Registration Guides and International candidate application forms

Table of Contents

EEA Registration for Pharmacists

Are you a Pharmacist from the EU?

Here at Team Locum, we can help guide you through the entire process of both transferring and registering your qualification in the UK.

We also want to help you understand everything about your move, including things such as; a specific understanding of each city/town and the available Pharmacy work, cost of living, schools, work places for partners which all factor in to your decision as to where to move.

Regarding pharmacy work UK, one of our specialist team will be in touch and help to guide you. This document will focus on giving you all the steps to transfer your qualification, first there is an outline of the route and secondly more detailed steps

Although the UK is no longer in the EU, the previous directive remains in place, so… how do you apply?

1. You are a qualified Pharmacist in a European Economic Area (EEA) country other than the UK. You can find the eligible countries listed in section 5.6.2 of Directive 2005/36/EC.

2. Complies with all the minimum training requirements described in Article 44 of Directive 2005/36/EC.

3. You have obtained a minimum score of 7 in the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Individual scores for each section of the test must not be lower than 6, except for the ‘Speaking’ section where the minimum score of 7 is required)

4. Before applying to work in the UK please, you will need to ensure that you have the appropriate visa to do so (Team Locum can advise on this) If your qualification does not meet the above criteria, please ask for our overseas documents.

To apply you must complete the form we have sent you. See below for advice:

  1. Read the guidance carefully and identify the information and supporting documents that you will need to provide.
  2. Contact pharmacy organisations to request that they supply documents directly to the GPhC. Look at section 5 on the Guidance and application form.
  3. Complete the application form. You can fill in the form using a computer, or by hand. If you complete the form by hand, make sure you write clearly in block capitals. You will print the form out to sign it and submit it.
  4. Send your completed application form, and supporting documents to the GPhC at:

    EEA Applications

    General Pharmaceutical Council
    25 Canada Square
    London
    E14 5LQ

    If you have any questions in relation to the application please contact [email protected] or on 0203 713 8000.

    Timeframe:
    Once the GPhC have received your application, the applications team will aim to process your application within 28 days if complete.

    Please note that if any missing details/documents are missing this will make the application take longer. The professionals at Team Locum can support you in this to avoid any missing information.

    Costs:
    The international pharmacy process includes the requirement to pay a number of different fees depending on the progression of the application:

    o Registration of application fee of £114

    o Registration fee of £276 which covers the first 12 months of your registration

You will need to complete the application form we have sent to you, provide supporting documents including a copy of your qualifications, ID and evidence you passed the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

You will need to arrange for the documents to be sent directly to the GPhC by the appropriate regulator and authority in your own country. (See “How To Apply” section for where to send all documents to).

They will also accept a pharmacy qualification taught and examined in a majority English speaking country, or proof that you have worked in a country that meets this same criteria.

You will then need to provide the GPhC with evidence of your qualification, ID and supporting document. Once the GPhC have gone through your application form, ID, qualifications and supporting documents, they will let you know the outcome to see if your qualification transfer has been successful.

If you have been successful, they will then send you the application form you will need to complete to apply to join the pharmacist register with information on where to send it back.

The GPhC may contact you for any additional information if your application is missing any details/supporting information.

If the GPhC deem your qualification is not comparable to one from the UK you will be sent a self assessment form. This will be to address potential gaps between your qualification and one from the UK.

If this is the case, the assessors will review this self-assessment. If there are differences between your qualification the GPhC they will consider the next steps. One example is that you may be required to complete and adaptation period such as workplace training.

When this is complete, the GPhC will send you the application form needed to register as a Pharmacist. They will contact you within four months.

Once you have successfully joined the register you will be expected to apply to the GPhC register within 3 months of them notifying you that your application of your EEA qualification being successful.

If your application to join the Pharmacists’ register is successful, they will send you a confirmation letter.

You will need to create a new my GPhC account to manage your registration and complete your revalidation each registration year.

Non-EEA Registration for Pharmacists

Are you a Pharmacist from overseas?

Here at Team Locum, we can help guide you through the entire process of both transferring and registering your qualification in the UK.

Not only that, but we can help you to understand everything about your move to the UK including things such as;

a specific understanding of each city/town and what the work situation is like there, cost of things in the UK, schools for children, work places for partners which will all help you decide where you’d like to move to.

Regarding your move to the UK, one of our specialist team will be in touch and help to guide you.

This document will focus on giving you all the steps to transfer your qualification, first there is an outline of the route and secondly more detailed steps with clickable links to take you to the relevant places.

So, how do you apply?

  • You are legally qualified to practise Pharmacy in a country outside of the UK
  • You are registered with a regulatory body in your country of practice (if your profession is
    regulated)
  • You have obtained a minimum score of 7 in the academic International English Language
    Testing System (IELTS)     (Individual scores for each section of the test must not be lower than
    6, except for the ‘Speaking’ section where the minimum score of 7 is required)
  • Before applying to work in the UK please, you will need to ensure that you have the
    appropriate visa to do so (Team Locum can advise on this)

How to apply for eligibility to complete OSPAP Course:

  1. Find the documents you will need to provide, including evidence of your qualifications and your identity, and get copies legally certified (more information in the OSPAP form).
  2. Provide proof of English Language competency. The GPhC will NOT consider any applications without one of these documents.
  3. Request documents about your pharmacy qualification and experience from the university where you qualified and from the pharmacy regulator in that country. You may need to send these in your application.
  4. Complete a paper copy of the application form. You will need to print out and fill in any other forms by hand. Make sure you write clearly in block capitals.
  5. Make a payment of an application fee of £739. The application fee covers the processing of your application and is non-refundable, even if your application is not successful.
  6. Post your application form and your supporting documents to the GPhC Important: It is recommended that the application form and supporting documents is posted using a trackable service.

    Send the application form and supporting documents to:

    International Applications
    General Pharmaceutical Council
    25 Canada Square
    LONDON
    E14 5LQ

    If you have any questions regarding the application form, please contact [email protected].

    Costs:
    You will need to pay a fee of £739, which covers the cost of processing your application. The application fee is non-refundable, even if your application is unsuccessful.

    Timeframe:
    Once you’ve completed your assessment of your eligibility to apply for an OSPAP Course you will have received an update within 8 weeks of the day you’ve submitted your application. The OSPAP Course takes 1 year to complete.

    Important: When applications reopen, the GPhC strongly advise you to contact your preferred provider for an update on their availability before applying to the GPhC for an assessment of your eligibility to complete an overseas Pharmacists’ Assessment Programme, as OSPAP Courses are often
    in high demand.

    After completing the OSPAP Course you will then complete the pre-registration training that will take 52 weeks to complete. Near to the end of transferring your qualifications now, there are only two registration assessments per year, in June and September. It is down to the stage you are at in your application on which month you take the registration assessment.

    Profession Support:
    If you are considering working as a Pharmacist in Great Britain, you may want to find a pharmacist who can support you. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is the professional body for Pharmacists in Great Britain and runs the RPS Mentoring Platform.

You will need to complete an Overseas Pharmacist’s Assessment Program (OSPAP) form so that the GPhC can assess your eligibility to apply for the course. The GPhC will assess this by considering your previous qualifications and work experience, your fitness to practice and your English Language competency (see requirements to apply section to understand the English Language test).

Note: please make sure you read in full the guidance form so that you provide all information needed by the GPhC minimising the time needed to process your application.

You will receive an update within 8 weeks of the date you submitted your application. The GPhC will contact you about the status of your application once they’ve received all the supporting documents to progress your application to the next stage.

Important: The GPhC are unable to confirm receipt of individual supporting documents. You are strongly advised to submit any supporting documents by using a postal service that is both fully tracked and provides confirmation of delivery. It is your responsibility to check when and where you can start the OSPAP Course

Under the supervision of a tutor, trainees will spend at least 52 weeks in a GPhC approved training site, developing their practice to meet a range of performance standards. Their progress is guided by and verified by their tutor, using progress reviews.

The placement will be a paid position and is usually full time. You may be able to make arrangements with your employer about working patterns, or to work part time, but you should contact the GPhC so they can approve this.

Trainees are responsible for finding their own training placement and tutor and letting the GPhC know the arrangements they have made by applying for entry to the pre-registration scheme. They will then assess your application to make sure that you are eligible to start training, and that the arrangements have been made are suitable and will provide you with the opportunity to meet the performance standards.

You can find out more about the structure of the training placement in the pre-registration manual.

Once you have completed the English Language skills, OSPAP Course and the 52 week training placement you will then be able to complete the Registration assessment. The registration assessment is one of the ways the GPhC test whether you can demonstrate you understand how to apply knowledge appropriately.

The registration assessment consists of two paper questions. Candidates must pass both papers in one attempt but have up to three attempts to pass. The assessment is carried out simultaneously in locations across Great Britain.

Once you have successfully completed the OSPAP Course, 52 weeks of pre-registration training and the registration assessment you are eligible to apply to the GPhC register as a pharmacist. You will need to apply through the myGPhC online system. You must apply to be registered within four years of the date you started your OSPAP Course.

Registration for Optometrists

Are you an Optometrist from outside of the UK?

Here at Team Locum, we can help guide you through the entire process of both transferring and registering your qualification in the UK.

Not only that, but we can help you to understand everything about your move to the UK including things such as; a specific understanding of each city/town and what the work situation is like there, cost of things in the UK, schools for children, work places for partners which will all help you decide where you’d like to move to.

Regarding your move to the UK, one of our specialist team will be in touch and help to guide you. This document will focus on giving you all the steps to transfer your qualification, first there is an outline of the route and secondly more detailed steps with clickable links to take you to the relevant
places.

  • You have undertaken three years’ full time (or equivalent part-time) Optometry training at a
    post-baccalaureate level in your country of qualification.

  • You are legally qualified to practise Optometry in a country outside of the UK.

  • You have practised for one year within the last ten years (unsupervised practise, post qualification)

  • You are registered with a regulatory body in your country of practice (if your profession is
    regulated)

  • You have obtained a minimum score of 7 in the academic International English Language
    Testing System (IELTS) (Individual scores for each section of the test must not be lower that 6,
    except for the ‘Speaking’ section where the minimum score of 7 is required)

  • Before applying to work in the UK please, you will need to ensure that you have the
    appropriate visa to do so (Team Locum can advise on this)

To apply you must first complete the self-assessment form on the General Optical Council website. Once completed they will then respond to you via email within three working days and include details of all the documents required including an application form if eligible.

Note: You need to make sure that all of your supporting documents are correctly certified, and you translate any documents needed. (Attached Certifying Documents) – if you need more help with this stage, you can email [email protected] and they will help you. 

Click here for a step-by-step guide to your qualification check

Costs:
The international optometry process includes the requirement to pay a number of different fees depending on the progression of the application:

o £125 scrutiny fee of the application form and supporting documents
o £450 for assessment of the application
o £200 for the interview

Please note that all fees are payable to the GOC (General Optical Council) within 28 days of request. They will not be able to process your application to the next sage until they have received payment. If you undertake training within the UK (including completion of the College of Optometrists’ Scheme for Registration), you will be required to apply for student registration in accordance with their normal process. The current fee for student registration is £30.

Timeframes:
Once you’ve completed your application form, you’ll be sent the bill for the scrutiny fee within five working days. This must be paid within 14 days or your application will be cancelled. 

Within 28 days of receipt of the payment, a review of your application will be made, it will be at this stage you will be advertised as to whether any further documentation is required.

Once all the mandatory documentation has been received, the application will progress to the assessment stage, this can take approximately five months (please note: sometimes this may be quicker or slower than four months depending on the amount of applications). Also note any delays in providing documentation, payments, or availability to attend an interview may result in extended processing times.

The GOC (General Optical Council) will check your application to make sure that it is all complete and that you have attached all of the documents that they require. They will contact you if they require further details/information. This review can take up to 28 days

Once you meet requirements, you will be required to pay the assessment fee, to be paid within 14 days. If not paid the application will be cancelled.

The GOC’s non-UK assessors will then compare your qualifications and experience against the UK standards of competence, and they will then advise whether you can proceed to step 3 (interview stage) or whether your application has been rejected.

If you are invited to an interview, this will take place between you and two non-UK assessors. The interview will give the assessors an opportunity to discuss your application. More details will be given to you should you get to this step.

If you do get through to the interview stage, the interview fee will need to be paid within 14 days.

After the interview, the GOC will write to you to advise you of the outcome. The potential outcomes are:

  • Proceed to the College of Optometrists’ Scheme for Registration
  • Proceed to the College of Optometrists’ Scheme for Registration with trailing competencies
  • Undertake further training
  • Rejection


Any further training will be at your cost.

Once the fee has been received, securing an interview slot can take up to 4 months depending on yours and your assessors availability.

The interview will take place over Microsoft Teams, they also advice re-reading your application for and supporting documents as they will be discussed in the interview. Supporting evidence of new information may also be requested.

If you have a disability within the scope of the Equality act of 2010, they may be able to make reasonable adjustments. (you would need to advise your registration officer)

If you are to proceed to the College of Optometrists’ Scheme for Registration then you must complete the Scheme of Registration and any relevant fees that need to be paid will be taken by the College (please see the College’s website for an update for an up to date list of fees). You may also be recommended to complete the scheme as well as trailing competencies.

If you have not met all of the stage 1 competencies you will be instructed to undertake further training, they will advise which competencies haven’t been met and which you need to focus training on, however it will be up to you to find a suitable provider to complete the relevant training (Team Locum can advise you on this).

Prior to starting the training you will need to provide a proposal to the GOC for their approval.

Any fees that may be incurred with this are payable by you.

As this part of the application is dependent on you and the provider it is hard to say how long this can take.

You may also be recommended to undertake adaption courses, this is on top of the trailing competencies.

Your application may be rejected as you have not met the mandatory criteria.

You have completed the Scheme of Registration and can apply for Full Registration as an Optometrist.

This can be found on the college of optometrists website

Once you are advised that you are suitable to enter this scheme, there will need to be a work placement arranged, you will also need to contact the college to apply for entry.

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