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Renewing your registration
Full registrants and bodies corporate
All registered optometrists and dispensing opticians have to renew their registration with us each year. This is called ‘retention’.
Individuals can now complete their retention online by logging into MyGOC or using the 'Apply for retention button' above.
In December/January of each year, we send out a notification of retention to all individual registrants. We also send Application for Retention forms to all bodies corporate, as online retention is not currently available for registered bodies corporate. All applications for retention should be submitted along with the £270 retention fee by the annual deadline of 15 March.
When you send body corporate retention forms to the GOC we strongly recommend that you post your completed forms to us by recorded delivery. Faxed or emailed copies cannot be accepted.
As part of the renewal process, registrants make declarations about their health and any criminal or disciplinary proceedings. Individual registrants must also confirm they have professional indemnity insurance.
Registrants who fail to submit an application and pay the retention fee by the deadline are removed from the register. A list of all the practitioners who have not renewed is sent to Primary Care Trusts, Health Boards and employers who have registered to receive it. They can no longer practise as an optometrist or dispensing optician.
If a practitioner is removed from the register, but wants to continue practising, they must apply for restoration.
If a practitioner wishes to retire or withdraw from the register, they should notify the GOC. It is possible to inform the Registration team of retirement/withdrawal from the register by logging on to the registrants' area.
Students
All registered optometry and dispensing optics students must renew their registration each year. This is called ‘student retention’. We send out a notification of retention to all existing student registrants in April each year. Applications must be completed and the £20 retention fee paid by 15 July.
Anyone who fails to submit an application and pay their annual fees by the annual retention deadline may be removed from the student register. Students who are not registered may be excluded from clinical training and examinations. We may not recognise qualifications of applicants for full registration who were not registered for all or part of their training.
If a student is removed from the register, but wants to continue practising, they must apply for restoration.
If a student wishes to withdraw from the register, they should notify the GOC in writing.