Canada

Am I eligible?

For applicants with a veterinary qualification, obtained from the University of Montreal or with a veterinary qualification, obtained from any of the other Canadian RCVS recognised institutions (not Montreal) on or after 1 March 2001:

your school/college/university must have been accredited by the AVMA Council on Education at the time of your graduation
your degree must include all the skills and knowledge required to meet the European Union minimum training requirements (as set out in Article 38 and Annex 5.4.1 of Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament)
your scores for the NBE/CCT or NAVLE must meet RCVS requirements:

for tests taken after 1992 you must have achieved a score of 425 or over
for tests taken before 1992, your score must be no more than 1 standard deviation below the mean

If you do not meet all of the above requirements you will be required to take the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership.

If you have previously failed all or part of the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership, you will be required to sit the full examination again, even if you currently meet the above requirements. The RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership takes place once a year; please visit the page to see the relevant dates.

For applicants with a veterinary qualification, obtained from any of the other Canadian RCVS recognised institutions (not Montreal) before 1 March 2001:

Your qualification must be recognised by the RCVS Council, which is shown to meet the minimum EU training requirements for practice only within the United Kingdom.

If you have a qualification which is not recognised by the RCVS Council, you will be required to take the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership which takes place once a year; please visit the page to see the relevant dates.

For all applicants

Veterinary surgeons applying to register are asked to contact the RCVS as soon as possible, in any case at least 8 weeks before starting work in the UK, to allow enough time to complete the registration process.

Visa / immigration / work permit requirements

Membership of the RCVS licenses you to practise veterinary surgery in the UK. If you have a qualification that meets the requirements above, you can apply regardless of your nationality.

However, it does not exempt you from UK entry visa or immigration requirements where applicable. Applicants are advised to ascertain these before attempting entry into the UK. Information and assistance can be obtained from the British Embassy or Consulates in Canada or UK Visas and Immigration.

Applicants seeking long-term employment in the UK may need a work permit, which can only be obtained by an employer.

Is my qualification accepted?

For applicants with a veterinary qualification, obtained from the University of Montreal:

Docteur en Médecine Vétérinaire (DMV) from the University of Montreal

For applicants with a veterinary qualification, obtained from any of the other Canadian RCVS recognised institutions (not Montreal) before 1 March 2001:

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the Universities of

Guelph
Prince Edward Island
Saskatchewan

For applicants with a veterinary qualification, obtained from any of the other Canadian RCVS recognised institutions (not Montreal) on or after 1 March 2001:

All qualifications accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will be considered in conjunction with the relevant AVMA visitation reports in accordance with an Agreement made in March 2000.

Visit the AVMA website for a full list of accredited institutions.

Which documents do I need?

All applicants must provide documents relating to identification, qualifications and a letter of good standing, as outlined below.

Identification

1. A certified photocopy of the identifying page and front cover of your valid passport

2. A recent passport photo

On the reverse of the photo write 1) your name in full 2) your date of birth 3) your signature. Both sides of the photo can be photocopied and submitted with your other documents.

Qualification

An A4 certified photocopy of your primary veterinary degree diploma

You will also need to supply:

Verification of the passing scores for the NBE/CCT/NAVLE examination(s)
A transcript of your degree results showing subjects studied and credits obtained, or other comprehensive listing of the modules/subjects studied for the degree

For all applicants

Letter of good standing

You will also need to submit a letter of good standing. Its content and author will vary depending on which of the below categories you fall into:

a. Applicants registering within 3 months of the date of their graduation:

A letter of good standing from the Dean / Principal / Rector of your veterinary school / college.

This should be a formal letter on university headed paper, issued after the date you graduated, and should be sent directly to the RCVS by the University, as evidence of your good standing.

The letter should confirm:

the exact date of graduation [DD/MM/YYYY]
that you were a student of good standing, including where relevant details of any cautions or criminal convictions, as well as absolute and conditional discharges and spent convictions, or any adverse findings, including disciplinary proceedings against you

If the letter is not being sent directly to the RCVS from the university then you will need to get it certified.

b. Applicants registering more than 3 months after the date of their graduation and who are registered with a registration / licensing authority:

A letter or certificate of good standing from your current registration / licensing authority.

This should be sent directly to the RCVS by the registration / licensing authority and state that:

you are registered to practise as a veterinary surgeon by that authority
you are of good professional standing and good character, and there is no charge of unprofessional conduct or a criminal offence outstanding against you, including where relevant details of any cautions or criminal convictions, as well as absolute and conditional discharges and spent convictions, or any adverse findings, including professional disciplinary proceedings against you
you hold a veterinary degree

If the letter is not being sent directly to the RCVS from the registration authority then you will need to get it certified.

c. Applicants who are not registered with a registration / licensing authority:

If you are not currently registered with an authority, please submit your application and the RCVS will contact you with further instructions upon receipt of your application.

Please note that letters of good standing are only valid for 3 months after the date of issue and must be valid on the day of the registration appointment.

If you are a new graduate, your letter of good standing will only be valid for 3 months after the date of graduation.

How do I apply?

Please ensure you have read all the information above and that you have your required documents ready before you apply.

For information on applying, please visit the How to apply page.

Important Notes

Applications can be received up to six months before you would like to be admitted. Please avoid submitting your application any earlier than this as we will not be able to hold it open for you.

We aim to process all applications within four calendar weeks** of receiving your application and all supporting documents in the correct format.

All applications are processed in order of the date they are received. We unfortunately cannot fast track an application.

**During busy periods, our processing times can increase to six calendar weeks. We will inform you of this where relevant. Our priority will always be to process your application as quickly as possible, and we thank you for your patience.

Applications - Veterinary surgeons

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