How to register as a dentist in Ireland: step by step

The route at a glance

Read it from top to bottom. Gold boxes are questions. Each box links to the step that explains it.

Step by step

Do the steps in order. Each one says where to go, what to have ready, what to do there, and what comes back. If a word is new to you, see Words you’ll see.

1. Check which route you are on

   Read the Council’s “Dentists” page and find your group.

   • Register straight away (no exam): a dental graduate of a university in Ireland; a graduate covered by Ireland’s agreements with Canada (graduates after 5 December 2012) or New Zealand (graduates after 19 October 2022); an EU graduate with a listed degree and a certificate from their home authority confirming it meets EU minimum standards; or a dentist whose qualification was gained entirely in the UK before 31 December 2028.
   • Contact the Council first: an EU degree that is not automatically recognised; or a non-EU degree recognised in an EU country, plus 3 years’ practice there in the last 5. You may be assessed instead of sitting the exam.
   • Refugee or temporary protection status in Ireland: a separate route, with no exam.
   • Everyone else must pass the Dental Council Examination before applying to register. The Council says these dentists are “normally” required to pass it, so if one of the routes above might fit you, ask the Council first.

   Where

   The Dental Council of Ireland website (dentalcouncil.ie): its “Dentists” page, under Registration. You do not need an account.

   Do this

   1. Read the Dentists page and find the group that matches your degree.
   2. If you are in the “contact the Council first” group, or you are not sure, contact the Council’s registration department before anything else.
   3. If you need the exam, go to step 2.

   Fee

   None.

   Common mistake

   Applying for the exam when another route might fit you, for example assessment for a non-EU degree that is already recognised in an EU country. Ask the Council first.

   Official links

   Dentists: registration routes (Dental Council) · Refugee applicants (Dental Council)

2. Check you can sit the exam

   • Degree. Your training must be equal to “at least a five-year full-time course” at a university or similar. The Council assesses this.
   • Practice. You generally need three years in a row of lawful practice as a dentist within the last five years. The Council also says that people who graduated in the last three years must have practised continuously since graduating. If you have less than three years’ practice, confirm with the Council that you can apply before you do.
   • English. OET (Dentistry) grade B in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking, or IELTS Academic 7.0 in each of the four parts. The test must be from within the two years before the Council receives your application. You may not need a test if your whole dental degree was taught in English and you can prove it. At-home versions (OET@Home and IELTS Online) are not accepted for registration.

   Where

   The Council’s Examination Details and Language proficiency pages. For English, the OET or IELTS website, to book a test at a test centre.

   Have ready

   Degree, transcripts, work history, English test report.

   Do this

   1. Check that your dental course was at least five years full time.
   2. Count your practice: three years in a row, within the last five years. Collect proof of it for your application.
   3. Unless your whole dental degree was taught in English, book OET (Dentistry) or IELTS Academic at a test centre. The Council does not accept the at-home versions, OET@Home and IELTS Online, for registration.
   4. Time the test so it is less than two years old when the Council receives your application.

   Fee

   None to the Council. English tests are paid to the test provider.

   How long

   A few weeks if you already have the practice. If not, until you have it.

   Common mistake

   An IELTS average of 7. You need 7.0 in each of the four parts (or OET grade B in each).

   Official links

   Examination details (Dental Council) · Language proficiency (Dental Council) · Book a test (OET) · Booking your test (IELTS)

3. Get your documents ready before the window opens

   Collect and certify everything in the checklist. Get certified translations of anything not in English. Ask the regulator where you last practised for an original Certificate of Good Standing (a letter saying you are allowed to practise and have no problems on record). You pay the fee online on the Council’s website when you apply (step 4).

   Where

   The Council’s Examination Details page, where you download the exam application form (PDF or Word). Then your university, your dental regulator, a certifier and a translator.

   Do this

   1. Download the application form and fill it in, in block capitals. It asks for your education, your work since you graduated, every regulator you have been registered with, and whether you hold or have applied for temporary registration in Ireland.
   2. Attach a copy of your passport, then sign and date the form.
   3. Get two passport-sized photos and write your name and signature on the back of each.
   4. Get certified copies of your degree and transcripts, with certified translations if they are not in English. The Council does not say who may certify, so ask it if you are not sure.
   5. Ask the regulator where you last practised for an original Certificate of Good Standing.
   6. Add proof of your three years of practice and your original English certificate.

   Fee

   €1,500 for a first try; €750 for a repeat (as of 9 October 2026).

   How long

   Allow several weeks. The Council does not publish a time for this.

   Common mistake

   Sending a photocopy of your Certificate of Good Standing or English certificate. The Council asks for the originals.

   Official links

   Exam application form (PDF) · Exam application form (Word) · Fees and online payments (Dental Council)

4. Apply during the announced window

   You can only apply in the window the Council announces. It says the date is “typically” announced between November and December for the next year’s exam. Applications sent before that date are not considered. Incomplete ones are sent back.

   What happened in 2026: the window was the week of 12–16 January 2026. Applications went in by post, by courier or in person to the Dental Council, 57 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, D02 EH90. Places were given by random draw, as they were for the 2025 sitting. Before that, places went first come, first served. 80% of places went to people already living and established in Ireland (Group A) and 20% to people applying from outside Ireland (Group B). Group A applicants who were not picked in their own draw went into a second draw, alongside Group B, for the remaining 20%. Group A applicants who missed out in both draws get priority at the next sitting.

   As of 9 October 2026, the Council has not published the 2027 window or how 2027 places will be given. Watch its Examination Details page. The Council says it confirms application dates on its website and/or on social media.

   Where

   In 2026: by post, by courier or in person to the Dental Council, 57 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, D02 EH90. The fee is paid online on the Council’s website.

   Documents

   The full application pack. Group A applicants also show a PPS number (Ireland’s personal public service number) or immigration permission.

   Do this

   1. From November, check the Examination Details page (and the Council’s social media) for the window.
   2. When the window opens, pay the exam fee online on the Council’s website and print the receipt.
   3. Put the receipt with your complete application pack, and post it, courier it or hand it in during the window.
   4. Repeat candidates: apply in writing before the announced date, with an up-to-date good standing letter, an up-to-date work history and the repeat fee.

   Fee

   Paid online at the time you apply (amounts in step 3).

   You get

   If you are given a place, the Council offers it to you, and you must accept it quickly (step 5). The Council keeps a reserve list in case someone does not accept.

   Common mistake

   Sending your application before the announced date, or with something missing. Early applications are not considered, and incomplete ones are sent back.

   Official link

   Examination details (Dental Council)

5. Accept your place quickly

   If you are offered a place, accept it within 3 working days. Otherwise the place may go to someone else, and you must apply again in a later year. A missed offer does not count as a try. There are no routine deferrals (moving your place to a later exam). Not turning up to an exam you were registered for counts as a failed try. You get no refund once you have confirmed you will attend.

   If you need a visa, you arrange it yourself. The Council can give you a letter confirming the purpose and dates of your visit. It also advises you to check with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment that you could get a work permit if you register. That Department says that to work in Ireland, a non-EEA national, unless exempt, must hold a valid employment permit.

   Where

   The offer comes from the Dental Council. It has not published how offers are sent, so keep the address and email on your form working.

   Do this

   1. Make sure the Council can reach you at the address and email on your form.
   2. Accept the place within 3 working days.
   3. If you need a visa, ask the Council for a letter confirming the purpose and dates of the exam, then arrange your visa.
   4. Check with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment whether you could get an employment permit to work as a dentist in Ireland.

   How long

   3 working days to accept.

   You get

   The Council confirms the exact exam dates to the candidates who have a place.

   Common mistake

   Being hard to reach when the offer comes. Three working days is short, and a missed offer means applying again in a later year.

   Official links

   Examination details (Dental Council) · Employment permits (Department of Enterprise)

6. Sit Part 1

   Part 1 is three written papers (Health, Disease and Society), “typically” with short-answer questions, plus a bench test: dental work on model heads. You must pass all three written papers at one sitting, and you must pass Part 1 before Part 2.

   Part 1 is “typically” held in March or April. In 2026 it was in Dublin, 25–28 March.

   The pass mark is set for each exam. The Council says it “should not be assumed to be 50%” and does not publish it.

   Where

   In person. In 2026 it was in Dublin. The Council confirms the exact dates to candidates who have a place.

   Tries

   Up to 2. On a repeat, you may not have to redo the component you passed before (the bench test or the written papers).

   Results

   Sent electronically as soon as they are ready. If you fail, you are usually given your scripts.

   Next

   If you pass, go on to Part 2 (step 7). If not, apply in writing before the next announced date to repeat (see step 4).

   Common mistake

   Passing only some of the three written papers. All three must be passed at the same sitting.

   Official link

   Examination details (Dental Council)

7. Sit Part 2

   Part 2 has three components, and you must pass each one on its own:

   • written papers in Restorative Dentistry; Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine; and Child Dental Health;
   • an OSCE: a circuit of short stations, each testing a clinical skill;
   • clinical vivas: spoken exams with pairs of examiners.

   Part 2 is “typically” held in June or July. In 2026 it was in Cork, 15–18 June.

   Where

   In person. In 2026 it was in Cork.

   Tries

   Up to 3. A repeat means sitting all of Part 2 again, even components you passed before.

   Fee

   Repeat fee €750 (as of 9 October 2026).

   Results

   Sent electronically as soon as they are ready. If you fail, you are usually given your scripts.

   Next

   When you have passed every component of Part 2, apply to register (step 8).

   Official link

   Examination details (Dental Council)

8. Apply to register

   Passing the exam gives you the right to apply for the Register of Dentists in Ireland only, not in other EU countries. Registration is a separate application with its own fee. Use the Register of Dentists form and checklist. The Council has no separate checklist for people who passed the exam, so ask its registration department to confirm what to send.

   Registration needs its own proof of English: an OET or IELTS certificate no more than two years old when you apply to register, unless your dental degree was taught in English. If you repeated a part, the test you used for the exam may have run out by then. You also need original letters of good standing from every regulator you have been registered with, each less than three months old.

   Do not book patients until you are registered.

   Where

   The Council’s “Dentists” page, which links the Register of Dentists application form and checklist. You pay online on the Council’s website.

   Documents

   See the checklist.

   Do this

   1. Download the application form and the checklist. Fill in the form completely, in English, and sign and date it when you send it.
   2. Add a clear photocopy of your passport (photo and signature showing) and of your degree certificate (dean’s signature and university stamp showing).
   3. Get an original letter of good standing from every regulator you list in the form’s registration history. Photocopies are not accepted.
   4. Add your English evidence, and notarised translations of anything not in English.
   5. Pay online: under “Application fees”, choose “Dentist Application Fee”. Print the receipt and attach it.
   6. Send the complete application to the Council. If you are not sure how to send it, ask its registration department.

   Fee

   €400 registration application fee (as of 9 October 2026).

   How long

   The Council recommends allowing three months.

   You get

   Your entry on the Register of Dentists. After that, pay the yearly retention fee (step 9).

   Common mistake

   An English test or good standing letter that has run out. The test must be no more than two years old when you apply to register, and each letter must still be in date (under three months old) when you send it.

   Official links

   Dentists (Dental Council) · Registration checklist (PDF) · Register of Dentists application form (PDF)

9. Stay registered

   Pay the annual retention fee by 31 January each year. The registration year runs from 1 February to 31 January.

   Where

   Online, on the Council’s website. Payments go through Payzone, an outside payment company the Council uses.

   Fee

   €450 for 2026. A €300 late fee applies if you have not paid within two months of the renewal date, and continued non-payment can lead to removal from the register (as of 9 October 2026).

   Official link

   Fees and online payments (Dental Council) · Dentists FAQ (PDF)

Words you’ll see

• Register of Dentists: the Dental Council’s official list of dentists who may practise in Ireland.
• Dental Council Examination: the Council’s two-part exam for dentists whose degree does not let them register straight away.
• Certified copy: a photocopy that someone authorised has checked against the original and signed as a true copy; the Council does not say who may certify, so ask it.
• Notarised translation: an exact translation attached to a copy of the original, stamped or sealed by the translator on every page, with the translator’s signed statement.
• Certificate (or letter) of Good Standing: a letter from a dental regulator saying you are allowed to practise and have no problems on record.
• Conformity letter: a letter from the authority in an EU country confirming that an EU dental degree meets EU Directive 2005/36/EC; only EU graduates need it.
• OET (Dentistry): the Occupational English Test in its version for dentists; the Council needs grade B in each of the four parts.
• IELTS Academic: an English test in four parts; the Council needs 7.0 in each part.
• PPS number: Ireland’s Personal Public Service number; in 2026 it was one way to show you already live in Ireland (Group A).
• GNIB permission: permission to remain in Ireland, through the Garda National Immigration Bureau; the other way to show Group A.
• Group A and Group B: in the 2026 draw, applicants already living and established in Ireland (A) and applicants from outside Ireland (B).
• Bench test: the Part 1 practical test of dental work on model heads (manikins).
• OSCE: a circuit of clinical and rest stations testing diagnosis, treatment planning and basic clinical skills.
• Clinical viva: a face-to-face spoken exam on clinical cases with a pair of examiners.
• Deferral: moving your exam place to a later year, which the Council does not offer routinely.
• Retention fee: the yearly fee you pay to stay on the register.
• Employment permit: permission from the Department of Enterprise for a non-EEA national to work in Ireland, unless they are exempt.

Documents checklist

Tick things off as you go. Nothing is saved: the ticks clear when you leave the page.

Applying to sit the exam

• Fully completed exam application form, in block capitals
• Fee paid online: €1,500 first time or €750 repeat, with the printed receipt
• Two passport-sized photos, with your name and signature on the back
• Copy of your passport
• Certified copy of your degree (and a certified translation if not in English)
• Certified copy of your transcripts (and a certified translation if not in English)
• Evidence of three years in a row of lawful practice within the last five years
• Original Certificate of Good Standing from where you last practised (and a certified translation if not in English)
• Original OET (Dentistry) or IELTS Academic certificate from the last two years, or proof your degree was taught entirely in English
• Group A only: proof of a PPS number or of immigration permission
• Repeat candidates: a written application before the announced date, an up-to-date good standing letter and work history, and the repeat fee

Registering (after passing, or on a direct route)

• Register of Dentists application form, in English, signed and dated
• Clear photocopy of your passport (each one, if you have more than one)
• Photocopy of your degree certificate, with the dean’s signature and university stamp showing
• EU graduates only: original conformity letter from your home authority (UK graduates instead send full academic transcripts)
• English language evidence
• Original letters of good standing from every regulator you have been registered with, in date (they expire after 3 months)
• Notarised translations, with the originals, of anything not in English
• Proof of any name change
• €400 fee paid online, receipt printed and attached

Fees

All fees as of 9 October 2026, in euro. Payment is online. Always check the official page before you pay.

There is no exam refund once you have confirmed you will attend.

Questions people ask