Guidelines and standards
On this page:
Our standards
Our statements
Our guidance
Other guidance for veterinarians
COVID-19 specific guidance and standards
Our standards
Our standards set out what is expected of veterinarians. All veterinarians in New Zealand must meet these standards.
Our statements
Statements provide more detailed requirements for veterinarians on specific issues. Veterinarians must comply with them.
Our guidance
Guidance is prepared to help veterinarians deal with specific issues in practice. It presents a good way of applying professional standards but this may not be the only way. Veterinarians can safely rely on our guidance but they do not have to follow it if they believe another approach is better, provided it complies with our standards and statements and they apply good professional judgment. Because our guidance is specific, it won’t apply in every situation.
Other guidance for veterinarians
Here is some additional guidance for veterinarians from other sources.
COVID-19 specific guidance and standards
Our COVID-19 guidance sets expectations and provides guidance during at any time the country or any part of it is at Alert Levels 2, 3 or 4. It continues to apply in any part of New Zealand that is at Alert Levels 2, 3 or 4. When the Alert Level is 1, the normal standards and guidance above apply.
COVID-19 standards and guidance can be found on our COVID-19 page .