Status as of 14 October 2026. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) has notified the Registration of Allied and Healthcare Professionals Regulations, 2026. Regulation 3(1) says a person "shall be entitled to practice any recognised profession as an allied and healthcare professional after obtaining registration in the manner specified in these regulations." Registration is with a State Council, or with the Central Register where a State Council has not been established (regulation 3(2), proviso (a)). Each registered professional gets a UID number (regulation 4(5)), and registration is valid for five years (regulation 9(1)). If your clinic works with an optometrist, physiotherapist, lab technologist, radiology technologist or dietitian, this is their registration, not yours.
This guide sets out what the regulations say, in their own words, so you can point your staff to the right place. It is a general guide, not legal advice.
What was notified, and when
- The notification. NCAHP notification No. Z-1011/16/2025/NCAHP(AHS), dated 31 August 2026, made "with the previous approval of the Central Government".
- The Gazette. It appears in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, Section 4, No. 550 (Gazette ID CG-DL-E-15092026-276186). The masthead carries the date 9 September 2026, and the copy was digitally signed on 15 September 2026. The Ministry of Health's press release of 7 October 2026 says the regulations were "published in the Gazette of India on 15th September 2026".
- Start date. Regulation 1(2): "They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette."
- Where to read it. NCAHP lists it on its Regulations page, uploaded 15.09.2026.
Who it covers
The regulations cover "recognised" allied and healthcare professions under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021. Schedule I lists the recognised qualifications in ten categories. The NCAHP home page names them:
- Medical Laboratory and Life Sciences
- Trauma, Burn Care and Surgical/Anesthesia related technology
- Physiotherapy Professional
- Nutrition Science Professional
- Ophthalmic Sciences Professional
- Occupational Therapy Professional
- Community Care, Behavioural Health Sciences and other Professionals
- Medical Radiology, Imaging and Therapeutic Technology Professional
- Medical Technologists and Physician Associate
- Health Information Management and Health Informatic Professional
Doctors, nurses and pharmacists are not among these ten categories.
How registration works under the text
| Step | What the regulation says | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | A recognised primary qualification listed in Schedule I, from a recognised institution; the exit examination (until NCAHP specifies one, the institution's final examination counts); and "is residing in the State where he or she intends to register" | Reg. 4(1)(a) to (c) |
| Form and fee | Application in FORM R-1 (Schedule II) to the State Council, "along with the fee as may be prescribed by the State Government" | Reg. 4(2) |
| Decision time | The State Council may accept or reject "within thirty working days from the date of receipt" | Reg. 4(3) |
| Verification | The State Council will "verify all annexed documents, recognised qualification and other details with originals" and issue a certificate of registration with a UID number | Reg. 4(4) |
| UID format | Country code, state abbreviation, professional category number, year of registration and a unique number. Example in the text: "IND-GU-08-2025-XXXXXXXXX along with QR code" | Reg. 4(5) |
| One state at a time | "An allied and healthcare professional can apply for registration with one State Council at a time." | Reg. 4(6) |
| Central Register | Each State Council forwards the month's registrations to NCAHP "on the last working day of every month" | Reg. 6(1) |
| Online only | Applications come "through an online portal, which is available on the official website of the Commission", and "All payments … shall be made online through the said portal." | Reg. 25(1), 25(2) |
Where there is no working State Council. Regulation 12(1) lets a professional living in that State or Union territory apply to NCAHP directly, "along with registration fee of rupees two thousand", for entry in the Central Register.
On 14 October 2026, NCAHP's State Councils page shows "Not Notified" in both columns for Chandigarh, Delhi, Ladakh and Lakshadweep. It also marks several States with "#", which it explains as "The State Council has been constituted with deviation to the provisions of the NCAHP Act, 2021." Ask your staff to check their own State on that page before they apply.
Fees written into the regulations
These are the fixed amounts in the text. State Council fees are set by each State Government, so they are not listed here.
| Item | Amount | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Central Register registration (no functional State Council) | Rs 2,000 | Reg. 12(1) |
| Appeal to NCAHP against a State Council rejection (processing fee) | Rs 5,000 | Reg. 5(4)(d) |
| Additional qualification entry in the Central Register | Rs 1,000 | Reg. 7(1) |
| Renewal with the Central Register (processing fee) | Rs 1,000 | Reg. 14(1) |
| Duplicate certificate from NCAHP | Rs 2,000 | Reg. 15(1) |
| Interim registration for students | No fee | Reg. 17(1), proviso |
Renewal every five years, with CPD hours
- Validity. "Valid for a period of five years" (Reg. 9(1)).
- CPD hours. At least fifteen hours a year and seventy-five hours over the five years, through "conferences, workshops, seminars, training programmes and faculty development programmes, out of which the online mode shall not be over fifty per cent" (Reg. 9(2)(a)).
- When to apply. "Six months before the expiration of the validity of registration" (Reg. 9(3)).
- If nobody renews. The entry is shown as "inactive" (Reg. 9(3), proviso), and "No allied and healthcare professional shall be entitled to practice allied and healthcare profession during the period of 'inactive' status" (Reg. 9(4)).
Practising in more than one State
A registered professional who wants to practise in another State tells the State Council they are registered with, using FORM R-2 (Reg. 4(7)). Once a professional is on the Central Register, Regulation 6(3) says they "shall not be restricted to practicing in only that State under whose State Register they have been registered, provided that such professional has complied with the intimation procedure".
Staff who are already working but lack a recognised qualification
Regulation 3(2), proviso (b), covers anyone offering services in a recognised category "on or before the commencement of the Act" without the recognised qualification: they "shall be required to obtain provisional registration". Regulation 26 says such a person "shall be allowed to register under provisional registration regulations upon fulfilling the required compliance as per relevant regulations issued under section 38 of the Act."
According to the Ministry's 7 October press release, NCAHP "is undertaking efforts to introduce provisional registration" and a bridge course. On 14 October 2026 we could not find provisional registration regulations on NCAHP's Regulations page, which lists only two regulations. Until those are notified, nobody can confirm the steps for this group.
Students and interns at your clinic
Regulation 17(1) says no student of a recognised institution "shall be allowed to undertake any internship, training, observership or practical training required for the fulfilment of such recognised allied and healthcare qualification, without having obtained an interim registration". The institution starts the process with the State Council (Reg. 17(2)), and there is no fee (Reg. 17(1), proviso). Regulation 17(1)(b) says such training "shall be undertaken only from the practicing facility to which the recognised institution in which the applicant is enrolled is attached". If a college asks to place its students with you, ask the college how it handles this.
What the public register will show
Regulation 24 puts the Central and State Registers on the websites of NCAHP and the State Councils. Schedule III lists the fields shown, including registration number, name, primary and additional qualifications, "Name of place of work/practice", "Period of valid registration", UID number, "States of practice" and "Status (Active / Inactive)". Once these registers are online, you can look up a staff member's status yourself.
The enrolment portal is not the same as registration
NCAHP's site links an "Enrolment portal for Professionals" at ahpr.abdm.gov.in. On 14 October 2026 that portal says: "Please note that this is data collection. IT IS NOT REGISTRATION." It also says "No charges/Fees" for enrolment. The same page still says "The regulations for registration is under process", although the regulations were notified in September. Treat enrolment on that portal and registration under the 2026 regulations as two separate things unless NCAHP says otherwise.
Allied professionals can also sit on ABDM's Healthcare Professionals Registry, which is separate again. Our HPR registration guide explains HPR and how it differs from council registration.
A short checklist for a small clinic
- List the allied staff who work with you and each person's qualification.
- Ask each of them to check their State on NCAHP's State Councils page.
- Ask them to keep their certificates ready. Regulation 4(4) says the State Council verifies documents "with originals".
- Keep a note of each person's UID number and renewal date once issued, alongside your other clinic records. Our clinic digitisation checklist can help if you are moving clinic records off paper.
- Recheck NCAHP's site before you rely on any portal link. The Regulations page is the official list.
If you keep those notes in Medabha's clinic management software, they sit with the rest of the clinic's records. The software does not register anyone with NCAHP and does not file the State Council application.
Sources
- Registration of Allied and Healthcare Professionals Regulations, 2026, Gazette of India Extraordinary, Part III, Section 4, No. 550, CG-DL-E-15092026-276186. NCAHP copy.
- NCAHP Regulations page.
- NCAHP home page (ten categories).
- NCAHP State Councils page.
- AHP enrolment portal.
- PIB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 7 October 2026, Release ID 2320314.
This article is a general guide, not legal advice. It summarises official text as of 14 October 2026. Check the current position with NCAHP or your State Council before acting.
Frequently asked questions
When did the NCAHP registration regulations come into force?
Regulation 1(2) says on the date of publication in the Official Gazette. The Gazette copy's masthead is dated 9 September 2026 and was digitally signed on 15 September 2026, and the Ministry's press release gives 15 September 2026 as the publication date.
What does an NCAHP UID number look like?
Regulation 4(5) gives the example IND-GU-08-2025-XXXXXXXXX along with a QR code: country code, state abbreviation, professional category number, year of registration and a unique number.
How often does allied registration need renewal?
Every five years (Reg. 9(1)). The renewal application is due six months before expiry (Reg. 9(3)), with at least 75 CPD hours over the five years, no more than half of them online (Reg. 9(2)(a)).
What is the fee to register with the Central Register?
Rs 2,000 under Regulation 12(1), for professionals in a State or Union territory without a functional State Council. State Council fees are set by each State Government (Reg. 4(2)).
Can an allied professional registered in one State work in another?
Regulation 4(7) asks them to tell their State Council in FORM R-2. Regulation 6(3) says a professional on the Central Register is not restricted to one State, provided that such professional has complied with the intimation procedure.
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This article is general information about clinic software and documentation workflows, not medical, legal or regulatory advice. Check current requirements with the relevant authority before making compliance decisions.