Students preparing to take the Dental Council of Hong Kong Licensing Examination (HKDLE), please take note: according to the official website of the Dental Council of Hong Kong, the application period for Part I Written Examination of the 2026 Second Sitting is from 2 July 2026 to 22 July 2026. The written examination is tentatively scheduled for 15 October 2026.
For Part II Practical Examination and Part III Clinical Examination, the application period shown on the official website is from 21 August 2026 to 10 September 2026, and the examinations are tentatively scheduled to take place from 14 December 2026 to 18 December 2026. Please refer to the latest announcements on the DCHK official website for the most up-to-date arrangements.
- Confirm Which Application Form You Should Use
According to the DCHK official website, different categories of applicants must use different application forms:
Part I new applicants should use Form 1;
Part I former candidates / re-sit candidates should use Form 2;
Part II / Part III former candidates or re-sit candidates should use Form 3.
The application forms and candidate guides are issued for each specific examination sitting. Applicants should always download the latest version for the relevant sitting from the official website and should not use outdated forms.
- What Documents Are Required for Application?
According to the Dental Council of Hong Kong, applicants are required to prepare the following documents:
- Copy of Identity Card or Passport
A copy of the applicant’s identity card or passport is required.
- Record of Dental Course of Study
Applicants are required to submit the original or a copy of their record of dental course of study, namely a transcript showing the dental courses taken in each year of study.
- Copy of Dental Graduation Certificate
This refers to proof of completion of the basic dental qualification.
- Certificate of Good Character During Dental Training
Note: This applies to applicants who have never been registered to practise dentistry in any jurisdiction. In simple terms, if you are a current student, a fresh graduate, or have not yet been registered to practise after graduation, you will generally need your dental school to issue a certificate confirming your good character during dental training.
- Proof of Current Dental Practising Qualification
Note: This applies to applicants who are currently registered dentists. The document must be issued by the relevant dental authority and should prove that the applicant currently holds a dental practising qualification.
- Certificate of Good Standing
Note: This applies to applicants who are currently registered dentists, or who are not currently registered dentists but were previously registered with another dental council or dental board. The certificate must be issued by each dental authority with which the applicant has ever been registered. Any certificate issued more than three months ago will be regarded as invalid.
Applicants should pay special attention to the following: if documents are submitted by post, the relevant copies must be certified by a notary public. Copies certified by solicitors, Justices of the Peace, or other persons will not be accepted.
However, if applicants submit the application in person to the DCHK Secretariat, they may bring the original documents together with photocopies, and the Secretariat can verify the photocopies on site. Therefore, submitting the application in person is generally more convenient than posting the documents and may reduce the need for notarisation.
- Most Important: How Should the Certificate of Good Standing Be Prepared?
This is one of the most important parts of the application. Applicants must prepare the correct document according to their own circumstances.
- Current Students, Fresh Graduates, or Applicants Who Have Never Been Registered / Practised
If you have never been registered to practise dentistry with any dental council or dental board in any jurisdiction, DCHK requires you to submit the original certificate of good character issued by the dean of your dental faculty or an authorised person. This certificate is used to confirm your good character during dental training.
In simple terms:
Current students / fresh graduates who have not yet been registered to practise → should request a certificate of good character from their dental school.
- Applicants Who Are Currently Registered / Practising, or Who Were Previously Registered
If you are currently a registered dentist, or if you have previously been registered as a dentist in any jurisdiction, DCHK requires you to submit a Certificate of Good Standing issued by every dental council, dental board, or registration authority with which you have ever been registered. Any certificate issued more than three months ago will be regarded as invalid.
For applicants who are already registered to practise in Mainland China, the relevant authority is usually the health commission or health authority of the place where the applicant is registered to practise, rather than the hospital, clinic, or employer. The DCHK form also clearly states that certificates issued by employers, dental clinics, or dental hospitals will not be accepted.
This year, applicants should pay particular attention to a new requirement: the Certificate of Good Standing must be submitted institution-to-institution. Applicants cannot obtain the certificate themselves and then submit it to DCHK. According to the official information, the relevant dental council or dental board must send the certificate directly to the Dental Council of Hong Kong by post or by email.
In other words:
Applicants with a practising or registration record → should contact the health commission or relevant registration authority at the place of registration to issue the Certificate of Good Standing, and arrange for the authority to send it directly to DCHK.
- We Recommend Submitting the Application in Person in Hong Kong Where Possible
For this application period, we recommend that applicants submit their application documents in person where possible.
According to DCHK, photocopies of all supporting documents must either be certified by a notary public or verified by the Council Secretariat. If you choose to submit the application in person, you can bring the original documents and photocopies directly to the Secretariat for verification on site. This means that many photocopies may not need to be notarised in advance.
By contrast, if you choose to submit the documents by post, the Secretariat cannot verify the originals on site. In that case, copies of supporting documents generally need to be notarised in advance, and the certification must be done by a notary public. This may take more time and may also increase the risk of application issues if the document format does not meet the official requirements.
Therefore, if circumstances allow, we recommend that applicants submit their documents in person to the DCHK Secretariat. Another advantage of in-person submission is that if there are obvious missing documents or format issues, they may be identified earlier, helping applicants avoid discovering incomplete documents only after posting them.
- Simplified Application Process
Step 1: Visit the DCHK official website and download the relevant application form and candidate guide for the examination.
Step 2: Confirm whether you are a new applicant, a former candidate / re-sit candidate, and which part of the examination you are applying for.
Step 3: Prepare the required documents, including identity documents, transcript, graduation certificate, certificate of good character / certificate of good standing, and other supporting documents.
Step 4: Complete the application form and declaration.
Step 5: Submit the application in person in Hong Kong or send it by registered post to the DCHK Secretariat within the application period.
Step 6: Wait for eligibility assessment. After your eligibility has been confirmed, DCHK will notify you of the payment arrangements. According to the official website, the fee for each part of the Licensing Examination is HKD 10,650.
Final Reminder
DCHK is very strict in reviewing application documents, especially the Certificate of Good Standing, notarised documents, translation documents, and submission deadlines. Applicants should not wait until the last few days to start preparing. In particular, those who need certificates issued by a health authority or dental school should contact the relevant institution as early as possible.
Applications are now open. Please prepare all required documents as soon as possible and submit your application early to avoid missing this application cycle and having to wait another six months.
We wish everyone a smooth application process and successful exam preparation.