Annual Retention Fee

All doctors pay a fee to register with the General Medical Council. Following registration you are required to pay an annual fee to retain your name on the GMC’s register of medical practitioners. This is due on the anniversary of your registration with the GMC.

This following guidance explains the various ways in which you can pay your annual retention fee.  You can also find guidance on the lower income discount and age exemption.

 

1. Direct Debit

If you are paying an annual retention fee and have a UK bank account you have the option to pay your fees by Direct Debit.

Paying by Direct Debit is easier, because it means your registration is renewed automatically each year. We will write to you each year to tell you when your fee is going to be taken from your account.

If you choose to pay by Direct Debit you will have the option of paying your annual retention fee in one amount or in quarterly instalments.

If you choose to pay annually, your annual payment will be collected from your bank account on, or shortly after, the 15th of the month prior to your renewal date.

If you choose to pay quarterly your 1st quarterly instalment will be collected on, or shortly after, the 15th of the month prior to your renewal date and every three months thereafter.

To pay your annual retention fees by Direct Debit, please download and complete this Direct Debit mandate (55k, pdf) mandate and post it to:

General Medical Council
Fees Team
St James's Buildings
79 Oxford Street
Manchester
M1 6FQ
United Kingdom

If you have already received your annual fee notice, it may be too late to complete and set up a Direct Debit to collect your fee for this year. However, you may still like to consider it for next year's fees. Please note, if you are in your first year of registration or in your first two years of provisional registration and not yet paying an annual retention fee, you will be unable to pay your fee by Direct Debit.

Changing from annual to quarterly instalments

If you already pay by annual Direct Debit and would like to convert this to a quarterly Direct Debit please contact us and we will be happy to arrange this change for you where possible. You do not have to cancel your current instruction with your bank.

The Direct Debit Guarantee covers your instruction and you can cancel your instruction at any time by writing to your bank or building society. Please also send a copy of this letter to us.

2. MyGMC

MyGMC is a special password-protected website designed to make administration easier for doctors. It allows you to pay your Annual Retention Fees by credit or debit card (VISA, MasterCard, Maestro, Visa Electron, Visa Delta and Solo). You can also print receipts for recent payments you have made.

Accessing MyGMC

To enter MyGMC, you will need your GMC reference number and your PIN and password.

Login to MyGMC (opens in a new window).

If you do not have a PIN and password, please contact us.

3. Telephone

You can pay your annual retention fee by credit or debit card by calling us. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Electron, Visa Delta and Solo. If you want to pay your fee by telephone, the card must be in your name. Simply call us on 0161 923 6602 (+44 161 923 6602 from outside the UK) and we will process your payment. Our telephone lines are open Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 17:00, excluding bank holidays.

4. Internet Banking

You can pay your fee directly into the GMC bank account. Please ensure you use your GMC reference number and name as a reference. If you wish to pay by this method please contact us and we will provide you with our bank account details.

5. Cheques, Bank Drafts and Postal Orders

Cheques, bank drafts and postal orders should be made payable to the General Medical Council. Please write your full name and GMC reference number clearly on the back of the cheque or bank draft. Please note that we only accept bank drafts which are drawn on a UK bank and in pounds sterling. We do not accept post-dated cheques.

Please send the cheque or bank draft to the address below.

General Medical Council
Fees Team
St James's Buildings
79 Oxford Street
Manchester
M1 6FQ
United Kingdom

6. Alternative Payment Options

It is possible to pay your fee in person at our London reception. We accept cheque, cash or credit and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Visa Electron, Visa Delta and Solo).  You can also pay by credit and debit card at our Manchester reception.

You can also pay your fees at any bank in the UK using the bank giro slip, which is enclosed with your annual retention fee notice. You will need to complete and detach this slip, and present this at the bank with your payment. Please note that if you are not paying into a NatWest bank, you may be charged an additional fee. You can also send a cheque together with the giro slip, in the addressed envelope, which is enclosed with your fee notice.  Please do not send cash or any other documentation in this envelope.

7. Annual registration certificates

When your payment has been received an annual registration certificate will be sent to you confirming receipt of the appropriate fee paid for the current year. If you do not receive an annual registration certificate you should check that your payment has reached the GMC and make sure that we have your correct address.

8. Tax receipts

The annual retention fee is tax allowable. Receipts can be printed for recent payments from MyGMC. Please contact us (opens in a new window) if you would like a further receipt for tax purposes.

9. Age exemption for over 65s

Doctors who reach the age of 65 are currently exempt from the annual retention fee. The exemption begins on your 65th birthday. Exemption from the fee is actioned automatically when you reach 65 but only if we hold a record of your date of birth. If we do not have your date of birth on file please arrange for a photocopy of either your passport or birth certificate (if it confirms your registered name) to be sent to us. Once we have received this information we can update our records to reflect your exemption.

If you have paid a fee on reaching the age of 65 you can apply for a refund in respect of each quarter of the fee which is still unused on reaching the age of 65. If you wish to apply for a refund please contact us (opens in a new window).

For information about future changes to our age exemption policy please see our Registration news section.

10. Erasure for non-payment

If we do not receive your payment for your annual retention fee, we may erase your name from the medical register. If your name is not on the register, you will not be allowed to practise as a registered medical practitioner. To ensure your fees are paid on time we recommend that you pay your annual retention fee by Direct Debit.

11. Erasure for non-effective address

Your name may also be erased if you fail to maintain an effective address – one at which we can always contact you. You can find information on changing your address in the Updating your details on the register section.

12. Voluntary Erasure

If you no longer require registration with the GMC, or you are considering retirement, you can apply to have your name removed from the register. There is no fee for removing your name from the register. Please see our guidance on voluntary erasure (opens in a new window) for information about how to apply.

13. Restoration following erasure

Restoration to the register following erasure for non-payment will incur an additional fee as well as the annual retention fee for the current year.

Restoration following erasure for non-effective address will also incur an additional restoration fee.

For fees payable upon restoring please see our Fees page.