual renewal fee.

How to pay your renewal fee

Online

You can pay your renewal fee online via My Account. Once you’ve completed your annual renewal form, you can go straight to the “Online payment” area to make your payment. You can use a Visa debit or credit card, or MasterCard.

Confirmation

We’ll send you an email confirmation once we’ve received your payment.

Payment receipts are also available in My Account, in the “Receipts” tab.

Problems paying by card

If you’re experiencing problems paying by card it could be because:

  • the card’s billing address doesn’t match the one we have on record,
  • you haven’t filled in all fields on the payment form, or
  • you’re using a VISA or Alliance & Leicester card – members have had issues with these cards in the past.
  • If you’re using an overseas address and don’t have a zip or post code, enter 00000 in the postcode field.

You’ll have three attempts on the same card. After that, please try again with an alternative card.
If you’re still having issues with payment, please contact us.

Direct debit

If you pay by Direct Debit, your renewal fee is automatically debited from your bank account each year.
You can set up a Direct Debit via My Account:

  • From the My Account home screen, go to the “Direct Debits” tab.
  • Select “Create a new Direct Debit mandate” and fill in the form.

Please make sure you’ve set up your Direct Debit at least 12 working days before the renewal fee is due.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to pay your fees in monthly instalments.

If you’re not sure you have a Direct Debit

You can check your Direct Debit status via the “Direct Debits” tab in My Account. Alternatively, please check with your bank.

You can also contact the Finance Team at [email protected].

Cancelling your Direct Debit

You can cancel your Direct Debit via the “Direct Debits” tab in My Account. We’d also recommend cancelling the Direct Debit directly with your bank.

If your practice is paying the fee

Your employer can pay your fee via bank transfer. They should email [email protected] with a list of names and membership numbers for allocation.

If your employer needs proof of the fee due, please use the annual renewal notice emailed to you.

Even if your employer has paid your fee, you will still get a receipt.

If you have a Direct Debit set up but your employer is now paying your fee, you can unlink your renewal fee from your Direct Debit. This can be done in the “Direct Debits” tab on My Account.

If your fee due is £0

If you go onto My Account and your fee due is £0, this could mean that you practice has already paid, or the fee has been collected by Direct Debit.

If you’re not sure, please check with your practice or contact our finance department on 020 7202 0722 or at [email protected].

Refunds

If you’ve requested a refund, it can take up to 30 days to be processed during the annual renewal process.

Get help with your renewal

For information on fees, please see our fees page. If you are a vet looking to change category, please refer to our change of category fees.

If you have not received your annual renewal notice or you have any questions about completing your renewal and paying your fees, please contact the Registration Team on 020 7202 0707 or [email protected].

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