Blog: Renewing your Registration

All doctors practising medicine in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council and are required to renew their registration on an annual basis. If you are a doctor currently registered with the Medical Council, you will shortly receive an email asking you to complete the Annual Retention Process through your Online Doctors Portal before 1st July 2024. If your colleague has received an email to renew their registration before you, rest assured. Emails are sent out daily to all doctors on the register and you will receive yours in due course.

It is important that all doctors on the Medical Council Register renew their registration, as failure to complete this process would result in your name being removed from the Medical Council Register. You, patients, or employers can verify your registration status at any stage by visiting our webpage: Check the Register.

Steps to Renew your Registration

1. Log in to the Online Doctors Portal

The first step to renewing your registration is to log in to the Online Doctors Portal. If you have any questions in relation to the Online Doctors Portal, such as how to access important documents or change your personal contact details, we have a dedicated support section on our website to answer your queries: Accessing the Online Doctors Portal.

2. Complete Online Application Form for Annual Retention

Once you have accessed the Online Doctors Portal, doctors can complete the Online Application Form. The Annual Retention Application Form is available on the top of your Online Doctors Portal account homepage, and in your Outstanding Tasks.

When completing the Annual Retention Form, you will be asked to make declarations regarding maintenance of professional competence and professional indemnity.

Further guidance on the Professional Competence and Professional Indemnity requirements is available on our webpage: Annual Retention FAQs.

3. If required, upload your Professional Indemnity Certificate to the Online Doctors Portal during registration

You may be asked to upload your Professional Indemnity Certificate during this process. You can upload this to the Online Doctors Portal if required.

4. Submit Online Application Form and Fees before July 1st

All applications should be submitted on or before 1st of July. You can pay your annual registration fee online with a Credit or Debit Card. An email notification will be sent in the weeks prior to the deadline as a reminder; a notification will also be available through your Online Doctors Portal once registration is open for renewal.

Once you have completed the Annual Retention process, your registration certificate will be available for you to download from your portal account. To download your certificate, please go to the menu option “My Profile” and “My Documents”.

If you have any other questions in relation to renewing your registration, please visit our webpage: Annual Retention FAQs.

Top Tips for Doctors when Renewing Your Registration

• Check your personal details are up to date: doctors should check their personal details (such as their email and home address) are still correct as they will receive communications from the Medical Council via email and letter format. To check or change your personal details, visit the Online Doctors Portal.
• Wait for your Annual Retention Notice email: you will not be able to complete the Annual Retention process until you have received an email from the Medical Council inviting you to renew your registration. If you do not receive this email by early June, please check your Doctors Portal account notifications and contact the registration section.
• Check the Professional Indemnity requirements: All doctors practising medicine in Ireland must have indemnity cover appropriate to the nature of their employment/practice arrangement and their area of practice. If you are practising privately in Ireland, you will be asked to provide a copy of your professional indemnity certificate when completing the Annual Retention process. For more information visit our webpage: Professional Indemnity Requirements.

Opting to Complete the Application by Post

Completing your application online is by far the fastest method, however you can still complete a paper form to renew your registration. To request a paper form, please call or email the Registration Section. Please note that payments can no longer be accepted by cheque. If paying by Euro bank draft, please ensure that the draft is drawn on an Irish Bank. Payments can also be made by postal order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Doctors can find more information on accessing their online account, renewing their registration, professional competence and professional indemnity requirements as well as information on restoring your name to the register in our Annual Retention FAQs section.