Subscription fees can be paid by direct debit, credit/debit card or cheque.

Direct Debit: Members can pay by annual direct debit, collected in February each year. We also offer direct debit over 10 equal monthly instalments from February to November inclusive.

To apply for this payment option, you must fill out the direct debit mandate form and return it to us by mail. Please specify on the form whether you would like the annual or monthly option:

For Registered Trainees, your payment year runs from 1 August. Please use this form:

• Credit card: all major credit cards are accepted, except American Express. Payment can be made online.
• Sterling cheque: cheques should be made payable to 'The Royal College of Pathologists'. Please write your membership number and full name on the back of your cheque to ensure the payment is correctly allocated to your record.

For security reasons, please do not send any financial or card information by email. Please post completed forms to the address on the form.

Please see our subscription webpage for the current College fees.

Membership fees are due in the January of each year. An invoice detailing the amount due will be sent out prior to the due date.

By setting up a direct debit payment to the College, you will no longer need to worry about remembering to pay at the right time. There will be no need to write out and post cheques, or provide your credit card details. You can find the form to set up your direct debit payment below:

Email receipts for membership fees (subscriptions), event bookings, exams and training fees can be obtained through our website.

To access these, please log into My RCPath and navigate to 'transaction history', where you will find a list of your payments to the College. By clicking ‘Email receipt’ on any of these payments, the receipt will be emailed to your main correspondence email address.  

You can claim a 20% reduction if you are a UK Fellow paying the full rate, and you are earning less than £55,000 per annum before tax (less than £58,000 from 2024).  If you believe that you would be eligible for this discount please download the form on this page and email it back to [email protected] or contact the Membership team for a form. Please note that new Fellows automatically receive the 20% discount for the first 5 payments so there is no need to apply.

If you are on maternity leave, or about to go on maternity leave and wish to claim a reduction on your subscription fee, please contact the Membership team with the following details: number of weeks you will receive full pay, half pay and SMP/No Pay. We will also need to know the exact dates you commence and finish maternity leave. We will adjust your fee accordingly and inform you via email. N.B. Trainees going on maternity leave should also inform our Training team so that your provisional CCT date can be amended accordingly.

You will receive an invoice detailing the amount due for membership, together with the options for payment. Subscriptions are payable upon receipt of the invoice.

No. If your fees remain overdue, College Council will remove you from the College Register under Ordinance Five, which states:

“The Council may determine that any member who is in arrears with any fee or subscription due from them for six months or more shall cease to be a member. Upon such determination being made, the member’s name shall be removed from the Register and they shall thereupon cease to be a member but shall nevertheless remain liable to pay to the College all fees or subscriptions due up to the date on which they cease to be a member”.

You will lose the right to use your designatory letters and to state that you are a member of the College. You will also lose the right to participate in College activities such as CPD, LEPT etc., or receive any communications from us. Prior to removal, those in arrears will lose access to certain benefits such as CPD, so it is important to pay your fees promptly.

If you are having difficulties paying your fees, please contact the Membership team as soon as possible. There is a possible hardship status if you are experiencing financial issues, applicable for Fellows based in the UK only. You will need to provide details to enable referral to the Chief Executive for consideration.

Yes, on ratification by College Council. Please email the Membership team who will send you an invoice of the amount payable. Once payment is received your name will be put forward at our next Council meeting for reinstatement of membership.

Yes. Please send in a copy of any formal documentation that confirms that you have changed your name.  We will then be able to update your records.

Yes. On retirement from remunerative practice, members can move to a 'Retired' membership and pay a substantially reduced subscription. Please email the Membership Department who will send you the relevant documents.

Please note that if you are required to continue with your CPD, your full fee will still be payable.

The easiest way to update your details is online, via MyRCPath. Please log in, navigate to 'My Account' in the drop down menu and update your details. Alternatively you can email the Membership Department with your amended details.

Yes. Please complete the replacement certificate request form below and return it to the Membership Department, along with your payment details.

Please note that we charge a fee of £50 for replacement certificates.

For security reasons, please do not send any financial or card information by email. Please post completed forms to the address on the form.

Yes, we can confirm that you are a member of the College. If applicable, we can also confirm that you are a participant in our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme.

Please note: we may need to seek your permission to release this information. If you have any outstanding fees payable to the College, this process will be delayed.

Your certificate will be presented to you at the New Fellows Ceremony, which takes place in February and September each year.

If you are not able to attend the ceremony, your fellowship certificate will be posted to you shortly afterwards. Please ensure that your initial fellowship fee has been paid and we hold your correct address details.

Following a recent survey of our UK members, it was found that post-nominals were valued by the membership and the College is keen to ensure that we listen to our members and respond to their needs where we can. Anyone who is eligible to take up Diplomateship of the College will be entitled to use DipRCPath after their name for as long as they remain a Diplomate of the College.

The following groups are eligible to become Diplomates of the College:

• Anyone who has passed the FRCPath Part 1 examination. This includes current Associates and those who have chosen not to become a member so far.
• Anyone who has passed the Certificate exams in Medical Genetics or the Combined Infection Certificate Examination (CICE).
• Biomedical Scientists who are current members of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), and have passed the Advanced Specialist Diploma in one of the following:
  • Specimen Dissection
  • Cervical Cytology
  • Non-Gynaecological Cytology
  • Ophthalmic Pathology
  • Histopathology Reporting - Dermatopathology
  • Histopathology Reporting - Gastrointestinal Tract
  • Histopathology Reporting - Gynaecological Pathology

Please note that Diplomateship will be automatically offered to any individual who passes one of the exams in the above three categories. Candidates who pass the FRCPath Part 1 or relevant Certificate examinations will receive notification of this with their pass letter from the College.

Please see our subscription webpage for the current College fees.

In addition to being able to use the DipRCPath post-nominals, Diplomates will receive the following benefits:

• Use of post-nominals (DipRCPath*)
• Access to CPD portfolio (subject to conditions**)
• Stand for College roles (excluding Council)
• Access to the Bulletin, published quarterly
• Discounts on College conferences and selected medical publications
• Access to RCPath research publishing gateway
• See more...

1. If you pass the FRCPath Part 1 session, you will automatically be offered Diplomateship.
2. If you have previously passed the FRCPath Part 1 or Certificate examinations (in Medical Genetics/Combined Infection) and are not currently a member of the College, please email [email protected] with your enquiry.  If you are eligible, you will be sent an RCPath consent form to complete and return along with payment following which Diplomateship will be confirmed. 
3. If you have passed an Advanced Specialist Diploma (ASD) from the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), you must submit the following to the College:
   • Letter/certificate confirming a pass in the relevant ASD examination
   • Evidence of current membership of the IBMS

Once the letter/certificate and evidence of current IBMS membership has been verified, you will be sent an RCPath consent form to complete and return along with payment.  Diplomateship will be confirmed upon ratification by Council.

The deadlines for submission of evidence for IBMS members is as follows:

• Friday 18 January for February Council
• Friday 12 April for May Council
• Friday 12 July for August Council
• Friday 18 October for November Council

All enquiries can be sent to [email protected]. If you are writing to the College, please contact the Membership Department at our address:

The Royal College of Pathologists
6 Alie Street
London
E1 8QT 

The College has a policy of only charging Registered Trainees one fee for the duration of their training. 

The full list of benefits for Diplomates is listed above.  There is information about the benefits of being a Registered Trainee here - please see `StR Guidance Notes ST2 onwards`.

If you choose to become a Diplomate, you will continue to be recognised as a Registered Trainee while you maintain Diplomateship status with the College and you will be able to use the post-nominal DipRCPath until you pass FRCPath and become a Fellow. Note that the benefits are similar for both so you may elect to remain a Registered Trainee until passing the Part 2, and become a Fellow, unless you specifically require CPD access (which comes with Diplomate membership) though most Trainees will continue to use the LEPT system for this.

No. Associate membership is no longer available to new members. If you are already an Associate, you can choose to remain as an Associate member for the time being.

Our Online Handbook is available for members only. You must log into MyRCPath to access it. The handbook is not available to Affiliates, Undergraduates and Candidates or members of the public.

Exclusive member content is hosted in the Members area of the College website, and requires a member login to access. If you don't yet have a login, you can register online via our user registration section.

If you have any difficulties with registration, please contact us at [email protected] and we will be able to assist you.