Changes to Financial Support for Overseas Registration Examinations

Following the General Dental Council’s (GDC) announcement on 6 May 2026 regarding changes to overseas registration application and examination fees, the BDA Benevolent Fund’s Trustees reviewed the impact of these changes at their Board meeting on 11 June 2026.

After careful consideration, the Trustees agreed to several changes to ensure that the charity’s limited funds remain sustainable and can continue to support dentists in financial hardship as effectively as possible.

Who is eligible for support?

The charity’s eligibility criteria remain unchanged.

Support for exam fees is available to internationally qualified dentists who have refugee status, humanitarian protection, or resettlement status through the Ukrainian or Afghan resettlement schemes, and who meet the charity’s financial eligibility criteria ( i.e. ‘hardship’).

Changes to Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) funding

With immediate effect, the BDA Benevolent Fund will no longer offer financial assistance towards ORE Part 1 fees.

The charity will instead focus its examination support on the License in Dental Surgery (LDS) route, which it will continue to support across all three examination stages. This reflects the charity’s desire to direct its limited resources towards the most sustainable route for supporting internationally qualified refugee dentists seeking registration in the UK. In reaching this decision, the Trustees also took into account the priority access arrangements available to eligible refugee dentists through the LDS route.

Transitional support for ORE Part 2

The charity recognises that some candidates have already committed to the ORE pathway. For this reason, support for ORE Part 2 fees will continue to be available to candidates who had already completed ORE Part 1 by 11 June 2026.

This transitional arrangement will be reviewed annually by the Trustees to ensure it remains sustainable and continues to meet the needs of applicants.

Applicants who had not completed ORE Part 1 by 11 June 2026 will not be eligible for ORE Part 2 (or ORE Part 1) funding.

LDS funding

The charity will continue to support eligible applicants undertaking LDS Parts 1, 2 and 3 in line with current arrangements. The charity’s long-term intention is to focus its examination support on the LDS pathway.

English Language Requirements

Please note that, as part of the Charity’s support criteria, applicants must provide evidence that they meet the General Dental Council’s English language requirements before commencing LDS Part 1.

While the Royal College of Surgeons of England requires evidence of English language proficiency at the point of entry to LDS Part 2, the BDA Benevolent Fund requires applicants to demonstrate that they have already met these standards before starting the examination process. This is intended to support applicants’ prospects of success throughout the LDS pathway and to ensure they are prepared for subsequent stages of the examination and registration process.

Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of their English language proficiency, such as a valid IELTS Academic test result or other evidence accepted by the General Dental Council.

Other support available

There are no changes to the support available for:

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is available up to £1000 per person (per lifetime)
Annual Retention Fees (ARF)
Professional indemnity costs are available up to three months

Examination resits

The charity’s existing policy regarding resits remains unchanged. Financial support for examination fees will continue to be limited to one award per examination stage per applicant.