Withdrawing and restoring your name to the register

I am not currently practising in Ireland, but I want to remain registered

You do not need to be practising in Ireland to remain registered with the Irish Medical Council. If you have retired, are on leave, or are working overseas, you can renew your registration online and you will remain entitled to practise in Ireland. Please note that if you renew your registration, you will need to maintain your professional competence.

I am currently on leave, but I want to remain registered

If you are currently on leave, you can renew your registration online and you will remain entitled to practise in Ireland. The Medical Council has introduced a number of reductions in annual retention fees in order to support doctors on leave. For more information on applying for a refund on your fees, please visit our webpage: Reduction in Annual Retention Fees.

I am not currently practising in Ireland and do not want to renew my registration

If you are not currently practising in Ireland, or will not be practising after 30th June 2026, you can request to voluntarily withdraw your name from the register through your online account. When you are withdrawn from the register, you do not have to pay the annual retention fee.

Please note that your request to voluntarily withdraw will be effective immediately and once you withdraw, you will not be entitled to practice until you restore your name to the register.

I am not currently practising in Ireland, but I will be returning to practice in Ireland during the registration period 1st July 2026 to 30th June 2027. Do I need to renew my registration now?

If you are not currently practising in Ireland, you can request to voluntarily withdraw your name from the register through your online account. When voluntarily withdrawn, you do not have to pay the annual retention fee.

Please note that your request to voluntarily withdraw will be effective immediately and once you withdraw, you will not be entitled to practise until you restore your name to the register.

Before returning to practise, you will need to restore your registration by completing a restoral application through your online account.

How do I restore my name to the register after voluntarily withdrawing?

You can apply to restore your name to the register through your online account at any time. You will not need to complete a new application for registration.

Once you have completed the online restoral application and paid the restoral fee, you will need to send us a copy of your passport and a certificate of good standing from any other jurisdiction you have been registered with in the past 5 years.

You will be required to pay the application fee to restore your registration, as well as the annual registration fee before your registration is restored. Further information about Medical Council fees can be found here.