What you need to upload and how to make sure it's correct
You'll be asked to upload a number of documents during your application. These must be certified copies of the original documents, with the exceptions below.
As long as the documents are certified correctly, we accept copies in PDF, JPG or PNG formats. The person certifying the documents must not be the applicant. See below for information on how to certify your documents correctly.
Wherever you see an ‘Add files’ button, please check the page to see whether you need to upload a certified document.
Documents you will be asked for
All applicants:
- Certified copy of a proof of identity document (see below)
- Certified copy of a proof of address document (see below)
Some applicants:
- Information to support your character and health declarations
- Certified copy of your qualification certificate
- Return to practice form
Proof of identity document
You'll need to provide a certified copy of one of the below documents. It must show your photographic ID and your full name, which must match the name on your application.
- Your current passport (photographic ID page)
- Your current full driving licence
- Your current national identification card
Proof of address document
You'll need to provide a certified copy of one of the below documents. It must show your full name and current address, which must match the name and address given on your application.
- A household utility bill, which is no more than six months old, for electricity, gas, water or a fixed telephone line (mobile telephone bills from outside of the UK are not accepted)
- A current full driving licence issued in the UK, another EEA State or Switzerland
- A bank, building society, credit card or mortgage statement which is no more than six months old
- A local government tax bill (such as council tax) valid for the current year
- A HM Revenue & Customs tax document, such as a tax assessment, statement of account or notice of coding which is no more than six months old (forms P45 and P60 are not accepted)
Certifying your documents
All uploads, with the exceptions above, must be certified copies of the original documents.
This means that they are photocopies or scans of the originals, which are signed by a person who can verify this (see below). All signatures must be dated within the last six months.
If your uploaded documents aren’t certified correctly, we’ll contact you to request replacements. This will extend the processing time of your application.
How to certify a document
- Take a photocopy of your original document, or scan and print it (this is to preserve and protect the original)
- Show the original document to the person who is certifying it (this cannot be the applicant)
- Ask the person certifying the document to write on the copy with the following:
The statement "I certify that this is a true copy of the original document seen by me"
Their signature and the date
Their name, professional title and their contact telephone number or email address - Scan the certified copy, so that you have a digital file (PDF, JPG or PNG)
- Upload this file to your application
The certification must be hand-written on the photocopy or printed copy of the original document.
The certification must not be written on a separate piece of paper and scanned alongside the original document.
This is because we need to be sure that the copy we see is genuine. To do this, we ask that the certifier views the original document, and then confirms that the photocopy or scan is a true copy of it.
Certification text
Certification is to ensure that the individual document provided is genuine and not forged. A certified document must show the hand-written certification text. This must be provided on each individual copy - we cannot accept batch certifications.
The certifier should hand-write the following on each individual copy of the document:
- The words “I certify that this is a true copy of the original document seen by me”
- The certifier's signature and the date
- The certifier's name, professional title and their contact telephone number or email address
Who can certify my documents?
The person certifying your documents must be a person of standing in the community with an appropriate relationship to you.
Person of standing:
Most individuals who hold positions of professional responsibility are considered a person of standing. Examples include:
- Registered health and care professionals
- Professionals such as lawyers, solicitors, accountants and notaries
- Teachers and lecturers
- Bank managers, investment managers, stockbrokers
- Officers in the British Armed Forces
- Justices of the Peace, consular officers or other judicial officials
- Religious officials such as ministers of the Church of England, rabbis, imams and others
- Members of Parliament
We accept certification from services such as the Post Office. If you are unsure whether we will accept your certification, please contact us.
Appropriate relationship:
The person of standing must not be:
- related to you;
- living at the same address as you;
- in a relationship with you; or
- your patient or employee.
As long as they meet all of the other requirements for someone certifying documents, the person certifying your documents may be your employer.
Issues uploading documents
If your document doesn’t upload correctly or displays in a different section, this may signify that you’ve already submitted a UK application for registration using a paper form. You’ll need to contact our Registration team to let them know which of these applications you wish to continue and which should be withdrawn.
You can do this by emailing registration@hcpc-uk.org with your application numbers if you have them.
