How do occupational therapists trained abroad register with the HCPC?
Checked against the regulator’s own pages, October 2026
Occupational therapists trained outside the UK apply through the HCPC international route. Occupational therapist is a protected title, so you must be on the HCPC Register to use it. You apply online, map your training and experience to the standards of proficiency, show English at the HCPC’s level and pay the £678.38 scrutiny fee.
Who this is for
Occupational therapists who qualified outside the UK.
What the official guidance says
- Occupational therapist is a protected title. To use it you must be registered with the HCPC.
- The international route is for people who trained and qualified outside the UK and have not been on the HCPC Register before.
- The HCPC needs certified copies of your documents, certified by a person of standing in the community, and a certified official English translation of anything not in English.
- For English, the HCPC accepts IELTS at 7.0 with no element below 6.5, or OET in Occupational therapy at 1400 with no element below 300, among other options. Tests must be taken at an official test centre, not at home.
- Your experience account must be your own words: the HCPC says you must not use AI or content from other sources, and grammar-checking tools count as AI.
- The scrutiny fee is £678.38, one-off and non-refundable; the registration fee for international applicants is £370.02 if you are accepted.
What it does not mean
- Using an AI tool to polish your experience account is not allowed. The HCPC checks submissions for plagiarism and AI.
- A home-based online English test does not count for the HCPC.
- HCPC registration does not include a visa or a job.
What to do next
- 01Ask your university for the certified course information form.
- 02Get your documents certified and translated where needed, in a machine-readable format.
- 03Write your experience account and standards mapping yourself.
- 04Book IELTS or OET Occupational therapy at a test centre, unless your qualification is from an exempt country.
Questions
Which OET do occupational therapists take for the HCPC?
The HCPC’s English page lists OET Occupational therapy, at 1400 with no element below 300.
Does Migo also cover Australia for OTs?
Yes. Mobility also plans the Australian route through the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia and Ahpra, where you lodge the application yourself with the answers Migo prepared.
Is Migo part of the HCPC?
No. Migo is an independent service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the HCPC, and it does not give legal or immigration advice.
Official sources
- HCPC: The professions we regulate
- HCPC: International applications, eligibility
- HCPC: Documents
- HCPC: Certificate of English language proficiency
- HCPC: Professional experience
- HCPC: Paying your scrutiny fee
- HCPC: Registration fee
Checked October 2026. Regulators change their rules, fees and scores, so confirm them on the official page before you act.
The visa side
Registration and the visa are separate. Migo’s visa guides cover the routes for this country, from the official government pages.
Let Migo prepare the paperwork with you
Migo AI Mobility matches your training to the right HCPC protected title, asks for your qualification, registration and identity documents, checks them and maps them to the HCPC international application, then prepares the application details for you to review. Nothing is submitted or paid without your approval. The professional experience account stays yours to write: the HCPC says it must be in your own words.
Your plan is free. You approve every paid step.
Related guides
Migo is independent: it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the regulator named on this page. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice.