Registration for Overseas Qualified Veterinarians
Veterinary registration in Australia and New Zealand is managed by the veterinary registration boards in each state and territory of Australia and in New Zealand. These boards rely on the Qualifications Generally Recognised list published by the Australian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC): Qualifications Generally Recognised. If your primary veterinary qualification is not listed here, you are not currently eligible for general registration in Australia or New Zealand without further assessment.
One such assessment is the Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE). Passing the AVE, or an equivalent qualification, is a pathway to full registration in Australia and New Zealand.
Alternative pathways – limited or supervised registration
There may be pathways available for you to work in Australia or New Zealand under limited or supervised registration in some jurisdictions. This can apply where an overseas-qualified veterinarian:
- has an offer of employment in an area or discipline experiencing workforce shortages (for example, regional or rural practice, equine/large-animal practice, specialist disciplines), or
- is undertaking structured training, such as an internship.
In these cases, some state and territory veterinary boards can grant limited registration, allowing you to practise under the supervision of a fully registered veterinarian.
If this may be relevant to you, we recommend contacting the veterinary registration board in the jurisdiction where you wish to work, as eligibility and conditions vary. Links to AVBC member registration boards are available here:
https://avbc.asn.au/about/avbc-member-registration-boards/
For some general information for overseas qualified vets, you may find the booklet on the Publications page of the AVBC website https://avbc.asn.au/news-publications/publications/ called Vet Science in Australia a useful introduction
General information about the Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE)
You are eligible to sit the AVE if you:
- hold a degree or diploma awarded after at least four years of study at a veterinary school which appears on the
AVMA ECFVG®-listed veterinary colleges of the world or which was part of a college or university listed in the “World List of Universities”; and - are registered, licensed or eligible to be recognised as a veterinarian of good standing, in the country in which you studied or worked; and
- hold a current (ie less than 3 year old) English proficiency test result meeting one of the following standards:
– the IELTS (academic) with a score of 7 or higher in each section, including IELTS One Skill Retake OR
– the OET with at least a B pass or a score of 350 or higher in each section, achieved in a single test sitting OR
– the TOEFL-iBT with a scores of at least 24 (5 new scoring effective 1/1/2026) in Listening, 24 (5 new scoring) in Reading, 27 (5.5 new scoring) in Writing and 23 (4.5 new scoring) in Speaking, achieved in a single test sitting OR
– the PTE Academic with scores of at least 65 in each of the 4 communicative sections, achieved in a single test sitting
Briefly, the AVE is in 3 parts:
- An eligibility assessment – fee (2026) AUD $515. The application for this must include a current English proficiency test result which meets the AVBC standard (see point iii. above)
- Preliminary (MCQ) Examination – fee (for 2027 MCQ) AUD $3,619
- Final (clinical) Examination – fee (2026) AUD $9325
An information booklet called Information for AVE Candidates is available to download from the Publications page of the AVBC website https://avbc.asn.au/news-publications/publications/ It contains detailed information about the AVE exam.
Applying to sit the AVE
The MCQ is held once a year at various supervised venues within Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth) and at some overseas venues (Auckland, London, Dubai, New Delhi and Singapore). The next available sitting of the AVE Preliminary (MCQ) Examination will be on Friday 16 April 2027.
Before applying for the AVE Preliminary (MCQ) Examination, you must first undergo an eligibility assessment.
- AVE Eligibility Assessments remain valid for three years from the date of approval
- AVE Eligibility Assessment applications must be submitted via the online application portal on the AVBC website.
Please note: The AVE Eligibility Assessment application portal may close at short notice due to AVBC operational requirements. Accordingly, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications promptly and ensure all required documentation is complete, accurate, and fully compliant at the time of submission.
Before submitting an AVE Eligibility Assessment application, you will need to register as a Contact via the online portal. Once registered, you can submit your AVE Eligibility Assessment application when the portal opens for new eligibility applications.
- The AVE Eligibility Assessment applications portal will open on Monday 5 October 2026.
- AVE eligibility assessments can take up to 6 weeks to process but we endeavour to complete them in a shorter time whenever possible.
- If deemed eligible, candidates may be invited to apply for the MCQ examination. Application and payment for the 2027 MCQ exam are also made via the online portal.
- The closing date for eligibility assessments ahead of the 2027 MCQ will be Monday 11 January 2027.
- The closing date for MCQ Applications and payments will be Monday 25 January 2027. No late applications or payments will be accepted. No payment terms can be offered.
- AVE (Final) Clinical Examination sessions are held in Queensland, Australia. These are typically offered in June/July and November/December each year and run over five days.
Employment
Regarding employment, you can apply for a specific, conditional, or limited, form of registration AFTER you have passed the MCQ which will allow you to work under supervision while you prepare for the clinical exam (providing you can access an appropriate visa and a job).
Once you have passed the AVE and obtained full registration with one of the Australian or New Zealand veterinary boards, if required, you can apply to the AVBC for a skills assessment for the occupation “Veterinarian” for migration purposes. A skills assessment is a paper-based assessment of a veterinary practitioner’s qualifications and work experience, which the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs may require to accompany some visa applications.
We are unable to assist with enquiries about migration or visas. You need to address any queries you have about those to the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs www.homeaffairs.gov.au For further information on migration processes and requirements, you could contact the Department of Home Affairs, an Australian Embassy, Consulate, or High Commission; or a migration agent registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority, or a legal practitioner.
For further information about the AVE, please consult the AVBC website: www.avbc.asn.au.