Veterinary Nurses
If you are a veterinary nurse and wish to register, please follow the appropriate link below:
- Registration for newly qualified veterinary nurses
- Registration for overseas qualified veterinary nurses
Veterinary Surgeons
If you are a veterinary surgeon, please read on...
Statutory framework for the RCVS registration of veterinary surgeons
NB Applicants must allow adequate time for their applications to be processed before intending to start work. In a straightforward case, this may take approximately six to eight weeks (view unavailable registration dates).
The entitlement to be registered as a member of the RCVS is determined by the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
Only those registered with us may practise veterinary surgery in the UK. They must have the requisite knowledge and skill to do so, and this must meet or exceed the minimum EU training requirements.
Qualifications are currently recognised from countries outlined in the table below.
Nationality is not a factor in determining eligibility to be registered except in relation to those with EU qualifications, who must be nationals of an EU member state or community rights-entitled persons.
Graduates of veterinary schools and colleges from a country that is not listed in the tables below, and non-EU nationals or those without a community rights entitlement and who hold EU degrees, are normally required to sit and pass the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership.
In exceptional circumstances, veterinary surgeons who are ineligible for registration in the UK, may be granted Restricted Registration in order that they can carry out specific veterinary-related activities in a restricted capacity.
Under restricted conditions, visiting veterinary surgeons from relevant EU Member States can make an application to register to provide services on a temporary and occasional basis in the UK without being a member of the RCVS.
The qualifications recognised for the purposes of eligibility to register with us are outlined below:
Foreign and Commonwealth qualifications
United Kingdom
Graduates from any of these six veterinary schools are eligible to register once their degree has been conferred.
Royal Veterinary College London
European Union
If you have one of the qualifications listed below and you are national of, or a community rights entitled person from, an EU Member State (including Switzerland) then you may be eligible to register under the Registration of EU Graduates Directive 2005/36/EC.
If you are neither an EU national, nor do you have community rights entitlement, you will be required to take the Statutory Examination for Membership.
See also Requirements for registration of EU/EAA nationals and community rights-entitled persons.
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Country |
Qualification |
Awarding Body |
Certificate accompanying qualification |
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Austria |
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University of Vienna |
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Belgium |
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University of Ghent |
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University of Liege |
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Bulgaria |
Diploma of Higher Education for Educational Qualification level of Masters, specialising in Veterinary Medicine with Professional Qualification in Veterinary Surgery |
1. University of Forestry Management – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine 2. Trakiski University – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine |
Either:
Or
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Czech Republic |
1) Diplom o ukonèení studia ve studijním programu veterinární lékaøství (doktor veterinární medicíny, MVDr) (diploma of doctor of veterinary medicine, abbreviation MVDr) 2) Diplom o ukonèení studia ve studijním programu veterinární hygiena a ekologie (doktor veterinární medicíny, MVDr) (Diploma of doctor of veterinary medicine, abbreviation MVDr) |
Veterinární fakulta univerzity v Èeské republice (Veterinary faculty of the university of the Czech Republic)
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Denmark |
Bevis for bestaet kandidatsamen i veterinaervidenskab |
Kongelige Veterinaer- og Landbohojskole (University of Copenhagen) |
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Estonia |
Diplom: täitnud veterinaarmeditsiini õppekava (Diploma in veterinary medicine) |
Eesti Põllumajandusülikool (Estonian Agricultural University)
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Certificate of Acquired Rights
In addition, you must have worked for five years out of the previous seven as a veterinary surgeon in Estonia |
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Finland |
Elainlaaketieteen lisensiaattin tutkinto/veterinarmedicine licentiatexamen |
Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet (University of Helsinki) |
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France |
Diplome d'Etat de docteur veterinaire |
Universities of:
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Hungary |
Állatorvos doktor diploma (DrMedVet) (Diploma of Veterinary Surgery) |
Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of Szent István, University, Budapest
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Either:
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Germany |
Zeugnis uber dan Ergebnis des Dritten Aschnitts der Tierarzlitchen Prufung und das Gesamtergebnis der Tierarztlichen Prufung |
Universities of:
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Greece |
PtucioKthniatrikhV(Ptikio Ktiniatrikis) |
Universities of
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Ireland |
Diploma of Bachelor in/or Veterinary Medicine (MVB) |
University of Dublin |
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Italy |
Diploma di laurea in medicina veterinaria |
Universities of:
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Diploma di abilitazione all'exercizio della medicina veterinaria |
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Latvia |
Veterinârârsta diploms (Diploma of Veterinary Surgeon) |
Latvijas Lauksaimniecîbas Universitâte (Latvian University of Agriculture)
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Either:
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Lithuania |
Aukštojo mokslo diplomas (veterinarijos gydytojo (DVM))Diploma of higher education in veterinary medicine |
Lietuvos Veterinarijos Akademija (Lithuanian Veterinary Academy) |
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Luxembourg |
Diplome d'Etat de docteur en medecine vétérinaire |
Jury d'examen d'Etat |
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Netherlands |
Getuigschrift van met goed gevolg afgelegd diergeneeskundig/veeartsenijkundig examen |
University of Utrecht |
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Norway |
Vitnemal for fullfort grad Candidata/candidatus medicinae veterinariae |
Norgest veterinaerhogskole (Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine) |
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Poland |
Dyplom lekarza weterynarii (Diploma of Veterinary Surgeon) |
1. Szko³a G³ówna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego w Warszawie 2. Akademia Rolnicza we Wroc³awiu 3. Akademia Rolnicza w Lublinie 4. Uniwersytet Warmiñsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie' 1. Agriculture University of Warsaw 2. Agriculture University of Wroc³aw 3. Agriculture University of Lublin 4. Agriculture University of Olsztyn
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Either:
or
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Portugal |
Carta de curso de licenciatura em medicina veterinaria |
Universities of:
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Romania |
Diploma of Doctoral Degree in Veterinary Medicine |
University |
Certificate of Conformity |
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Slovakia |
Vysokoškolský diplom o udelení akademického titulu "doktor veterinárskej medicíny (MVDr.) (Diploma of doctor of veterinary medicine)
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Univerzita veterinárskej medicíny,Kosice University of Veterinary Medicine, Kosice |
Either:
or
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Slovenia |
Diploma, s katero se podeljuje strokovni naslov "doktor veterinarske medicine / doktorica veterinarske medicine" (DrVetMed)
(Diploma awarding the professional title of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) |
Univerza |
Sprièevalo o opravljenem državnem izpitu s podroèja veterinarstva
Certificate of having passed the state examination in the field of veterinary medicine |
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Spain |
Titulo de Licenciado en Veterinaria |
Ministerio de Educacion y Cultura/El rector de una Universidad
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Sweden |
Veterinarexamen |
Sveriges Landbruksuniversitet - Uppsala |
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Switzerland |
Eidgenossisch diplomierter tierarzt/titulaire du diplome federal de veterinaire/titolare di diploma federale di veterinario |
Universities of:
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Foreign and Commonwealth qualifications
Foreign and Commonwealth qualifications recognised by RCVS Council, which are also shown to meet the minimum EU training requirements for practice only within the United Kingdom, are listed below.
If you have one of these qualifications then you may be eligible to register with the RCVS under Commonwealth Registration provisions.
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Country of graduation |
Title of qualification |
Awarding Body |
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Australia |
(1) Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc)
(2) Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS)
(3) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) |
(1) Universities of:
(2) University of Murdoch
(3) Melbourne |
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New Zealand |
Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc)
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Massey University |
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South Africa |
Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc)
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Pretoria University
NB We do not Register on the basis of BVMCh from MEDUNSA or the Post-graduate BVSc Honors degree from Pretoria or any qualification from South Africa. If you do not hold the BVSc from Pretoria, follow the instructions for Registration for non-eligible applicants. |
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USA |
All qualifications accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will be considered in conjunction with relevant AVMA visitation reports in accordance with an Agreement made in March 2000. An application by a veterinary graduate from a US institution will only be accepted for registration (licensure) if their school/college was accredited at the time of their graduation, unless they had previously failed all or part of the RCVS statutory examination or they do not meet all other criteria set out for US and Canadian Registration.
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Canada |
All qualifications accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will be considered in conjunction with relevant AVMA visitation reports in accordance with an Agreement made in March 2000. An application by a veterinary graduate from a Canadian institution will only be accepted for registration (licensure) if their school/college was accredited at the time of their graduation, unless they had previously failed all or part of the RCVS statutory examination or they do not meet all other criteria set out in US and Canadian Registration. Canadian applicants (other than those who graduated from the University of Montreal Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) who graduated before 1 March 2001 should apply for registration using the regulations for Commonwealth Registration. |
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