Registering as a veterinary practitioner in Victoria

If your principal place of residence is in Victoria (or will be when you are practising), you may be eligible to apply for one of 4 types of registration in Victoria:

General registration

General registration is for persons whose veterinary qualification is recognised by the Board as listed here: Qualifications generally recognised APPLICATION INFORMATION:

Specific registration

Specific registration is for persons whose primary veterinary degrees are not recognised in Australia but they have been offered a job in one of the following circumstances:
  • offered a teaching or research job at the University of Melbourne (including Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital), or
  • offered an internship or other training/course at the University of Melbourne (not private practices), or
  • offered a government job which requires registration as a veterinary practitioner, or
  • offered a job or practical experience at a private practice after passing written exams for a non-degree qualification such as the Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE) or US Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG). A registered vet at the practice must agree to provide direct supervision while the vet prepares for final clinical proficiency exams. ECFVG candidates must have passed both the BCSE and NAVLE exams in addition to having a job/volunteer experience offer.
  • offered a job at a private practice and their employer will provide comprehensive information showing there is a need to employ them. Information required: VPRBV Policy on identified need applications.
APPLICATION INFORMATION:

Specialist endorsement

Specialist registration (known as "endorsement") is for persons who have undergone extensive advanced supervised training and passed a rigorous set of examinations. They must be recommended for specialist endorsement by the AVBC's Advisory Committee for the Registration of Veterinary Specialists. You must hold or be eligible for general registration to be granted specialist endorsement. Persons with high-level postgraduate qualifications (such as a Diplomate certificate) whose primary veterinary qualification is not recognised in Australia for general registration may be eligible to apply for general registration under the Board's policy Specialist registration of persons with unrecognised primary degree. 

Apply: Specialist endorsement of registration

Non-practising registration

Non-practising registration is for persons who have general registration or would be eligible to have general registration.

Apply: Non-practising registration

Changing, renewing or giving up registration

How to change your registration type

How to vary conditions on your registration

Vets who have conditions imposed on their registration may apply to the Board to vary the conditions on their registration.
>> Application to vary conditions on registration

How to update your account details

You are legally required to update your residential address on the Register of Veterinary Practitioners within 28 days of any change. Sign into your account to update your residential address and other contact details: www.vetboard.vic.gov.au/myaccount. Note: any change you make may not show on your record automatically: to see the changes, refresh your account page or sign out then sign back in to your record.

How to change your name

After preparing required documents (click below), complete and submit the form below to change your name on the Register of Veterinary Practitioners. On receipt of required information, we will change your name on the register within 5 business days. There is no charge to change your name on the register.

Upload certified copies of the following 2 documents as high quality PDF scans to the change of name form (link below):
  1. the front and back of the official document showing your change of name, e.g. deed poll or marriage certificate
  2. current photographic identification, e.g. front and back of driver’s licence OR the photo page of your passport.

Certified copies are documents that have been authenticated as true copies of the originals. For a list of types of persons who can authenticate documents in Australia, go to: certified copies of original documents (Department of Justice Victoria). If you are not in Victoria, the documents must be authenticated by someone authorised to do so in your country. An Australian Consulate or Embassy in your country may also be able to certify your documents: Notarial services

Privacy of your information: The Board will only use and disclose personal information collected for the purposes of changing your name on the register. More information: Privacy and data protection policy

Form: >> Change of name request form

Do you have to use your legal name? We recognise that some veterinary practitioners prefer to keep practising under their original registered name, so changing your name is voluntary. However, if you begin practising under your new legal name without changing it, this may confuse clients who search for your name on the Board's website. It may be appropriate to include your registration number on client correspondence so it is clear that you are still a registered veterinary practitioner in Victoria.

How to renew your registration each year

Vets with general, non-practising and specialist registration are required to renew their registration before 30 June of each year.
>> Registration renewal information

How to give up your registration

You can surrender your registration on a nominated date
>> Surrender vetboard registration

Using other registration to work in Victoria

Victoria now your principal place of residence
Australian-based vets whose principal place of residence has changed to Victoria must register with the Victorian Board within the timeframes below (required by law):
  • If you are registered in the ACT or South Australia:  you must register immediately after moving to Victoria because the Boards there will remove your name from their veterinary registers if the ACT or SA is no longer your principal place of residence. 
  • If you are registered in New South Wales, Tasmania or Western Australia: submit your application in the first week of June to be registered in Victoria from 1 July.
  • If you are registered in the Northern Territory or Queensland: submit your application in the first week of December to be registered in Victoria from 1 January the following year.
Living in another State but temporarily practising in Victoria

Veterinary practitioners with current registration in another Australian State or Territory sometimes come to Victoria to work temporarily. If your principal place of residence is in another State or Territory and you are only coming here for a brief period as a one-off or from time-to-time, the Victorian Board automatically recognises your interstate registration as giving you the right to practise in Victoria (under section 3A of the Veterinary Practice Act 1997 and the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cth)). This automatic recognition of veterinary registration also applies to persons who live in another State or Territory close to the Victorian border and who frequently practise in Victoria. NOTE if you have conditions, limitations or restrictions on your interstate registration, you may NOT be able to practise in Victoria (please contact the Board about this). 

If you are practising in Victoria under automatic recognition of your interstate registration, you must comply with Victorian laws relating to veterinary practice including the Veterinary Practice Act 1997. You must also comply with the Board's Guidelines for appropriate standards of veterinary practice and veterinary facilities. The Board has the power to investigate concerns about the professional conduct of veterinary practitioners practising in Victoria, including persons who are registered in another State or Territory.

Coming from another country

Automatic recognition of veterinary registration does not apply to people registered in other countries including New Zealand. You can NOT come to Victoria and immediately start working if you are not registered here. If you will be living in Victoria and you wish to practise here as a veterinary practitioner, you must first apply for registration in Victoria before you can start practising.

Working outside Victoria

You can use your Victorian registration to work in other Australian States and Territories if your principal place of residence is in Victoria. Check the website of the relevant veterinary registration authority for any requirements while you are working there.

Letter of professional standing
If you are changing your principal place of residence to another Australian State or Territory permanently, check registration requirements with the registration authority in the new jurisdiction if you plan to practise there. If you need to register there, they may ask for a letter of professional standing from us >> Order a letter of professional standing from Vetboard Victoria

Australian veterinary registration authorities Some international veterinary registration authorities