Using other Australian registration to work in Victoria
Relocating to Victoria
If you have relocated, or will be relocating, so your principal place of residence is/will be in Victoria, you must apply for registration in Victoria by the dates set out below. This is required under section 4(1A) of the Victorian
Veterinary Practice Act 1997.
- If you are registered in South Australia or the ACT: you must apply for registration immediately after moving to Victoria because veterinary practice laws in those jurisdictions require your name to be removed from the ACT/SA veterinary register if your principal place of residence is no longer in the ACT or SA.
- If you are registered in the Northern Territory, 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 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.
Living in 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.