Registration as a Veterinarian in British Columbia

Under the Veterinarians Act of British Columbia, the Registrar, on review of an application for registration, will either grant registration or, if not satisfied that the registration requirements have been met, will forward the application to the Registration Committee for direction as to whether to grant registration with any restrictions deemed necessary or to hold a Registration Hearing.

An examination on the CVBC bylaws is a requirement for registration. The bylaw exam is administered monthly in Richmond, B.C. The bylaw seminar is held 4 times a year in February, May, August and November in Richmond, B.C., and once a year in April at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, S.K.

Occupational Competency Requirement

Please note that, generally, new applicants for registration must have a Certificate of Qualification (CQ) from the National Examining Board (NEB) of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) before they are eligible to apply for registration to practice veterinary medicine in the province of British Columbia in the “Private Practice” or “Temporary” (registration for an externally licensed veterinarian) classes of registration, or to apply in any other province in Canada. This does not apply to applicants applying for registration under the Veterinarians Act of British Columbia s. 36, pursuant to the CVBC bylaws, Part 2 - Registration s. 2.11, ‘Transferring registrant (labour mobility within Canada)’, or for applicants applying for specialty private practice registration, and it may not apply to applicants applying for public sector registration.

For further information on the CQ and the NEB please contact the CVMA.

Accredited Veterinary Schools

All applicants to the Canadian National Examining Board (NEB) exam process must satisfy the NEB as to whether they are from an accredited or non-accredited (acceptable, as defined in the CVBC bylaws Part 2 - Registration) school.  This determines what exams they must take and pass in order to obtain a Certificate of Qualification (CQ).

To review the List of accredited and acceptable veterinary schools please contact the CVMA.