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Vets working in the EU

EU Directive 2005/36/EC

On the 1 January 2021 the UK left the EU therefore the EU Directive 2005/36/EC, which is in place to allow community-rights-entitled veterinary surgeons who are lawfully established and registered in an EU member state to provide temporary and occasional services in another member state, will no longer apply within in the UK.

RCVS members wishing to practise in the EU

Vets registered with the RCVS wishing to work in the EU will need to contact the appropriate competent authority in the country they wish to work in. For further information and a list of competent authorities within the EU please visit the Federation of veterinarians of Europe (FVE) website.

EU vets looking to work in the UK

If you are not currently registered with the RCVS and you are looking to practise in the UK you will need to apply for full registration. For further information please visit our Applications for veterinary surgeons section of the website. Alternatively, please contact the Registration Department on 020 7202 0707 or email [email protected] and the team will do everything they can to assist you.