Applicants with non-UK pharmacy technician qualifications

If you have trained or been registered as a pharmacy technician in a country outside the United Kingdom (UK), please select the category your qualification belongs to.  

For further information, please contact international@pharmacyregulation.org

I qualified as a pharmacy technician in an EU country

I qualified as a pharmacy technician in an EEA EFTA country (Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway)

I am a pharmacy technician with Swiss nationality

I qualified as a pharmacy technician elsewhere (outside EU, EEA EFTA, and I do not have Swiss nationality)  


I qualified as a pharmacy technician in an EU country

If you want to register as a pharmacy technician in Great Britain, you must:

  • achieve the integrated, or linked, knowledge and competence UK qualification(s). See our list of approved courses and qualifications for pharmacy technicians.

  • complete a minimum of two years’ work-based experience in the UK or meet alternative work-experience requirements.

  • apply to register with us as a pharmacy technician within five calendar years of starting on a recognised course, or within two years of completing the last recognised course, whichever is sooner. (In special circumstances, we will consider later applications if there are legitimate and documented reasons).  


I qualified as a pharmacy technician in an EEA-EFTA country (Iceland, Lichtenstein, or Norway)

We will review your qualification, ID and supporting documents. 

If we think that your qualification may not be comparable to a UK pharmacy technician qualification, we may require you to complete reasonable and proportionate next steps.

For example, you may be required to complete a self-assessment to demonstrate where you have met the equivalent of UK learning outcomes, in your education and training.

Having reviewed your self-assessment, we may determine that you would need to complete an adaptation period such as workplace training, and/or pass an aptitude test (exam), before we can recognise your pharmacy technician qualification. 

Further information, please contact international@pharmacyregulation.org 


I am a pharmacy technician with Swiss nationality

The UK and Switzerland are party to the Citizens’ Rights Agreement, which allows Swiss nationals to apply for registration with the GPhC and for the applicant and any dependents or spouses, with acquired rights in Switzerland, to live in the UK.

The Citizen's Right Agreement ends on 31 December 2024.

If you are a Swiss national, and want to apply to join the GPhC register as a pharmacy technician, please email international@pharmacyregulation.org  


I qualified as a pharmacy technician elsewhere (outside EU, EEA EFTA, and I do not have Swiss nationality)

If you want to register as a pharmacy technician in Great Britain, you must:

  • achieve the integrated, or linked, knowledge and competence UK qualification(s). See our list of approved courses and qualifications for pharmacy technicians.

  • complete a minimum of two years’ work-based experience in the UK or meet alternative work-experience requirements.

  • apply to register with us as a pharmacy technician within five calendar years of starting on a recognised course, or within two years of completing the last recognised course, whichever is sooner. (In special circumstances, we will consider later applications if there are legitimate and documented reasons).