How to check a dietitian or nutritionist is registered (UK & Ireland)

The right register depends on the title someone uses and where they practise. If you’re not sure, ask them: a registered professional can tell you straight away which register they’re on and what their number is.

• Dietitian (sometimes spelled “dietician”) in the UK: the HCPC register. Registration is a legal requirement.
• Dietitian in Ireland: the CORU register. Registration is a legal requirement.
• Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) or Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr), in the UK or Ireland: the Association for Nutrition’s UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN). Registration is voluntary.

For what each title means, see our guide to the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist.

Dietitians in the UK: the HCPC register

1. Go to the HCPC’s Check the Register (opens in a new tab) page.
2. Choose “Dietitian” from the list of professions.
3. Enter the person’s surname or HCPC registration number, then search.
4. Check the result: their name, registration status, registration number and the approximate area where they work. Select their name to see their current registration period.

A status of “Registered” means they’re on the register with no restrictions, cautions or conditions of practice. If any of those apply, the entry says so and links to more detail.

Dietitians in Ireland: the CORU register

1. Go to CORU’s Check the Register (opens in a new tab) page, which opens CORU’s online register.
2. Look the person up by name or CORU registration number, and make sure the result is for the profession of dietitian.
3. Check the entry. CORU’s register shows each registrant’s registration number, full name, registration renewal date and the county or postcode where they practise, along with any fitness to practise details or conditions.

Registered Nutritionists: the AfN register (UKVRN)

1. Go to the Association for Nutrition’s Search the Register (opens in a new tab) page.
2. Enter the person’s surname (and first name or initial, if you like) or their registration number. You can leave the other fields blank.
3. Check their registration number, registration status and category: Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) or Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr).
4. Look for an asterisk next to their name. It means a sanction has been applied to their registration after an investigation, and the register links to the details.

Some registrants choose not to have their details shown publicly. If someone says they’re registered but you can’t find them, the AfN can confirm their status if you contact its office.

Whichever register you use, check that:

• The name matches. People sometimes practise under a different name from the one they’re registered under, so if it doesn’t match, ask.
• The profession or title matches what they call themselves: dietitian on the HCPC or CORU register, RNutr or ANutr on the AfN register.
• The registration number matches the one they gave you or show on their website.
• The registration is current. On the HCPC register that means a status of “Registered”. On the others, look for a current status or a registration date that hasn’t passed.
• You’ve seen any conditions, cautions or sanctions. If there are any, read what they say before you decide.

None of these proves someone is acting in bad faith, but each is a good reason to ask questions before you book.

• They call themselves a dietitian, but you can’t find them on the HCPC or CORU register. In both countries, using the title without being registered can be a criminal offence.
• They say they’re “registered” but won’t say which register, or give you a number you can’t find.
• They use a title that isn’t a registration, such as “certified nutritionist”, “nutrition coach”, “diet expert” or “nutrition consultant”. Anyone can use these, whatever their training.
• They present a course certificate or membership of a professional association as if it were registration. The British Dietetic Association points out that membership isn’t the same as being registered, and it has challenged an online course offering a “Certified Dietitian Practitioner” qualification. Only registration makes someone a dietitian.
• The register entry doesn’t match what they’ve told you: a different name, number or profession, or a registration that has lapsed.

• Ask them first. They may be registered under a different name or, on the AfN register, have chosen not to show their details publicly.
• Contact the register. The HCPC’s registration team and the AfN’s office can help you confirm someone’s status.
• Report misuse of “dietitian”. If someone is calling themselves a dietitian without being registered, you can report it to the HCPC in the UK (see its guidance on misuse of title (opens in a new tab)) or to CORU’s enforcement team in Ireland (see CORU’s enforcement FAQs (opens in a new tab)). Both regulators investigate and can prosecute.
• Choose someone registered instead. Calling yourself a nutritionist without being registered isn’t against the law, but you don’t have to take the risk.

If you’ve had advice that worries you, speak to your GP before you change your diet or any treatment.

We only list Registered Dietitians on the HCPC or CORU register and Registered Nutritionists on the AfN’s UKVRN. Before a profile is published, a member of our team looks the practitioner up on the official register by hand and checks that their name, registration number and current status match what they’ve told us. If we can’t verify someone, their profile isn’t published.

Every profile shows which register the practitioner is on. You don’t have to take our word for it: you can repeat the check yourself using the steps above.