HPCSA compliance and CPD tracker
HPCSA registration: renewal, fees and your certificate
HPCSA registration is not a once-off event. You register once, and then keep the registration alive every year by paying your annual fee and staying CPD compliant.
This guide covers both halves: what first registration requires, and how renewal, fees and your certificate work after that.
3 October 2026 · 6 min read
What HPCSA registration is
The Health Professions Council of South Africa keeps the register of health professionals under the Health Professions Act. For psychology, the Professional Board for Psychology sets the categories: psychologists in their registration categories, registered counsellors and psychometrists.
Registration is what makes it lawful to practise and to use a professional title. Practising without it, or while suspended, is an offence, and medical schemes won’t pay claims from a practitioner who isn’t registered.
HPCSA registration requirements
The requirements depend on your category, but the pattern is the same: an accredited qualification, supervised training, and the board examination.
| Category | Qualification | Supervised training |
|---|---|---|
| Psychologist | An accredited master’s degree in your registration category | A 12-month accredited internship |
| Registered counsellor | An accredited BPsych or BPsych-equivalent degree | A supervised practicum |
| Psychometrist | An accredited qualification in psychometry or psychology | A supervised internship in psychometry |
After the board exam, you apply for registration in the independent practice category. Our guide to getting your HPCSA registration number walks through that application.
The HPCSA registration form and what goes with it
Each category has its own HPCSA registration form, available on the HPCSA website. The supporting documents are broadly the same:
- The completed application form for your category
- A certified copy of your ID or passport
- Proof of your accredited qualification
- Proof that you completed your internship or practicum
- Proof that you passed the board examination
- Proof of payment of the registration fee
Certified copies generally need to be recent. Check the form’s own instructions, because an out-of-date certification is a common reason for an application to be returned.
HPCSA registration fees
There are two kinds of fee. The registration fee is paid once, when you first register or move to a new category. The annual fee is paid every year to stay on the register.
The HPCSA sets both each year and publishes the amounts for every category on its website. They differ between psychologists, registered counsellors and psychometrists, so use the published fee schedule and not a figure from a colleague or an old article.
Why we don’t quote the amounts here
HPCSA fees change every year. A figure that was right when this guide was written would be wrong within months. The HPCSA’s published fee schedule is the only reliable source.
How to renew HPCSA registration
Renewal means paying your annual fee by the HPCSA’s due date. The HPCSA’s financial year starts on 1 April, and annual fees are payable around that date each year. The HPCSA confirms the exact date and amount in its yearly notice.
HPCSA registration online: the HPCSA’s self-service portal is where you view your account, pay the annual fee and update your details. The steps are:
- 1Log in to the HPCSA online self-service portal.
- 2Check that your contact details are current. Notices go to the address on file.
- 3Open your account and view the annual fee due.
- 4Pay, using your registration number as the reference.
- 5Keep the proof of payment.
- 6Confirm a few days later that the payment shows on your account.
Don’t let it lapse. A practitioner who doesn’t pay can be suspended and then erased from the register. Getting back on means a restoration application and a restoration fee that is higher than the annual fee, and you may not practise in the meantime.
Your HPCSA registration certificate
You receive a registration certificate when you first register. It shows your name, category and registration number. Each year, once your annual fee is paid, proof of current registration is available through the portal.
You will be asked for these more often than you expect:
- The BHF needs a certified copy of your certificate and proof that your annual fee is paid before it issues a practice number.
- Medical scheme administrators ask for it when you register with them.
- Indemnity insurers and employers ask for proof of current registration.
Keep a scan of each in one place. Your registration number also belongs on your invoices and on your practice website.
One list of dates
HPCSA fees are only one of several things that renew. The BHF renewal, your indemnity policy and your CPD points each run to their own date.
Write them down in one place, with a reminder a month ahead of each. The free CPD tracker below covers the CPD side. In Wholistic, every renewal date sits together with its certificate and proof of payment, and a reminder appears on your dashboard before each one is due.
Common questions
When are HPCSA annual fees due?
Annual fees are payable each year around the start of the HPCSA’s financial year on 1 April. The HPCSA confirms the exact due date and the amount for each category in its annual notice.
What happens if I pay late?
Late payment can lead to suspension and erasure from the register. Restoration requires an application and a higher fee, and you may not practise while you are off the register.
Is CPD part of renewing my registration?
CPD is a separate requirement, but both must be in order for you to remain in good standing. See our guide to the HPCSA CPD deadline.
Requirements, forms and fees are set by the HPCSA and change. Confirm every step and amount on the HPCSA website before you apply or pay.
Sources
In Wholistic
Get renewal and indemnity reminders automatically.
CPD points against your target, and renewal dates for HPCSA, BHF, indemnity and CIPC.
See compliance and CPD tracker