The Annual Retention Fee (ARF) remains unchanged for 2025

The GDC’s Council has reviewed its plans for the next three years and made the decision to maintain the Annual Retention Fee (ARF) at the same level as in 2024. The ARF for 2025 will therefore be £621 for dentists and £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.   

Earlier this year, the GDC’s Council revised the GDC’s reserves policy, agreeing a new target of three months of reserves at the end of the three-year planning period compared to the previous target of four and a half months.   

Increasing ORE fees for the first time since 2015 and introducing an ORE application fee has contributed towards the ORE becoming cost neutral and ensuring that costs can be charged where they are incurred, rather than from existing registrants.  

Lord Toby Harris, Chair of the GDC, said: “I am very pleased that Council’s decision means that the ARF can continue unchanged next year, following the reduction which took effect last year. It follows years of developing a strong culture of operational planning and delivery along with sound financial rigour.  

“Council’s priority is public protection and ensuring that the GDC can deliver its strategic objectives as an effective regulator is essential to this. It is also important that we understand and respond to the needs of the dental sector, and looking to provide stability in the ARF is one way we can do that.”  

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.” 

See the annual retention fee page for more information on the ARF.