Fees

Last updated: 23 July 2025

• About this guidance
• Fees
• Refunds
• How to pay
• Claiming back tax
• Receipts
• Can someone else pay my fees?
• Circumstances where voluntary removal from the register is not permitted
• Further information

About this guidance

This guidance provides further information on the fees we charge applicant who wish to join the register and social workers.

Fees

Initial registration fees

If your application to join the Social Work England register is successful, we’ll let you know through your online account that a registration fee is required.

When you first join our register, or when you first rejoin the register after being removed, your registration fee will be calculated based on the length of time remaining before the end of the current registration period as shown in the table below. Each registration period runs annually from 1 December to 30 November.

You must pay this fee in full within 10 working days of our first request for payment. Payment methods are shown below under ‘how to pay’. If you do not pay your fee within 10 working days, we’ll close your application. You will then need to make a new application and pay an additional registration fee to join the register if you wish to practise as a social worker.

Initial registration fee for 2024 to 2025 (current rate)

• 1 June 2025 to 31 August 2025, you will pay £45.00
• 1 September 2025 to 30 November 2025, you will pay £22.50

For more information about initial registration fees see:

• The Social Workers Regulations 2018 reg 17(1)(a)
• The Social Work England (Fees) Rules 2019 rule 4(1), rule 9(3) and rule 9(6)
• The Social Work England (Registration) Rules 2019 rule 55

If you wish to stay on our register, you must renew your registration annually. To do this, you’ll need to pay a non-refundable registration renewal fee when you submit your application for renewal. We do not offer any discounts.

The registration renewal free for 2025 to 2026 is £120.

This will increase incrementally each year until 2029. Table 1 below outlines how much the registration renewal fee will be each year.

Each year, the registration renewal period runs from the 1 September to 30 November. If you do not renew your registration in this time, you’ll be removed from the register.

You would then need to pay a restoration fee to rejoin the register. Information about restoration fees is provided below.

You can choose to pay your annual renewal fee in full or by Direct Debit in 2 instalments. If you wish to pay in full, see ‘How to pay’.

If you wish to pay by Direct Debit, the payment dates will be:

• 1 October (to cover the period 1 December to 31 May)
• 1 April (to cover the period 1 June to 30 November)

Direct Debits can be set up through your online Social Work England account.

The first Direct Debit payment must be made within 10 working days of the request to pay. We recommend you set up your Direct Debit at least 10 working days before the first instalment is due. If you do not pay your renewal fee (or a part of it) your registration will be at risk.

Direct Debit amounts will automatically update each registration year. Table 1 outlines the registration renewal fee each year.

Table 1: Registration renewal fee

For more information about renewal fees see:

• The Social Workers Regulations 2018 reg 17(1)(c) and reg 13(2)
• The Social Work England (Fees) Rules 2019 rule 5(1), rule 8(2) and rule 9(2)
• The Social Work England (Registration) Rules 2019 rule 56

If you’re not a UK national and your social work qualification is from outside the UK, you’ll need to pay a scrutiny fee when you submit your application to join the Social Work England register.

If applying to join between 1 December 2024 and 30 November 2025 you will pay a non-refundable payment of £495. This non-refundable payment will increase to £670 from 1 December 2025. This will the increase incrementally each year. Table 3 below outlines how much the scrutiny fee will be each year.

This fee pays for the additional time and resources it takes to assess this type of application and your application cannot be processed without this payment. Please note that this fee does not mean that you are guaranteed to be accepted onto the register.

For payment methods, see ‘How to pay’.

If your application is successful, you’ll also need to pay a registration fee. Information about registration fees is provided above.

Table 3: Scrutiny fees

If you apply to join the register and your first application is closed, you can resubmit a new application and you will be required to pay a further scrutiny fee as outlined above.

You can request a fee waiver which will be considered by the head of registration and advice. To be considered you are required to provide the following information:

• Your request must be in writing and submitted with your subsequent application. This will need to include why information was not provided in your initial application or by the 28 calendar day deadline.
• Your subsequent application should include all required documents as per the overseas guidance together with documents requested in your closure letter.
• You are resubmitting an application within 12 months of the closure of your first application.

We will only consider 1 fee waiver per applicant.

For more information about scrutiny fees see:

• The Social Workers Regulations 2018 reg 17(1)(a)
• The Social Work England (Fees) Rules 2019 rule 4(3) and rule 8(1)

The easiest way to make any of the above payments is through your online Social Work England account, which uses GOV.UK Pay. If you are unable to use GOV.UK Pay, please contact us.

Once you are registered you can choose to set up a Direct Debit mandate to pay to renew your registration in two equal payments each year. You can set up a Direct Debit mandate through your Social Work England account.

Direct Debits must be set up at least 5 days before the next payment is due. If you set up a new Direct Debit less than 5 days before the next payment is due, you will need to pay by card.

Our Direct Debits are handled by GoCardless. GoCardless is an ISO certified secure payment solution, authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Visit GoCardless's website for more information.

If you are unable to pay through your online account, or by Direct Debit, it is really important that you contact us before the payment is due, we will then work with you to explore whether we can help you make payment via an alternative method. We are unable to take payment over the phone.

Claiming tax back

If you’re a UK taxpayer, you may be able to claim back tax on your annual registration fee.

For further details about claiming tax relief on your registration fees, including making backdated claims, see this section of the HMRC website.

Receipts

If you make payment by direct debit or by card we will email you confirmation of payment. It is really important that you keep this as evidence of payment. You should also be able to use this as evidence for claiming tax back or being reimbursed if someone else wishes to pay your registration fee.

Can someone else pay my fees?

This is a matter for discussion between you and the other person. Some employers wish to pay for the registration of their staff. If someone else wishes to pay for your fees this can be done in a number of ways. They can give you their card details to make a card payment, they can authorise you to set up a Direct Debit mandate to their bank account or you can pay and ask to be reimbursed. We do not accept purchase orders.

Circumstances where social workers are held the register

There are certain circumstances where you will be held on the register, these are if you are:

• subject to ongoing fitness to practise proceedings
• in the process of appealing a decision made by Social Work England, either to Social Work England directly or to the County Court or High Court

See The Social Workers Regulations 2018, reg 14(1)(c)(i) and (ii) for more information.

You will continue to incur fees, and you will receive the standard reminder notifications.

We realise that you may find this a difficult time. You are recommended to continue to pay your registration fees. If you have some fees that are outstanding once your circumstances have been resolved, you should contact the registration and advice team as soon as possible and we will advise you how to make a payment.

For more information on removal from the register see:

• The Social Workers Regulations 2018, reg 13(1)(c) and (e)
• The Social Workers Regulations 2018, reg 14(1)(a) and (c)(i)
• The Social Workers Regulations 2018, reg 34
• Social Work England's voluntary removal guidance if you wish to apply for voluntary removal while subject to fitness to practise proceedings

Further information

For more information about fees please contact us.