Blog: Support & Guidance on Renewing your Annual Registration
If you are a doctor currently practising medicine in Ireland, you must be registered with the Medical Council. Doctors are required to renew their registration on an annual basis and will receive an email when the Annual Retention Process for 2026/2027 is open. Annual Registration is managed through your Online Doctors Portal account and must be completed before 30th June 2026.
It is important that all doctors on the Medical Council Register renew their registration, as failure to complete this process will 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.
Registration is managed through the Online Doctors Portal. To log in to your Portal account, please ensure to use the email address currently registered with the Medical Council. If you are unable to access your account, please do not create a new account and contact support@mcirl.ie for assistance.
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.
Please find below an overview of the Annual Registration process and the steps you need to take to renew your registration. You can also find more information in our Annual Registration FAQ's here.
Step 1. Log in to the Online Doctors Portal
The first step to renewing your registration is to log in to the Online Doctors Portal. Please ensure to use the email address currently registered with the Medical Council. If you are unable to access your account, please do not create a new account and contact support@mcirl.ie for assistance.
Step 2. Complete Online Application Form for Annual Retention
Once you have accessed the Online Doctors Portal, doctors can complete the Annual Retention 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.
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Professional Indemnity: All doctors practising medicine in Ireland must have indemnity cover appropriate to the nature of their employment/practice arrangement and their area of practice. When renewing your Annual Registration, you will be asked to select from a list of options relating to your proposed practice arrangements. You should bear in mind that the Clinical Indemnity Scheme does not cover complaints made to the Medical Council and you should consider taking out a policy of indemnity to cover complaints before the Medical Council. You will find support on completing this section of the form here.
Step 3. If required, upload your Professional Indemnity Certificate to the Online Doctors Portal during registration
If you are currently practicing privately in Ireland, you will be required to provide a copy of your professional indemnity certificate. Your professional indemnity certificate can be uploaded under Question 2 of the Annual Retention Application Form, or through the “Outstanding Tasks” section on your Doctor’s Portal account.
Step 4. Submit Online Application Form and Fees before June 30th
All applications should be submitted on or before 30th June. 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 account.
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”.
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. If you have any other questions in relation to renewing your registration, please visit our webpage: Annual Retention FAQs.
The Medical Council is introducing a phased increase to doctor registration and retention fees, effective from the 2026 annual retention process. Under the phased approach, a 10% increase will apply in 2026, followed by a further 10% increase in 2027.
The fee structure has remained unchanged for over ten years, during which time the cost of medical regulation has grown considerably. To future-proof our regulatory capacity and ensure it remains fair, responsive, and effective for patients, doctors, and the public, the Medical Council requires sustainable funding. This increase in registration fees is therefore a necessary investment that will strengthen and secure a system that continues to serve us all well into the future.
You can find an overview of the updated registration fees, by registration category here: Registration Fees section. We have also prepared a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help address any queries in relation to the registration fee updates and they are available on our website here: Registration Fee Changes FAQ's section.
Online Doctors Portal Support
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.
Annual Retention Support
Should you have any additional queries in relation to Annual Retention or Restoring your name to the Register, which have not been addressed in this blog, you may find our dedicated support section and Frequently Asked Questions on our website helpful to answer your queries: Annual Retention FAQs section.
Professional Indemnity Support
When renewing your Annual Registration, you will be asked to select from a list of options relating to your proposed practice arrangements for the Professional Indemnity section of the form. You can find more support here on completing this section of your Annual Retention form. You should bear in mind that the Clinical Indemnity Scheme does not cover complaints made to the Medical Council and you should consider taking out a policy of indemnity to cover complaints before the Medical Council.We have also prepared some general information on Professional Indemnity, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions, should you require more detailed information: Professional Indemnity Support section.
Professional Competence Support
You will find support on completing the Professional Competence section of the form here. We have also prepared some general information on Professional Competence, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions, should you require more detailed information: Professional Competence Support section.
Registration Fees
You can find an overview of annual registration fees, by registration category on our website here: Registration Fees section.
Registration Fee Changes Support
The Medical Council is introducing a phased increase to doctor registration and retention fees, effective from the 2026 annual retention process. We have prepared a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help address any queries in relation to the registration fee updates: Registration Fee Increase FAQ’s section.