Veterinary Council of New Zealand

Gaining Registration

All people working as veterinarians in New Zealand or representing themselves as a 'veterinarian' must by law (Veterinarians Act 2005) be registered with the Veterinary Council of New Zealand and hold a current practising certificate. If you are already registered with the Veterinary Council of New Zealand but need to renew your practising certificate follow the Veterinarians/Annual practising certificate link on the left hand bar on this page.

For those who are not yet registered, you will need to establish whether you are eligible for registration without examination or registration by examination (or neither). There are also different categories of registration. To check if you are eligible for general registration (i.e. without further examination) read the information below and refer also to this Information letter (Revised 22 March, 2009).

If you are eligible you can apply by downloading, completing and forwarding the Application form

If you are registered as a veterinarian in any Australian jurisdiction you can apply under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition (TTMR) provisions. Download, complete and forward the TTMR Application form

Click on the links below for:

Registration Without Examination (General Registration)

Under current registration policy VCNZ registration without further examination is granted to veterinary graduates:

holding undergraduate veterinary degrees from schools which have been accredited by a recognised authority having a rigorous assessment and review process (currently AVBC, AVMA and RCVS); or
holding undergraduate veterinary degrees from schools which have been previously recognised by VCNZ under the Veterinarians Act 1994 until the date of non recognition in March 2001 (this applies to the National University of Ireland graduates and certain German and Danish School graduates who also hold a State examination certificate in veterinary medicine)

Please refer to this Gazette Notice for the schools, degrees and examination/assessment programmes recognised by VCNZ. If you gained your primary degree at one of the institutions on the list or have sat and passed a recognised assessment/examination programme then provided you did so within the designated timeframes and provided you meet the other registration requirements, you are entitled to apply for registration without examination. If not refer to the further information below on the examination process.

All applicants must also satisfy the Council that they:

can communicate in and understand English to an appropriate standard for practising as a veterinarian in New Zealand. Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of English competency by sitting and passing an approved English test to the required level. Please refer to the Council's Policy on English Competence for further information
meet the fitness and recency of practice requirements. The Council will require a letter of good standing from previous registration authority/authorities and will require you to make statements about your recency of practice and fitness to practise.

Registration by Examination

If you received your primary degree from a university that is not on the list of recognised institutions above then you may be entitled to apply for registration by examination. The examination is the New Zealand National Veterinary Examination (NZNVE). The following frequently asked questions may help you decide whether you wish to apply for registration by examination.

What is the purpose of the NZNVE?
Am I eligible to sit the NZNVE?
What is the English language requirement?
What does the examination consist of?
What is the cost of applying for registration by examination?
What are the fees for the examination?
When and where are the parts of the examination held?
What are the pass marks for the examination?
Can I resit if I fail the examination?
Where do I get study books for the examination?
Are there any courses I can go on to prepare for the examination?
How long does it take to pass the examination?
What is the pass rate?
What do I do if I want to apply to sit the NZNVE?
How is registration related to my immigration status?
If I gain registration by NZNVE, where else can I be registered?
How do I contact VCNZ for more information?

What is the purpose of the NZNVE?

Under Section 6(b)(i) & (ii) of the Veterinarians Act 2005 VCNZ seeks to test, by means of the examination, whether a candidate has the appropriate knowledge and skill to ensure their competence to practise as a registered veterinarian.

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Am I eligible to sit the NZNVE?

To be eligible to sit the NZNVE you must:
(a) have completed a course of study, of not less than 4 years, in veterinary science, at any university, veterinary college, or institution acceptable to the Council; and
(b) have met the required level of English language (outlined below); and
(c) have completed other registration documentation required by the Council (see the registration application form for details).

When you submit your registration application, the Council will assess your eligibility to sit the NZNVE.

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What is the English language requirement?

The Veterinary Council must be satisfied that veterinarians are able to communicate in and understand English to an appropriate standard for practising in New Zealand.

Effective English and communication skills are required to pass the registration examination and to practise as a veterinarian in New Zealand. Adequate achievement in a test of English communication skills is the best way to ensure that veterinarians can understand English and communicate effectively.

Applicants are normally considered to have met the statutory English language requirements if:
- English is their first language; or
- They have passed a Council approved English test to the required level; or
- They have graduated with a primary veterinary degree from a recognised veterinary programme in a country where English is the first and prime language and where English was the sole language of instruction and assessment and can provide satisfactory evidence that they have worked or studied in a country where English is the first and prime language for at least four of the previous five years; or
- They have passed a Veterinary Council prescribed assessment programme (ECFVG or NEB in English) and they have worked or studied in a country where English is the first and prime language for at least four of the previous five years.

The Council recognises a pass in the following English tests:

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

Applicants are required to
- sit the academic band
- score at least 7 in each band of the four individual components of listening, reading, writing and speaking

Occupational English Test (OET)

A pass with A or B grades in each of the four sections is required.

A pass in an approved English test is valid for 2 years for new registration and examination applicants, but the validity of this pass may be extended for up to five years for applicants who can demonstrate that they have continuously lived and worked in a country where English is the first and prime language for at least 4 years of the previous 5 years.

The Council requires applicants to arrange for English test results to be sent directly from the examining body to the Veterinary Council.

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What does the examination consist of?

Preliminary Examination - Part I:
Consisting of three papers set in English in multiple choice question (MCQ) format. Part I must be successfully completed before the Final Examination (Parts II & III) is attempted.
Final Examination - Parts II & III:
Consisting of one written paper (Part II) of three hours, and a practical examination of nine sections in clinical veterinary medicine and surgery. The practical examination can be spread over several days. Further details about the examination are provided in the Candidates Handbook (Revised June, 2009).

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What is the cost of applying for registration by examination?

When you apply for registration by examination, you are required to pay the registration application fee of NZ$247.50. There are additional examination fees - these are detailed below.

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What are the fees for the examination?

The fee for the Preliminary Examination (Part I) is NZ$1000.00 for each sitting. The fee for the Clinical (Parts II & III) examination is $5000.00 (per attempt). If supplementary examinations are allowed, the fee is $500 per supplementary examination.

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When and where are the parts of the examination held?

The Preliminary Examination is held twice a year, usually in February/March and September, at sites in NZ. This examination takes one and a half days.
The Final Examination is held once a year, usually in November, only at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The clinical examination is spread over 2-4 days.

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What are the pass marks for the examination?

Preliminary Examination
Candidates must achieve a minimum of 60% in each of the three papers. A conditional pass is possible, further details are provided in the Candidate Handbook.
Final Examination
Candidates must pass each section of this examination.
Further details on both examinations are provided in the Candidates Handbook.

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Can I resit if I fail the examination?

There is no limit on the number of times a candidate may attempt the Preliminary Examination, but a candidate is allowed two attempts at the Final Examinations. A final third attempt may be approved if the candidate can provide satisfactory evidence of having undertaken appropriate activities to enhance their veterinary knowledge and skills.

Candidates are required to complete the final examination within 5 years of passing the preliminary examination.

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Where do I get study books for the examination?

There are no specific books written for this examination. A list of useful study material is provided in the Candidates Handbook. Some of the books listed may be sourced from Amazon.com or from Bennetts Government Bookshops. Some books are stored at the Massey University Library.

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Are there any courses I can go on to study for the examination?

VCNZ does not run any courses itself for any of the examinations it offers. Some candidates undertake general veterinary graduate or postgraduate study in New Zealand in order to boost their knowledge abd skills and resources. Refer to http://ivabs.massey.ac.nz/ for further information.

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How long does it take to pass the examination?

A few overseas examinees manage to sit and pass the examination in one year. But the examination is rigorous, and requires knowledge of New Zealand conditions of practice. The standard of the final examination is that for the Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree at Massey University. Such a standard is difficult to obtain by candidates who:

qualified a number of years ago and have worked in a narrow area, or
who obtained a basic qualification that did not cover adequately all of the subjects covered by the examination, or
who have entered the examination while insufficiently fluent in the English language, or
who have not spent enough time seeing practice in New Zealand to gain knowledge of New Zealand-specific agricultural, clinical, or regulatory matters.

Candidates for the NZNVE are strongly encouraged to take advantage of training opportunities in New Zealand and to fully prepare prior to sitting the parts of the examination.

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What is the pass rate?

Since the VCNZ began running this examination in 1996 just over half of those people who have sat both the preliminary part of the examination and the clinical part of the examination have passed these examinations, not always on the first attempt. Factors which affect pass rates include the quality of the candidate's primary veterinary degree, English language competency, knowledge of NZ veterinary standards of practice and recency of practice in examination areas. Those who have spent time in New Zealand observing and learning practice have had more success than those who have not.

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What do I do if I want to apply to sit the NZNVE?

If you wish to apply to sit the NZNVE you should first read the Information Letter for Applicants.
You will also need to read and complete the Application Form.
If you think you are eligible to sit the NZNVE you should then submit an application to the Veterinary Council which will then assess your eligibility for registration by examination. Please note that applications cannot be faxed or sent by email because of the requirement for the forms to be signed by a notary public. Applications that are not correctly signed by a notary public will be returned. You will also need to read the NZNVE Candidates Handbook.
This provides much more detail on the examination.

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How is registration related to my immigration status?

It is not directly related if you are required to apply for registration by examination. Immigration matters are the responsibility of the New Zealand Immigration Service. The assessment of qualifications for immigration points is the responsibility of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. You should visit their websites and contact those agencies for further information on immigration matters.

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If I gain registration in New Zealand, where else can I be registered?

Registration by NZNVE in New Zealand currently also allows veterinarians to apply for registration without examination in Australia and registration by NZNVE from July 2000 allows veterinarians to apply for registration without examination in the United Kingdom.

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How do I contact VCNZ for more information?

If you need any further assistance, you should contact the office:
Veterinary Council of New Zealand.
PO Box 10-563,
Wellington, 6143,
New Zealand
Ph: 0064 4 473-9600
Fax: 0064 4 473-8869
Email: registration@vetcouncil.org.nz

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