Almost half of all student optometrists and DOs (2,340) have yet to renew their registration.
Those who miss the July 15 deadline will have to pay an additional £10 on top of the £20 fee. Those who fail to renew before August 31 will have to pay to be restored to the register and pay a £40 fee.
Dian Taylor, GOC registrar, said: 'GOC registration is not optional, and should not be taken lightly. Student registration is a legal requirement. Those who are not registered during their course may be excluded from clinical training and examinations.'
The GOC said it may not recognise the qualifications of applicants for full registration who were not registered for all or part of their training.
Any students who have not received their application form should contact the registration team on 020 7580 3898 or goc@optical.org