Eligible candidates hold a qualification from a HCPC-approved education programme
Before you begin your application through the UK route, please make sure you're eligible to apply.
You'll need to give details of your qualification in your application. Before you apply, we recommend checking whether you hold a qualification from one of the HCPC's UK approved education programmes or a qualification from a historically approved programme.
If you hold a qualification from a historical programme, see our guidance on Section 3 - Education and training for how to show this.
Approved programmes and providers
When to apply
As part of the application process, your education provider will be asked to confirm your qualification. For this reason, we recommend that you only apply when you have officially received the qualification.
We aim to process complete applications within 10 working days. However, this timeframe can be affected by the level of demand we are experiencing. This is because we consider applications on a case-by-case basis.
If you have received your qualification and intend to begin practising in a professional role, we recommend that you leave at least 10 working days between the date you apply and the date you intend to begin.
Meeting the updated standards of proficiency
This year, the standards of proficiency have been updated. The updates are in effect from 1 September 2023, and these apply to all individuals on the HCPC Register.
If you began a UK approved programme before 1 September 2023, your education or training will have been delivered in line with the previous set of standards. Graduates in this position are eligible to apply for registration using the UK route.
It is each registrant’s responsibility to ensure that they meet the updated standards of proficiency as far as they relate to their scope of practice. This means that, if you join the Register from 1 September 2023 onwards, you will need to begin meeting the updated standards of proficiency as soon as you join.
