Recognition of veterinary qualifications (degrees obtained in EU/EEA countries)

Send a free-form application to the Finnish Food Authority to get a veterinary surgeon’s licence in Finland.

The application must state the name, contact details and home municipality of the applicant, and the topic of the application. If you have a Finnish personal identity code, state it in the application.

Required attachments:

• Copy of passport or other document indicating the applicant’s nationality

• Copy of degree certificate or diploma and related attachments (transcript of records)

• Certificate issued by a competent authority stating that the applicant has a valid right to practice veterinary medicine in the EU/EEA country in question and that this right has not been limited due to a serious professional fault or neglect or other similar reason. The certificate must not be older than three months.

• Veterinarian’s oath

• If the applicant’s current first or last name differs from the name in the attachments, they must also provide a copy of a document verifying the change of name.

• In individual cases, applicants may be asked to submit other documents and reports, such as:

- a certificate issued by competent authorities in the degree country stating that the applicant's degree complies with the minimum requirements for a veterinary surgeon's education provided in the Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, or

- a certificate issued by competent authorities stating that the applicant has effectively and legally practiced as a veterinary surgeon in the degree country continuously for at least three years in the five years before the certificate was issued (certificate of acquired rights). However, the required work experience to be indicated on the certificate may vary. For example, for degrees obtained in Estonia before 1 May 2004, the applicant shall provide proof of at least five years of professional experience in the seven years before obtaining the certificate.

You can lodge an application by sending copies of the documents attached to the application. However, at a later time, the Finnish Food Authority may require that the applicant supply the original documents or certified copies of them. Officially certified means a copy authenticated by a notary public or a so-called Apostille certificate.

If necessary, the Finnish Food Authority may ask you to submit authorised translations of the documents into Finnish or Swedish. An authorised translation means a translation made by an authorised translator.

To obtain the licence, the applicant must have graduated as a veterinary surgeon in some other EU/EEA country and they must be licensed to practice as a veterinary surgeon. To obtain a licence, the applicant shall submit an application and the attachments specified below.