Registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is a pre-requisite for professional practice, and it is also a legal requirement to keep all personal details up to date at all times.
You must pay an annual fee for this registration and failure to pay this fee could result in suspension from the register. If for some reason you are suspended from the register, you can redeem yourself by applying for restoration and paying the restoration fee.
Voluntary erasure from the register is possible if you do not intend to practice your profession in South Africa for a given period of time. Submit a written request before 31 March of the year for voluntary erasure.
There are six main registration categories (not all categories apply to all professions), namely:
- Student Registration
- Intern Registration
- Community Service
- Independent Practice (including Registrars who are training in a specific speciality)
Other categories for temporary or restricted registration include:
- Education
- Post Graduate
- Volunteer
The registration guidelines vary from one professional board to another. A detailed reference guide is available for the registration requirements for each of the 12 professional boards:
- Dental therapy and oral hygiene
- Dietetics and nutrition
- Emergency care
- Environmental health
- Medical and dental
- Medical technology
- Occupational therapy, medical orthotics / prosthetics and arts therapy
- Optometry and dispensing opticians
- Physiotherapy, podiatry and biokinetics
- Psychology
- Radiography and clinical technology
- Speech, language and hearing professions
Application forms and more information on each of the professions are available on the HPCSA website.
