Degree in Veterinary Medicine from a university in an EU/EEA-country or Switzerland

If you have a Degree in Veterinary Medicine from a university in an EU/EEA-country or Switzerland, you have to submit the following documents during the application process:

A copy of your evidence of formal qualifications of veterinary surgeons (diploma). The evidence of formal qualifications should correspond to the list of approved evidence of formal qualifications of veterinary surgeons (see below).
If a member state issue an additional certificate complementing the diploma according to the list, this is also required to submit.
A ”letter of good standing”, a certificate from a competent authority showing that you have no disciplinary sanctions in your profession as a veterinary surgeon. This should not be older than three months. If your veterinary surgeons diploma was issued more recent than three months ago, the letter of good standing is not necessary.
A copy of your passport in case you are not registered citizen in Sweden.
A proof that you have satisfying knowledge of the Swedish language. Danish and Norwegian are considered equated to the Swedish language.

You apply through our Application form.

Please note that information you fill in is not saved in the form. This means that if you do not complete the application process during one session you will have to re-enter all the data and upload the required documents again.

The evidence of formal qualifications (diploma) shall have the same name as in the Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC). You can find the latest consolidated version of the Annex V via the link to the right. Search for ”Evidence of formal qualifications of veterinary surgeons” to find the right chapter.

Certificates for Swedish language

There are no specific requirements what a proof of satisfying knowledge of the Swedish language must be, this it is assessed in each individual case. Below are examples of what such proof can be:

A copy of a certificate from SFI or similar education.
A copy of a certificate confirming that you have studied in Swedish. The education should cover at least one year. There is no requirement what subject was studied as long as the course language was Swedish.
Grades in Swedish from a Swedish upper secondary school education.
Proof of at least one year of professional experience in Sweden where the working language is Swedish. You do not need to have worked with animal health other work also counts.

Even you who have a Swedish upper secondary education but your veterinary education is from a country other than Sweden, must prove your Swedish knowledge according to the above.

Exemptions from Swedish language

If you consider that you have specific reasons why you do not need sufficient knowledge of the Swedish language, you can apply for an exemption from that requirement while applying for a license.

You have the opportunity to apply for exemptions when you apply for license. There is no form for this. You can write an application that you upload instead of the certificate of knowledge in Swedish. We will then consider whether the particular reasons you have provided are sufficient to provide you with an exemption.

Your application for exemption from the requirement for the necessary knowledge in Swedish must include:

A description of your special reasons for not being able to communicate with animal owners in Swedish, reading and writing your veterinary medical journals in Swedish and reading and understanding the Swedish regulations concerning animal health professionals
A description of how you and your employer will jointly solve communication with animal owners
A description of how you and your employer plan to jointly ensure that your journals will be kept in Swedish
How you will learn about the Swedish animal health care regulations

Your employer must certify that this plan will be implemented as described in the application.

Temporary provision of services

If you have a veterinary license from and are legally established in an EU/EEA-country or Switzerland to work as a veterinarian you can work temporarily in Sweden on your foreign qualifications, that is, you don´t need to apply for a Swedish veterinary license if you are only going to work here temporarily.

When you work here temporarily you are still part of the animal health staff and therefore subject to the Swedish regulations.

Before the first time you intend to work in Sweden, you have to notify the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Use our e-service.

E-service: Anmälan om tillfällig yrkesutövning som veterinär External link.

You need to send us the following documents with your notice:

a letter including your contact information and workplace in Sweden.
a certificate showing that you are legally established in a Member State to exercise the profession and that, at the time of issue of the certificate, there was no ban, even temporarily, for you to practice as a veterinarian. This certificate must be issued by the competent authority of the Member State where you are established and should not be older than three months. You can submit either the original or a readable copy.
evidence of your professional qualifications (i.e. a copy of your diploma).
a copy of your passport.

Your temporary practice period will start from the date you notify us and last for 12 months. After 12 months you need to notify us again or apply for a Swedish veterinary license.

If you later return to Sweden to again work temporarily as a veterinarian, you should notify the Swedish Board of Agriculture once a year, using our E-service, "Anmälan om tillfällig yrkesutövning som veterinär".

Last updated: 2023-01-16