2026 GDC Registration Guide for Dentistry Students in Europe

Before you even think about studying dentistry, applications, entrance exams, or which European city you’d like to call home for the next several years, there’s 1 organisation you need to know about: the General Dental Council (GDC) in the UK.

The GDC is the official regulatory body for dental professionals in the United Kingdom. Whether you’re a UK applicant who wants to study dentistry in Europe, or an international student aiming for a UK dental career, registering with the GDC is non-negotiable.

In short,  if you want to work as a dentist (or other dental professional) in the UK, you will eventually pass through the GDC.

The key takeaways in this blog include:

• After Brexit, EU/EEA (European Economic Area) dental degrees are near-automatically accepted for GDC UK registration until 2028, as long as they were listed in the Directive 2005/36/EC (list of countries further in the blog). 
• Many European universities fulfill all GDC criteria and give eligibility for registration.
• Your degree must meet all GDC requirements and learning outcomes to grant eligibility.
• Overseas graduates are often required to go through an individual assessment for GDC registration or sit either the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) or the License in Dental Surgery (LDS).
• Both the ORE and LDS exams are equally accepted for GDC UK registration.
• A minimum of 1,600 hours of clinical experience are required to be eligible to sit the ORE exam.
• Medlink Students helps you avoid risky programmes by guiding you toward UK-compatible universities and checking GDC recognition routes before you apply.

Please keep in mind that GDC policies may change. Always refer to the official GDC website or speak to a Medlink advisor for the latest updates.

What Is the General Dental Council (GDC)?

The General Dental Council (GDC) is the official body that regulates dental professionals in the UK. 

Its main job is to protect patients by making sure everyone who works in dentistry meets high professional and clinical standards. The GDC sets the rules for the profession, oversees training requirements, and runs the GDC register, which has every dentist and dental care professional legally allowed to practise in the UK.

However, the GDC doesn’t just regulate dentists. It also oversees dental hygienists, dental therapists, orthodontic therapists, dental nurses, clinical dental technicians, and dental technicians.

Essentially, anyone who wants to treat patients in the UK must be on the GDC dental register.

What Are the GDC Requirements?

To work as a dentist in the UK, you must meet the GDC’s requirements and qualify for GDC UK registration. These ensure that every dentist has the right training, knowledge, and skills to treat patients safely and professionally.

At the core, the GDC requires that you:

1. Hold a recognised dental qualification or complete an approved registration route such as the ORE or LDS exams.
2. Have the correct clinical training and competencies, including clinical experience, treatment planning, patient care, and theoretical knowledge that aligns with GDC standards.
3. Be fit to practise, which means showing professional behaviour, communication skills, and following the GDC principles set out in Standards for the Dental Team.
4. Provide proof of identity and good character. The GDC may check references, health declarations, and your ability to work safely with patients.
5. Demonstrate English language proficiency to ensure you can communicate clearly and safely.

Additionally, a minimum of 1,600 hours of clinical experience are required for ORE exam eligibility.

What a Dental Degree Must Provide for GDC Registration or ORE/LDS Eligibility

The GDC checks whether your dental degree meets the Learning Outcomes for Registration, the same competencies UK BDS graduates must achieve.

Here is what that actually means in practical terms:

A 5-year, full-time dentistry programme (or equivalent)

The GDC expects training comparable to a UK 5-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). Degrees shorter than this are often not considered equivalent and may require the ORE.

Significant supervised clinical experience with real patients

Your degree must include hands-on treatment of patients, not only simulation.

This includes supervised experience in:

• Restorative dentistry
• Oral surgery
• Periodontology
• Endodontics
• Prosthodontics
• Paediatric dentistry
• Orthodontics (diagnosis + referral skills)
• Dental emergencies and pain management

The GDC checks whether graduates can perform these treatments safely and independently at the level expected of a UK dentist.

A curriculum that covers all GDC learning domains

Your degree must demonstrate outcomes in:

• Clinical skills (assessment, diagnosis, treatment)
• Scientific knowledge (biomedical, dental, and material sciences)
• Professionalism and ethics
• Patient communication and consent
• Leadership and management
• Health and safety, infection control, radiography

If these domains are missing or incomplete, the qualification is unlikely to be acceptable for direct registration.

Training that prepares graduates for independent practice

The GDC checks whether graduates:

• Can examine, diagnose, and treatment-plan safely
• Can manage common dental diseases and emergencies
• Understand risk, consent, and safeguarding
• Can make safe clinical decisions
• Recognise when to refer patients

These skills are essential whether you register directly or sit the ORE/LDS.

Assessment methods similar to UK standards

To be accepted, the dental programme must use formal assessments such as:

• Clinical case evaluations
• OSCEs
• Written exams
• Continuous assessment
• Competency-based evaluations

The qualification must be recognised by the country where you study

The GDC requires that your degree is officially accredited by the medical or dental authority in that country and that you are legally allowed to practise as a dentist in the country where you graduated.

If you cannot register as a dentist in that country, the GDC will not accept the qualification.

Degree requirements for GDC registration in a nutshell

A dental degree must be equivalent in structure, content, and clinical training to a UK 5-year BDS. If it isn’t, graduates will need to take the ORE or LDS before joining the GDC register.

Licensing Exams for Dentistry: ORE vs LDS

Often, you’ll need to pass a licensing exam to join the GDC register. The 2 main routes are the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE), run by the GDC and the License in Dentan Surgery (LDS), run by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England).

Both exams assess whether your skills and knowledge match the level expected of a newly qualified UK dentist.

ORE

The ORE is the most common route for overseas-trained dentists. It’s split into 2 parts:

• Part 1 - a written exam covering clinical science, dental practice, and problem-solving.
• Part 2 - a practical exam testing hands-on skills, patient care, and clinical decision-making.

LDS

The LDS is an alternative to the ORE. It has 3 stages:

• Part 1 - a written exam testing applied dental sciences and clinical knowledge.
• Part 2 - a practical exam assessing practical, OSCE, and unseen cases.
• Part 3 - a clinical skills exam using a dental manikin to assess safe and competent operative practice.

The LDS is held less frequently and places are limited, but it serves the same purpose as the ORE.

Which exam should you choose?

Both exams are accepted for registration with the General Dental Council, and neither is “easier”. They simply operate independently. Most students apply for both, as places can fill up quickly.

Here’s a quick comparison table:

Feature	ORE	LDS
Who runs it?	General Dental Council (GDC)	Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England)
Purpose	Route to GDC registration for overseas graduates	Alternative route to GDC registration
Format	Part 1: written exam Part 2: practical/clinical exam	Part 1: written examPart 2: practical, OSCE, unseen cases. Part 3: manikin/practical skills exam.
Availability	More frequent sittings, but with limited places, around ~600 places Part 1 and ~150 places for Part 2.	Less frequent. About ~120 available spots for Part 1,  ~96 for Part 2 and ~36 for Part 3.
Difficulty	Similar	Similar
Cost	Set by the GDC and varies by year. Typically, around £5,000 total for registration, Part 1 and Part 2.	Set each year by RCS England. Typically, around £900 for Part 1,  £1,575 for Part 2, and £1,525 for Part 3.
Acceptance	Accepted for GDC registration	Accepted for GDC registration

Steps to Register with the GDC After Studying Dentistry Abroad

If you’ve completed your dental degree outside the UK, how you join the GDC register depends on whether you graduated from an EEA/Swiss or a non-EEA country. Here’s what you can expect.

Step 1: Submit Your Qualification to the GDC

Both EEA/Swiss and non-EEA graduates must provide details of their dental degree so the GDC can assess whether it meets the learning outcomes required for UK dentists.

• EEA/Swiss graduates: some degrees may be accepted for direct registration depending on the university, curriculum, and graduation year.
• Non-EEA graduates: most will proceed to the exam route unless the GDC confirms their qualification is equivalent.

Step 2: Complete Checks on Identity, English Language, and Fitness to Practise

All applicants, regardless whether they are EEA/Swiss or non-EEA graduates must provide:

• Proof of identity
• English language evidence
• Health and character declarations

Step 3: Take an Exam (if required)

If the GDC determines that your qualification does not meet the criteria for direct registration, you will need to sit ORE or LDS. Passing either exam enables you to move forward with GDC registration.

Step 4: Apply to Join the GDC Register

Once your qualification is accepted you can submit your final application, pay the registration fee, and join the GDC dental register.

Congratulations, now you are legally allowed to work as a dentist in the UK.

European Countries with UK-aligned Dental Programmes

Before Brexit, dental qualifications from several EU and EEA countries were automatically accepted in the UK under Directive 2005/36/EC (now they are semi-automatically recognised). This includes countries such as Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

This list helps students understand which education systems are historically aligned with UK standards. 

Honourable mentions for increasingly popular destinations to study dentistry abroad are Georgia, Serbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Not sure if your chosen university meets all GDC requirements?

Our advisors can verify this and guide you toward UK-compatible programmes. Book a free consultation with Medlink Students.

Top European Universities with Dentistry Programmes That Align with GDC Standards

Many European programmes have strong clinical training, solid academic foundations, and a great track record of graduates successfully registering in the UK.

Here are some of the top European universities with the most well-established dentistry programmes in English:

1. European University Tbilisi, Georgia
2. Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Slovakia
3. University of Novi Sad, Serbia
4. Medical University of Lodz, Poland
5. Riga Stradins University (RSU), Latvia 
6. Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LMSU), Lithuania
7. Caucasus International University, Georgia
8. Pecs University, Hungary 
9. Masaryk University, the Czech Republic 
10. Saint Camillus International University of Health, Italy
11. Alte University, Georgia 
12. Semmelweis University of Medicine, Hungary
13. Charles University, Czech Republic
14. Medical University of Silesia, Poland
15. The Catholic University of Murcia Cartagena Campus, Spain
16. Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
17. Universidad Europea in Spain

How Medlink Students Helps You Start Off on the Right Track

Medlink Students offers the Student Success Programme (SSP) to help students by:

• Recommending universities with strong track records for GDC UK registration
• Preparing your long-term pathway back to the UK before you even start studying
• Providing on-ground support to help you get settled in when you start studying

Our advisors make sure you choose a degree that keeps your UK career options open.

FAQ: GDC Registration, Studying Dentistry in Europe & UK Recognition