If you are a healthcare practitioner registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), maintaining your registration is a legal prerequisite for professional practice. Your Basic Life Support (BLS) certification plays a role in that renewal. The HPCSA has clarified exactly what kind of BLS training meets its requirements, and what does not.
This guide covers everything you need to know about HPCSA registration renewal, the BLS certification requirements that apply across all 12 Professional Boards, the CPD obligations that sit alongside them, and what happens if your registration lapses.
Registration with the HPCSA is governed by the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974. Under the Act, a certificate of registration is evidence of registration for a period of one year only. To continue practising legally, every registered practitioner must renew their registration annually by paying the applicable annual fee and maintaining ongoing compliance with CPD and other board-specific requirements.
Practising without a current HPCSA registration is unlawful. It also exposes both the practitioner and any employer or service user to significant professional and legal risk. For healthcare practitioners working in occupational health, emergency care, industrial environments, or any setting where their HPCSA registration is required as a condition of service, a lapsed registration can mean an immediate stop to practice.
HPCSA annual fees are payable on or before 1 April each year and are valid until 31 March of the following year. This means the renewal cycle runs from 1 April to 31 March, regardless of your profession or Professional Board.
It is the responsibility of every registered practitioner to ensure that their annual fee is paid by 1 April. Registered health practitioners who have not paid their annual fees by 1 April will be suspended from the register at any time from three months after the due date.
The HPCSA’s online portal is the primary and recommended channel for annual renewal. Here is the process:
Step 1: Access the HPCSA Practitioner Portal Visit the HPCSA Online Renewal and Payment Portal at practitioners.hpcsa.co.za. If you are renewing for the first time via the portal, you will need to create an account. Returning users log in with their existing credentials.
Step 2: Verify your details Confirm that your contact details, practice address, and registration information are current. Outdated contact information is a common reason practitioners miss their fee notices. While the HPCSA will issue notices to the details on record, you remain responsible for ensuring those details are accurate.
Step 3: View your fee notice and outstanding balance Your fee notice will reflect any outstanding balance due, which may be less than the gazetted annual fee if credits exist on your account. Check this carefully before paying.
Step 4: Make payment Payment must be made electronically. The HPCSA no longer accepts cash on its premises and no longer processes credit card authorisations directly. Electronic payment must be made using your register and 7-digit registration number as the payment reference (for example, MP1234567) to ensure correct allocation.
Step 5: Download your practising certificate You should be able to log in and view or print your current practising certificate within 48 hours after payment has been received by the HPCSA. Keep a copy accessible – it is the document you will need to produce as proof of current registration.
Step 6: Confirm your CPD compliance Annual fee payment alone is not sufficient. You must also maintain CPD compliance on an ongoing basis (see the CPD section below). Your CPD status can be checked via the HPCSA self-service portal.
This is where many practitioners, and their employers, need to pay close attention. The HPCSA regards the ability to perform basic life support as a common competency across all 12 Professional Boards. All professions registered under the ambit of the HPCSA are required to maintain their individual competency by attending a BLS course on a two-yearly basis.
This is not a requirement that applies only to emergency care practitioners or paramedics. It applies across the full spectrum of HPCSA-registered professions, from medical practitioners and physiotherapists to environmental health practitioners and radiographers.
This is one of the most important and most misunderstood aspects of BLS recertification for HPCSA purposes. The short answer is: online-only BLS training does not meet HPCSA requirements.
Post-COVID, there has been a rise in the availability of online CPD training courses, including the provision of BLS courses. The nature of online courses means that South African medical professionals have far easier access to international online courses than previously. However, these online courses are unable to deliver the practical, face-to-face component of BLS that was previously considered vital.
The HPCSA’s Medical and Dental Professions Board (MDB) deliberated on this matter and pronounced the following on 8 July 2025:
What this means in practice: if you have completed an online-only BLS course, whether through a South African or international provider, and it did not include a hands-on, face-to-face practical component, your BLS certification may not satisfy HPCSA requirements. Your Professional Board has been directed to evaluate BLS certificates against this standard.
A BLS course that meets HPCSA requirements must:
A hybrid model, where some theoretical content is delivered online but the practical component is completed in person, can be acceptable, provided the practical component is substantive and properly evidenced. A purely online course, regardless of how detailed, does not qualify.
Attending an accredited BLS recertification course also contributes towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points for the relevant cycle, provided the course is accredited for CPD purposes by an approved HPCSA accreditor. Confirm with your training provider that their BLS course is accredited for CPD points and that those points will be registered on your HPCSA profile.
BLS recertification sits within the broader framework of HPCSA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) obligations. Every registered practitioner is required to maintain CPD compliance on a continuous basis, not as a once-off renewal exercise.
Practitioners are required to accumulate 30 CPD points per year, of which at least 5 must relate to ethics, human rights, and medical law.
Key CPD rules to be aware of under the updated guidelines:
Points validity: All CEUs are now valid for 12 months from the date the activity took place, not 24 months as per previous guidelines. This is a significant change from earlier requirements. You can no longer rely on points accumulated in a previous year to carry you through.
Continuous compliance: There is no specific timeline by which compliance must be achieved; it is a continuous programme and practitioners must be compliant at all times. The HPCSA expects non-compliant practitioners to rectify their status immediately.
Certificate submission: Practitioners are no longer required to upload CPD certificates to the HPCSA, as accredited CPD providers now submit this information directly. However, if you have attended a course from an unaccredited provider or completed a Level 2 activity, you will need to upload evidence yourself.
CPD status check: Use the HPCSA self-service portal to check your current CPD compliance status and download a compliance letter if required.
Deferment: CPD deferment may be granted in exceptional circumstances (such as extended illness, maternity leave, or other valid reasons), but applications must be strongly motivated with appropriate documentation. Deferment will not be granted for less than 12 months and can be granted for a maximum of three years.
If your HPCSA registration expires, whether due to non-payment of annual fees or failure to maintain CPD compliance, the consequences are significant.
Non-payment or partial payment of annual fees will result in a registered person being suspended from the register and the need for restoration, which attracts penalty fees.
A suspended or lapsed registration means:
If your HPCSA registration has already lapsed, the process for restoration depends on the duration of the lapse and your specific Professional Board. Contact the HPCSA Client Care Centre directly on 012 338 9300/1 or via the online portal to establish what is required.
For completeness, the HPCSA registration requirements for first-time registrants vary by Professional Board and registration category. The general requirements across most boards include:
Students enrolled in a prescribed qualification are required to register with the HPCSA during their training. Requirements vary, always confirm the specific requirements for your Professional Board via the HPCSA website or portal before submitting an application.
Absolute Health Services offers accredited BLS training that meets HPCSA requirements, delivered by HPCSA-registered paramedics and qualified emergency care practitioners, with both the theoretical and practical components that the HPCSA’s Medical and Dental Professions Board has confirmed are necessary for a compliant BLS course.
Our BLS and life support training is relevant to:
Our accredited courses contribute CPD points towards your HPCSA compliance cycle, and our training is delivered in a format that includes hands-on practical skills assessment, not just theory. We can accommodate individual practitioners, small groups, and corporate teams, both at our training facilities and on-site at your workplace.
Contact Absolute Health Services to find out more about our accredited BLS recertification courses and how we can support your HPCSA compliance requirements.
How do I renew my HPCSA registration? Log in to the HPCSA Practitioner Portal at practitioners.hpcsa.co.za, verify your details, view your fee notice, and make payment electronically before 1 April each year. Your practising certificate will be available for download within 48 hours of payment being received.
When must HPCSA annual fees be paid? Annual fees are due and payable on or before 1 April each year and are valid until 31 March of the following year. Practitioners who have not paid by 1 April are at risk of suspension from the register from three months after the due date.
What happens if my HPCSA registration has expired? A lapsed registration results in suspension from the register. Restoration is possible but attracts penalty fees in addition to outstanding annual fees. Contact the HPCSA Client Care Centre on 012 338 9300/1 to determine the specific requirements for your situation.
Does the BLS requirement apply to all HPCSA-registered practitioners? Yes. The HPCSA regards BLS as a common competency across all 12 Professional Boards. All registered practitioners must attend an accredited BLS course every two years to maintain their individual competency – this is not limited to emergency care practitioners or paramedics.
Can I complete my BLS recertification online? No, not if the course is entirely online. The HPCSA’s Medical and Dental Professions Board has confirmed that purely theoretical online BLS training is not acceptable. A compliant BLS course must include both a theoretical component and a hands-on practical component. A hybrid model with a substantive in-person practical element may be acceptable, but a fully online course is not.
How many CPD points do I need for HPCSA registration renewal? Most practitioners are required to accumulate 30 CPD points per year, of which at least 5 must relate to ethics, human rights, and medical law. Under updated HPCSA guidelines, CPD points are now valid for 12 months only from the date of the activity. Check your specific board’s requirements via the HPCSA portal.
Does attending a BLS course count towards my CPD points? Yes, provided the course is accredited for CPD purposes by an approved HPCSA accreditor. Confirm with your training provider that the course carries CPD points and that those points will be submitted to the HPCSA on your behalf.
What is the difference between BLS, ILS, and ALS in the context of HPCSA registration? BLS (Basic Life Support), ILS (Intermediate Life Support), and ALS (Advanced Life Support) represent different tiers of emergency care competency in South Africa. For HPCSA registration renewal purposes, the mandatory recertification requirement is BLS, every two years, for all registered practitioners. ILS and ALS are qualification-level designations relevant to emergency care practitioners seeking registration at higher scope-of-practice levels.
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