REGISTRATION OF VETERINARIANS
National Recognition of Veterinary Registration
National Recognition of Veterinary Registration (NRVR) commenced in Western Australia on 18 June 2022. If you are registered as a veterinarian in another Australian jurisdiction and your principal place of residence or work is in that jurisdiction you are deemed to be registered as a veterinarian in Western Australia. If your principal place of residence or work changes to Western Australia, you need to register with the Veterinary Practice Board of WA.
Qualifications that are generally recognised
For a list of qualifications that are generally recognised for registration as a veterinarian in Western Australia, click here.
Registration process
Apply Now
The Board needs to be in receipt of the following to consider your application:
- Completed online application;
- Payment of the applicable fees;
- Certified* copy of your primary veterinary degree;
- Certified* copy of your current passport or other photographic ID;
- Current CV with details of CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses attended in the last 3 years.
- Two character references; and
- A letter of good standing from ALL Boards/Councils you are currently registered with, valid for 3 months from date of issue, sent directly from them to us (via email is acceptable).
*Further information about certifying documents can be located here.
Once your application has been assessed you will be contacted and, if necessary, asked to provide further information. The approval process usually takes about 7 to 10 days but may take longer for more complex applications.
If approved by the Board, your registration will need to be renewed each year before 30 June in order to continue working as a veterinarian.
Please note that you must NOT commence practising as a veterinarian until you have received confirmation of your approval from the Board office.
Types of registration and fees
Application fee for registration is $156 (except for honorary registration which is $37). The registration fees are as below.
Full veterinarian – one year from 1st July to 30th June $512 plus application fee of $156 = $668
NB: After January 1 each year, registration is calculated on a pro rata basis at $50 per month to the end of June each year.
New graduate veterinarian – one off discounted registration fee of $156 after graduating, plus application fee of $156 = $312
Must have recently graduated and not previously been registered or worked in any other jurisdiction.
Honorary veterinarian – if approved (40 years service) may undertake acts of veterinary science – $63 plus application fee of $37 = $100
Honorary registration is only awarded if the Board is satisfied that the veterinary surgeon’s standing in the profession justifies their registration as an Honorary Veterinary Surgeon. Please see Guidelines for Registration as an Honorary Veterinary Surgeon here.
If you are residing overseas and require registration in WA please contact the Board office to discuss your options.
Australian and New Zealand Qualifications
Australian qualifications
There are seven veterinary schools in Australia. They are:
Murdoch University, Western Australia – BSc, BVMS, DVM
University of Melbourne, Victoria – DVM
University of Sydney, New South Wales – BVSc
University of Queensland, Queensland – BVSc
James Cook University, Queensland – BVSc
Charles Sturt University, New South Wales – BVSc
University of Adelaide, South Australia – DVM
The qualifications awarded by these schools satisfy the formal academic requirements for registration by all Australian veterinary registration boards.
New Zealand qualifications
A degree (BVSc) from the College of Sciences Massey University in New Zealand is recognised as an eligible qualification for registration by all Australian veterinary registration boards.
International Qualifications
If you are an overseas trained veterinarian, there are three ways in which you can enter the profession in Australia.
- By immediate recognition of your overseas qualifications.
The Australasian Veterinary Boards Council Inc recognises some overseas qualifications as providing the holder with eligibility to apply for registration as a veterinarian in Australia and New Zealand without further examination. Further information is available at the AVBC website.
-
By completing a veterinary degree at an Australian veterinary school (listed above in ANZ Qualifications).
- By successfully completing the Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE).
The AVE has been developed to assist veterinarians who qualified overseas to obtain registration in Australia, thus enabling them to continue to practise in their profession. Procedures have been established by which eligible overseas trained veterinarians may establish their competence to practise in Australia. You can undertake the AVE only if you have been formally assessed as meeting the eligibility criteria to sit the examination. Further information is available at the AVBC website.
English language testing requirements
If your relevant veterinary qualification was NOT taught and assessed in English, you must include proof in your application that you have achieved the required minimum scores in one of the approved English language tests listed below within the last 3 years:
Letters of good standing
If you wish to register with a veterinary board/council in another state or country you may be asked to provide them with a letter of good standing from the competent authority you are currently registered with.
A letter of good standing confirms that you are currently registered with the Veterinary Practice Board, that you are not the subject of any disciplinary enquiries and that there are no disciplinary findings against you.
To request a letter of good standing, please contact the Board via email and allow 5 working days for your request to be completed. There is no fee for letters of good standing.
In your email to us please let us know your full name, registration number and the veterinary board/council you require the letter to be sent to.