FAQs: Can international graduates in veterinary science work in the UK?

To work in the UK as a veterinary surgeon, you must be registered with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). There are a number of overseas degrees which are approved by RCVS: namely those of Australia, New Zealand and South African veterinary schools. Graduates from North American veterinary schools accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) can also apply to become members of RCVS. Holders of many European degrees are also eligible to register with RCVS if they also have EU community rights entitlement. There is a list of approved European degrees on the RCVS website.

To train to be a veterinary surgeon in the UK you will need to take a veterinary degree. The universities in the UK offering veterinary degrees approved by the RCVS are Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and London (the Royal Veterinary College). A new course, at the University of Nottingham, is undergoing an approval process in time for its first graduates in 2011. The degree courses are usually five years in length. They can be six years at some schools as they include an intercalated Honours year. Edinburgh and RVC offer a four-year accelerated course for science graduates.