Registration for osteopaths with a qualification gained outside of the UK

If you wish to register with the General Osteopathic Council and you qualified outside of the UK, the GOsC must ensure that your qualification is equivalent to UK qualifications. The assessment process used will depend on your nationality and the type of services you wish to provide.

There are three different categories of applicants with qualifications gained from outside of the UK. These are:

1. European Union* (EU) / European Economic Area** (EEA) or Swiss nationals wishing to establish a practice in the UK
2. EU/EEA or Swiss nationals wishing to provide temporary or occasional services in the UK
3. Applicants from countries outside of the EU/EEA and Switzerland

*The European Union includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (including Corsica, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy (including Sardinia), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Canaries and Balearics), Sweden and United Kingdom

**The European Economic Area includes the EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Please note that the spouse of an EU/EEA or Swiss national may have the same conferred rights to work in the UK.

1) EU/EEA or Swiss nationals wishing to establish a practice in the UK

If you intend to move to the UK and set up your main osteopathic practice here you will be considered as applying for establishment. In this case, the process may take up to four months to complete once the following information has been submitted:

1. Proof of nationality – a certified photocopy of the back page of your passport.
2. Proof of qualification – a certified copy of your osteopathic qualification, together with confirmation of the validating body.
3. A certified copy of your academic transcript which outlines the results you achieved for each module studied.
4. A course guideline/handbook which outlines the modules studied.
5. For those osteopaths applying from Finland, France, Iceland, Malta, Spain (Catalonia region only) and Switzerland - evidence that you are registered with the regulatory body in that country – you should ask your regulatory body to provide a Certificate of Current Professional Status or equivalent. The certificate confirms that you are registered with the appropriate regulatory body, provides confirmation of your training standards and reports all relevant disciplinary actions that may have been taken against you. Please click on the appropriate country to be linked to the website of the regulatory organisation.
6. For those osteopaths applying from any other EU or EEA country not mentioned in point 5 – evidence that you have practiced as an osteopath for at least 2 years in the last 10 years.
7. A completed Registration Application form – please contact the Registration Department to request a form.

All non-English documents must be accompanied by translations into English. A translation can be carried out by an official translation agency, a language department of a university or the British Embassy or High Commission. All translations should be printed on official headed paper and bear the name and signature of the translator.

A 'certified copy' of a document can be obtained from the organisation that issued the document, an Embassy or High Commission. The copy should carry an official stamp, signature and the position of the individual who is attesting to the authenticity of the document.

Your qualification will be assessed and if it meets the standards required in the UK, then you may apply directly for registration, subject to payment of registration fee and providing proof of indemnity insurance.

If your qualification falls below the standard required by the GOsC you will need to provide further evidence of your level of practice. This may involve the submission of written information and/or the completion of a practical assessment (please see the information on Assessment of Clinical Performance below.

2) EU/EEA or Swiss nationals wishing to provide temporary or occasional services in the UK

You may wish to have your main practice in one Member State of the EU/EEA or Switzerland and provide temporary or occasional services in the UK. Examples of temporary or occasional services include:

• a temporary contract at a UK osteopathic clinic
• the delivery of treatment to a specific patient in the UK
• the delivery of osteopathic technique lectures at a UK educational institution

The establishment of a full-time practice in the UK would not be regarded as temporary or occasional services unless there are extenuating circumstances. If you wish to apply for temporary registration the process may take up to three months once the following information has been submitted:

1. Proof of nationality – a certified photocopy of the back page of your passport
2. Proof of qualification – a certified copy of your osteopathic qualification, together with confirmation of the validating body
3. A certified copy of your academic transcript which outlines the results you achieved for each module studied.
4. A course guideline/handbook which outlines the modules studied.
5. For those osteopaths applying from Finland, France, Iceland, Malta, Spain (Catalonia region only) and Switzerland – evidence that you are registered with the regulatory body in that country – you should ask your regulatory body to provide a Certificate of Current Professional Status or equivalent. The certificate confirms that you are registered with the appropriate regulatory body, provides confirmation of your training standards and reports all relevant disciplinary actions that may have been taken against you. Please click on the appropriate country to be linked to the website of the regulatory organisation.
6. For those osteopaths applying from any other EU or EEA country not mentioned in point 5 – evidence that you have practised as an osteopath for at least 2 years in the last 10 years.
7. Proof of indemnity insurance – minimum level of indemnity cover to practise in the UK is set at £2.5 million.

All non-English documents must be accompanied by translations into English. A translation can be carried out by an official translation agency, a language department of a university or the British Embassy or High Commission. All translations should be printed on official headed paper and bear the name and signature of the translator.

A 'certified copy' of a document can be obtained from the organisation that issued the document, an Embassy or High Commission. The copy should carry an official stamp, signature and position of the individual who is attesting to the authenticity of the document.

Your qualification will be assessed and if it meets the standards required in the UK you may apply directly for registration, subject to providing proof of indemnity insurance.

If your qualification falls below the standard required by the GOsC you will need to provide further evidence of your level of practice. This may involve the submission of written information and/or the completion of a practical assessment (please see information on Assessment of Clinical Performance below)

3) Applicants from countries outside of the EU/EEA and Switzerland

In order for the GOsC to assess your application you will need to submit the following information:

1. Proof of nationality – a certified photocopy of the back page of your passport.
2. Proof of qualification – a certified copy of your osteopathic qualification, together with confirmation of the validating body.
3. A certified copy of your academic transcript which outlines the results you achieved for each module studied.
4. A course guideline/handbook which outlines the modules studied.
5. Evidence that you are registered with the regulatory body in your country of origin (if applicable).
6. Evidence of your ability to communicate in English. This is waived for applicants from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America, whose first language is English.
7. A completed Registration Application form – please contact the Registration Department to request a form.
8. A portfolio of evidence from your practice – please contact the Development Department for information about the portfolio of evidence.

All non–English documents must be accompanied by translations into English. A translation can be carried out by an official translation agency, a language department of a university or the British Embassy or High Commission. All translations should be printed on official headed paper and bear the name and signature of the translator.

A 'certified copy' of a document can be obtained from the organisation which issued the document, an Embassy or High Commission. The copy should carry an official stamp, signature and position of the individual who is attesting to the authenticity of the document.

Once nationality and qualification have been established, the portfolio will be assessed. This is subject to a fee of £100 which must be paid in advance. On successful assessment of the portfolio, you will be asked to sit a practical assessment of your skills (please see information on Assessment of Clinical Performance below). If you successfully complete the ACP, then you may apply for registration, subject to providing proof of indemnity insurance. The process will take a minimum of four months.

This is a practical clinic–based exercise, used to assess the clinical performance of an osteopath. You will be asked to manage and treat two new patients as you would in practice. The assessments are held in the UK at the clinic of an osteopathic training institution in London and your approach will be monitored by trained GOsC assessors. After you have taken a case history and performed an examination of the patient, the assessors will have the opportunity to question your differential diagnosis and treatment plan, before you are asked to treat the patient. The ACP is subject to a fee of £330 in most cases. If it is necessary for you to take an ACP, then further details will be provided at the time.

ACPs are held 4–6 times a year and allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please contact the GOsC for further information on current ACP dates.

To practise osteopathy in the UK, you must be adequately covered by Professional Indemnity Insurance, to ensure that patients are protected should anything go wrong during treatment. The Osteopaths Act 1993 states that an osteopath must be insured for a minimum of £2.5 million.

Professional Indemnity Insurance does not have to be purchased in the UK – you may obtain a policy from any insurance provider, as long as it meets the minimum criteria outlined by the GOsC Professional Indemnity Insurance Rules 1998. Below is a list of UK insurance providers whose policies meet the requirements of the General Osteopathic Council:

• Balens Insurance Brokers
• Howdens Insurance Brokers
• Three Counties Insurance Brokers
• Towergate Medical Insurance Agency (MIA)

Information about Public Indemnity Insurance can also be obtained from the British Osteopathic Association.

If you are a practising healthcare professional registered with an appropriate regulatory body and your existing insurance meets the requirements above, you may not need to obtain separate cover for osteopathy. Please refer to your indemnity insurer for further advice.