Registration in the Register of Veterinary Medical Practitioners
Are you a veterinarian or paraveterinarian and do you want to work in the Netherlands? Then you must be registered in the Register of Veterinary Medical Practitioners (Diergeneeskunderegister). Registration shows you have the appropriate qualifications.
Who must register?
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 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 about 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 a diploma from the EEA/Switzerland
Veterinarians with qualifications from within the EEA or Switzerland can apply for automatic recognition of their qualifications. In some cases you also need to show that your diploma meets the minimum European requirements or that you have sufficient working experience as a veterinarian.
Veterinarians with a diploma from outside the EEA/Switzerland and other professions
Are you a veterinarian with qualifications from outside the EEA or Switzerland? Or are you a paraveterinary professional, animal physiotherapist, or professional embryo technician qualifications from either within or 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 apply for registration with the CIBG using DigiD or eIDAS, or using the application form (pdf).
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 on your qualification? 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 online to CIBG to be listed in the Register of Veterinary Medical Practioners via Message Box. Message Box is a secure email system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.