Doctors invited to renew their registration with the Medical Council

The Medical Council has today opened the annual retention process for all doctors currently on the medical register.

Doctors practising medicine in Ireland are legally required to hold registration with the Council. The deadline to complete the Annual Retention Application Form (ARAF) is 30 June 2026.

The steps for doctors to renew their registration are:

• Complete the Annual Retention Application Form through the Doctors Portal on the Medical Council website.
• Pay the annual registration fee.
• Provide evidence of professional indemnity, where required.
• Submit ARAF and fees before 30 June 2026.

Professional indemnity is a legal requirement for doctors working in private practice in Ireland. Doctors must ensure their indemnity cover is in place and that evidence of it is submitted as part of the ARAF process. Practising without appropriate indemnity “puts both doctors and patients at risk”, stated the Medical Council.

Doctors who do not complete the process by the deadline will have their names removed from the Medical Council register and cannot legally continue to practise medicine in Ireland.

Ms Una O’Rourke, the Council’s Interim Head of Registration, encouraged doctors to renew their registration as soon as possible: “The annual retention process is straightforward, and every doctor on our register has already received direct communication with everything they need to complete it. The sooner doctors renew, the less risk there is of any disruption to their ability to work, so we’re asking everyone to complete the process as soon as possible.

“Our registration team is on hand to help with any questions. Doctors can reach them at support@mcirl.ie or on 01 498 3100.”

Dr Maria O’Kane, CEO, Medical Council, said: “Completing the ARAF each year isn’t just meeting a legal requirement – it’s also how we build an accurate picture of Ireland’s medical workforce. The information doctors provide feeds directly into workforce planning and helps us, and our stakeholders across the health system, to identify where the pressures are and where they’re likely to emerge.

“This year, I especially want to emphasise the importance of professional indemnity. Every doctor practising in Ireland must have appropriate indemnity cover in place, and evidence of that must be submitted as part of this process. It is not optional, and it is not a formality – it is a necessary protection for patients and for doctors themselves.”

“Accurate data and proper indemnity cover depend on every doctor completing this process. With this in mind, we’re asking every doctor to take the time to complete annual retention before the 30th of June deadline,” Dr O’Kane concluded.