General Dental Council agrees ARF levels for 2025

Annual Retention Fee (ARF) remains unchanged for 2025

The General Dental Council has today decided to keep the ARF at current levels for 2025.

The ARF for 2025 renewal will be:

• £621 for dentists
• £96 for dental care professionals.

Maintaining the ARF at the same level is possible due to a combination of sound financial management, reducing the level of the GDC’s reserves over the three-year plan, making use of legislative changes to amend Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) fees, and the continued growth in the size of the registers.  

As well as continuing to improve core processes and timeliness, the Council has also agreed to invest in activities that will further increase efficiency and effectiveness by improving online services and making better use of recorded data. These will, over time, improve the experience for dental professionals accessing online services, such as registration and renewal, and also the data that will help to increase transparency and build trust.

Tom Whiting, the GDC’s Chief Executive, said:

“Our priority is patient safety and public confidence in the dental team, and I believe that improving registrants’ experience of regulation is one way to ensure this. In the last five months I have met and listened to many dental professionals and stakeholders and their insight has been invaluable in helping me to understand the sector and the challenges faced.

“I see it as a good thing that, through improved planning and management, we are able to maintain the ARF at the same level and continue to invest to improve how we regulate over the next three years. Consulting on our Corporate Strategy for 2026 – 2028 next year will set the basis for the ARF in future.  

“Looking ahead, I’m really looking forward to doing even more to work with dental teams and organisations who care for the oral health of patients across the UK.”

Find out more about the ARF decision and plans for 2025.