The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations Order of Council 2026
S.I. 2026/175 · Made 23 February 2026
VETERINARY SURGEONS
Made 23rd February 2026
Coming into force 1st April 2026
At the Council Chamber, Whitehall, the 23rd day of February 2026
By 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 1966f1 (“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.
Annotations to the whole text
Footnotes
- f1
-
1966 c. 36; section 11(7) was repealed by S.I. 2019/454.
Contents
- 1Citation and commencement
- 2Approval
- 3Revocation
- Signature
- Schedule The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
- 1Regulation 1
- Explanatory note
1Citation and commencement
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.
2Approval
The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 set out in the Schedule are approved.
3Revocation
The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations Order of Council 2025f1 is revoked.
Signature
Richard Tilbrook
Clerk of the Privy Council
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.
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—
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance on 19th February 2026
L.S.
Tim Parkin
Member of Council
Linda Ford
Member of Council
Clare Paget
Officer of the College
1
The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) Regulations 2014f1 are amended as follows.
In regulation 2(1)—
in the definition of “voluntary removal”, for “.” substitute “;”;
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).”.
For regulation 10 substitute—
“10Subject 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.”.
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”.
For regulation 14 substitute—
“14A 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.”.
For regulation 15 substitute—
“15All 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.”.
In regulation 19—
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)”;
in sub-paragraph (2)(b), after “1st October” insert “of the retention fee year in question”.
For regulation 20 substitute—
“20A 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.”.
For Part 4 (Fees payable) substitute—
“Part 4
Fees payable
Table 1
Registration fees payable under regulation 9
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 Table 2
Fees for temporary registrants payable under regulations 10, 11 and 14
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 Table 3
Retention fees payable under regulation 15
Circumstances Column A Column B Column C Column D Fee payable under regulation 15(a)(i) (£) Fee payable under regulation 15(a)(ii) (£) Fee payable under regulation 15(b)(i) (£) Fee payable under regulation 15(b)(ii) (£) Standard registrant 431 468 443 482 Overseas practising registrant 214 251 221 259 Non-practising registrant 71 108 73 111 Table 4
Additional fees payable under regulations 16 and 17
Fee paid (£) New circumstance Extra sum payable if change takes place before 1st October of the retention fee year in question (£) Extra sum payable if change takes place on or after 1st October of the retention fee year in question (£) 71 or 108 Practising, but not in the British Islands 143 72 73 or 111 Practising, but not in the British Islands 147 74 71 or 108 Practising in the British Islands 359 180 73 or 111 Practising in the British Islands 370 186 214 or 251 Practising in the British Islands 216 108 221 or 259 Practising in the British Islands 223 111 Table 5
Credits payable under regulation 18
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 Table 6
Restoration fees payable under regulation 19
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 ”.
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Order of Council)
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.