LegalizeThe Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations Order of Council 2026
Made: 23rd February 2026
Coming into force: 1st April 2026
At the Council Chamber, Whitehall, the 23rd day of February 2026By the Lords of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council
The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has made the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (“the Regulations”), which are set out in the Schedule to this Order, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 11 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966[^f00001] (“the Act”).
By virtue of section 25(1) of the Act, the Regulations do not have effect unless approved by order of the Privy Council.
Their Lordships make this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 25(1) and (2) of the Act.
Citation and commencement
1
This Order may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations Order of Council 2026 and comes into force on 1st April 2026.
Approval
2
The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 set out in the Schedule are approved.
Revocation
3
The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations Order of Council 2025[^f00002] is revoked.
Schedule — The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, in exercise of its powers under section 11 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, makes the following Regulations.
1
- (1) The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) Regulations 2014[^f00003] are amended as follows.
- (2) In regulation 2(1)—
- (a) in the definition of “voluntary removal”, for “.” substitute “;”;
- (b) after the definition of “voluntary removal”, insert—
- “year of registration” means the period beginning with 1st April preceding the date of registration (or if registration takes place on 1st April, beginning with the date of registration) and ending with the following 31st March (or if registration takes place on 31st March, ending with the date of registration).
- (3) For regulation 10 substitute—
(10) Subject to regulation 11, a person applying for registration in the temporary list of the register must pay the following— (a) for registration on or before 31st March 2027, the relevant fee specified in column A of Table 2; (b) for registration after 31st March 2027, the relevant fee specified in column B of Table 2.
- (4) In regulation 11, after “six months or less” insert “, in which case the registration fee for practice restricted to a period of six months or less is payable”.
- (5) For regulation 14 substitute—
(14) A temporary registrant must pay the following— (a) for retention in a retention fee year beginning on or before 31st March 2027, the retention fee specified in column A of Table 2 at the beginning of the retention fee year; (b) for retention in a retention fee year beginning after 31st March 2027, the retention fee specified in column B of Table 2 at the beginning of the retention fee year.
- (6) For regulation 15 substitute—
(15) All other registrants must— (a) for retention in the retention fee year beginning on 1st April 2026, pay the following retention fee at the beginning of the retention fee year— (i) if payment is received on or before 30th April 2026, the relevant fee specified in column A of Table 3, or (ii) if payment is received after 30th April 2026, the relevant fee specified in column B of Table 3; (b) for retention in a retention fee year beginning on or after 1st April 2027, pay the following retention fee at the beginning of the retention fee year— (i) if payment is received on or before 30th April of the retention fee year in question, the relevant fee specified in column C of Table 3, or (ii) if payment is received after 30th April of the retention fee year in question, the relevant fee specified in column D of Table 3.
- (7) In regulation 19—
- (a) in paragraph (2), for “column A of Table 3” substitute “column A of Table 3 (in the case of restoration in the retention fee year beginning on 1st April 2026) or column C of Table 3 (in the case of restoration in a retention fee year beginning on or after 1st April 2027)”;
- (b) in sub-paragraph (2)(b), after “1st October” insert “of the retention fee year in question”.
- (8) For regulation 20 substitute—
(20) A registrant in the general, Commonwealth or foreign list of the register or the supplemental veterinary register, who is removed by voluntary removal before 1st October in any year, shall be refunded 50% of the following— (a) in the case of voluntary removal in the year of registration beginning on 1st April 2026, the relevant registration fee set out in column A of Table 1; (b) in the case of voluntary removal in the retention fee year beginning on 1st April 2026, the relevant retention fee set out in column A of Table 3; (c) in the case of voluntary removal in a year of registration beginning on or after 1st April 2027, the relevant registration fee set out in column B of Table 1; (d) in the case of voluntary removal in a retention fee year beginning on or after 1st April 2027, the relevant retention fee set out in column C of Table 3.
- (9) For Part 4 (Fees payable) substitute—
| Column A | Column B | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of registrant | Fee payable for registration on or before 31st March 2027 (£) | Fee payable for registration after 31st March 2027 (£) |
| New graduates registered by 31st December following graduation | 214 | 221 |
| Other persons registered in the period beginning with 1st April in the year of registration and ending with 30th September in the year of registration | 431 | 443 |
| Other persons registered in the period beginning with 1st October in the year of registration and ending with 31st March in the year of registration | 214 | 221 |
| Type of fee | Column A | Column B |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fee payable for registration on or before 31st March 2027 or for retention in a retention fee year beginning on or before 31st March 2027 (£) | Fee payable for registration after 31st March 2027 or for retention in a retention fee year beginning after 31st March 2027 (£) | |
| Normal registration fee | 431 | 443 |
| Registration fee for practice restricted to a period of six months or less | 214 | 221 |
| Retention fee | 431 | 443 |
| Circumstances | Column A | Column B |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fee payable under regulation 15(a)(i) (£) | Fee payable under regulation 15(a)(ii) (£) | |
| Standard registrant | 431 | 468 |
| Overseas practising registrant | 214 | 251 |
| Non-practising registrant | 71 | 108 |
| Fee paid (£) | New circumstance | Extra sum payable if change takes place before 1st October of the retention fee year in question (£) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 71 or 108 | Practising, but not in the British Islands | 143 |
| 73 or 111 | Practising, but not in the British Islands | 147 |
| 71 or 108 | Practising in the British Islands | 359 |
| 73 or 111 | Practising in the British Islands | 370 |
| 214 or 251 | Practising in the British Islands | 216 |
| 221 or 259 | Practising in the British Islands | 223 |
| Fee paid (£) | New circumstance | Sum to be credited (£) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 431 or 468 | Non-practising registrant | 180 |
| 443 or 482 | Non-practising registrant | 186 |
| 431 or 468 | Overseas practising registrant | 108 |
| 443 or 482 | Overseas practising registrant | 111 |
| 214 or 251 | Non-practising registrant | 72 |
| 221 or 259 | Non-practising registrant | 74 |
| Type of restoration | Fee payable for restoration on or before 31st March 2027 (£) | Fee payable for restoration after 31st March 2027 (£) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Restoration under section 11(3) of the Act following removal for non-receipt of retention fee | 431 | 443 |
| Restoration in other circumstances | 133 | 137 |
Pursuant to a resolution of the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on 5th January 2026, the Common Seal of the said Royal College was affixed on the 8th January 2026 in the presence of—
Signed
Richard Tilbrook — Clerk of the Privy Council
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Order of Council)
Explanatory Note
This Order approves the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 made by the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (“RCVS”) under section 11 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (c. 36) on 8th January 2026. Those Regulations substitute a new Part 4 of the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) Regulations 2014 (“the 2014 Regulations”) (S.I. 2014/3493) and make related amendments to regulations 2, 10, 11, 14, 15, 19 and 20 of the 2014 Regulations.
The new Part 4 of the 2014 Regulations provides for two years of increases in the fees for registration and retention of names in the register of the RCVS. It provides for an increase of approximately 3% from 1st April 2026 and a further increase of approximately 3% from 1st April 2027. The amendments to regulations 2, 10, 11, 14, 15, 19 and 20 of the 2014 Regulations clarify those regulations and ensure their continued compatibility with the new two-year structure of Part 4.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.
Footnotes
[^f00001]: 1966 c. 36; section 11(7) was repealed by S.I. 2019/454.
[^f00002]: S.I. 2025/185.
[^f00003]: As approved by S.I. 2014/3493 and amended as approved by S.I. 2025/185.
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