Registration in the Register of Veterinary Medical Practitioners
Are you a veterinarian or paraveterinarian in the Netherlands? Then you must be registered in the Register of Veterinary Medical Practitioners (Diergeneeskunderegister). Registration shows you have the appropriate qualifications.
For whom?
Registration is compulsory for anyone working in the following professions:
- veterinarian
- veterinary assistant/paraveterinarian
- animal physiotherapist
- technician specialised in embryo collection, transfer, and placement
How to register?
You can register online at Diergeneeskunderegister.nl (in Dutch) with DigiD or eIDAS. Or you can use the the Application form Veterinary Register (pdf). You can only register if you have the right qualifications. The Register of Veterinary Medical Practitioners is public and is managed by CIBG. If you have any questions regarding the registration you can contact the Register (in Dutch).
How to register with foreign qualifications?
Do you have a foreign diploma? You have to be registered to work in the Netherlands.
Veterinarians with qualifications from within the EEA or Switzerland can apply for automatic recognition of their qualifications. Sometimes you also need to show that your diploma meets the minimum European requirements or that you have sufficient working experience as a veterinarian.
Are you a paraveterinary professional, animal physiotherapist, embryo transfer professional? Or are you a veterinarian with qualifications from outside the EEA or Switzerland? You need to apply for recognition of your professional qualifications. The Commission for Foreign Animal Healthcare Graduates (Commissie Buitenlands Gediplomeerde Diergeneeskundigen, CBGD) assesses whether your educational level and work experience are comparable to a Dutch diploma.
You need a Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS) to apply in both cases. You can apply for a CCPS to the competent authority of the country where you qualified (in Dutch).
Objecting to a decision
Do you disagree with a decision of the Register of Veterinary Medical Practitioners? You can file an objection to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). For questions about official decisions, you can contact the Register (in Dutch).
Consulting the register
The Register of Veterinary Medical Practitioners is open to the public. Anyone can consult the Register (in Dutch) to determine if veterinarians and paraveterinarians are actually included. To update or correct your public data, you can contact the Register (in Dutch).
Online registration procedure via Message Box
You can also submit a request to be listed in the Register of Veterinary Medical Practioners online via Message Box. Message Box is a secure email system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.