Veterinary activities and services

This activity constitutes a regulated activity in Slovakia. This activity is excluded from the Trade Licensing Act and as such Point of Single Contact (PSC) is not responsible for issuing the authorisation to provide veterinary services in Slovakia. PSC acts only as a mediator and delivers the application directly to the competent organ which communicates with the applicant.

Conditions for the obtaining of an authorisation to perform veterinary activities and services.

Veterinary doctors can provide veterinary services in Slovakia only if they are registered in the Chamber of Veterinary Doctors of the Slovak Republic (hereinafter only the "Chamber"). Veterinary doctors apply for a Certificate to carry on a private veterinary practice (hereinafter only the "certificate") to the Chamber (personally or by post) or ellectronicaly via Point of Single Contact.

An applicant for the certificate to carry on a private veterinary practice:

1. must be a national of the Slovak Republic, another EU Member State, a state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation (hereinafter only the “Member State”) or a third country (a third country is a state other than a Member State) and have permission to stay in the Slovak Republic;
2. must have full legal capacity;
3. must be a person of integrity;
4. must be professionally qualified;
5. may not otherwise be employed by the state, be an employee or in another equivalent working relation and may not pursue another gainful activity in the field of veterinary care, with the exception of pedagogical, publication, literary and scientific activities;
6. must take an oath administered by the Chairman of the Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons of the Slovak Republic (hereinafter only the “Chamber”); and
7. must register with the Chamber.

Note: A person acquires full legal capacity upon attaining the legal age of majority. (The legal age of majority is 18. Prior to attaining this age, a person may attain the legal age of majority by marriage.)
A person of integrity is one who has not been legally convicted of an intentional crime or of a crime committed by negligence in the provision of veterinary care.
A person with professional competence is one who has obtained a master’s degree (or equivalent) from the University of Veterinary Medicine in the Slovak Republic in the field of general veterinary medicine or in the field of food hygiene, the scope of which includes at least the following subjects: physics, chemistry, animal biology, plant biology, biomathematics, basic sciences, anatomy (including histology and embryology), physiology, bio-chemistry, genetics, pharmacology, pharmacy, toxicology, microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, professional ethics, clinical sciences, obstetrics, pathology (including pathological anatomy), parasitology, clinical medicine and surgery (including anaesthetics), clinical lectures on the various domestic animals, poultry and other animal species, preventive medicine, radiology, reproduction and reproductive disorders, veterinary state medicine and public health, veterinary legislation and forensic science, therapeutics, propaedeutics, animal production, animal nutrition, agronomy, rural economics, animal husbandry, veterinary hygiene, animal ethology and protection, food hygiene, inspection and control of animal foodstuffs or foodstuffs of animal origin, food hygiene and technology, practical work (including practical work in places where slaughtering and processing of foodstuffs takes place).

Additional information on the performance of veterinary activities and services

Veterinary doctors who acquired their professional qualification abroad have to apply for recognition of their professional qualification directly to the Chamber. Application for recognition of professional qualification is available for download here (PDF, 344 kB) (bilingual SK-EN form).

More information about recognition of professional qualification is available here (in Slovak only).

The Chamber is a self-governing professional organisation associating private veterinary practitioners that carry on a private veterinary practice on the basis of registration in a register. The Chamber is a legal person with registered office in Bratislava. Chamber runs a register of all registered veterinary doctors entitled to provide veterinary services in Slovakia.

Administrative fees

Based on the decision of Chamber's General Assembly, there is no administrative fee for issuing the certificate.

Application procedure for the obtaining of an authorisation to perform veterinary activities and services

An application for certificate may be submitted:

- electronically via the Central Public Administration Portal of the Slovak Republic (instruction for sending electronic forms):

• electronic application form - domest natural persons
• electronic application form - natural foreign persons

or

- in person (or by post) at the Chamber:

•  application form for registration in the Chamber (PDF, 361 kB)(for download - in Slovak only)

In order to obtain a certificate to carry on a private veterinary practice, it is necessary to fill in an application for registration, attach the required annexes and take an oath administered by the Chairman of the Chamber. Annexes to be attached to the application:

1. documents confirming citizenship and residence (a certified copy of an identity card or passport);
2. proof of obtaining a degree – a certified copy of a diploma;
3. proof of integrity – a statement from the register of criminal records, unless the applicant requests a statement through an SPC;
4. an authorisation to use the real estate property where the registered office is located (ownership deed, lease contract, if not at the place of permanent residence);
5. request for the approval of a specialised workplace, if beinset up.

Temporary or occasional provision of veterinary services in Slovakia

A veterinary practitioner who is a national of another Member State may only carry on a private veterinary practice in the territory of the Slovak Republic as the host state absent a certificate if such provision is temporary and occasional; he/she shall notify such practice to the Chamber in writing prior to commencement or in justified cases after commencement, however, no later than within 30 days. The Chamber decides whether a delay in notification is justified.

The notification must include the following:

• the scope and term of the private veterinary practice;
• a document from the relevant Member State proving that the person carries on private veterinary practice in line with the legislation of the Member State;
• documents demonstrating professional competence.

The documents may be no older than 12 months at the time of submission.

If a veterinary practitioner from another Member State is or wishes to carry on a private veterinary practice in the territory of the Slovak Republic for the first time, he/she shall submit a declaration of liability insurance for damage caused in connection with carrying on a private veterinary practice to the Chamber prior to the commencement of private veterinary practice. If a veterinary practitioner will temporarily or occasionally carry on a private veterinary practice in the territory of the Slovak Republic also during the next calendar year, he/she is obliged to renew the declaration each year. The declaration may be delivered personally, by mail, electronic means or fax.

If a veterinary practitioner from another Member State provides data for the first time or if there is a substantial change in the data, the following documents shall be annexed:

• documents confirming citizenship;
• permanent or temporary residence; document confirming private veterinary practice in another Member State in line with the legislation of that Member State and the fact that at the time of declaration such it is not temporarily suspended;
• professional qualification;
• proof of at least two years of private veterinary practice in the past ten years, if the activity is not regulated in the Member State of origin;
• integrity.

Electric form:

Electronic forms can be found at this link and press "Enter the portal". Information about electronic procedures can be found here.