The UK is a great place to work as a vet and talented vets from overseas may decide to pursue a career here. Overseas vets are a fundamental part of the profession in the UK, and without them, there would likely be a shortage! If you are a foreign national interested in a veterinary job in the UK – here’s what you need to know about your right to work and how to apply.
Veterinary sponsorship in the UK
If you are looking to qualify for a skilled work visa, you will need a certificate of sponsorship from your UK employer. Any employer recruiting overseas vets requires a licence to sponsor their visa if they do not currently have the right to work in the UK. This falls under the points-based visa system and vets are classified as either ‘Tier 1 highly skilled workers’ or ‘Tier 2 skilled workers’.
Registering as a veterinarian in the UK
To practise as a veterinarian, you must first register as a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) under one of these lists. These are the:
- General list
- Commonwealth list – for those holding a Commonwealth qualification
- Foreign list – for those holding a foreign qualification
- Temporary list
For overseas vets, this will likely either be the Commonwealth list or the foreign list.
You must check that your veterinary degree is recognised by the RCVS if you have qualified outside of the UK – there is a full list of degrees that are recognised from around the world on their website. You then need to provide evidence of your qualifications and any other information required by the RCVS, and you will also need to pay a registration fee.
If your qualification is not recognised by the RCVS, you will need to sit and pass the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership.
To be eligible to take the exam you must be a qualified veterinary surgeon of good professional standing and eligible to practise in the country where you gained your degree by the date of the exam.
English language test
If you are not from an English-speaking country, or your course was not in English, you will need to take an additional test to demonstrate your English language skills. This will be either the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test or the OET (Occupational English Test).
You should take this test before applying to the RCVS as a UK veterinarian, and it may also be needed for a visa application in some cases. There is a chance that you may have to retake the test, so it is advised that you take the test as soon as possible to avoid delays.
You can view further information about English language testing requirements here.
Right to work and share codes
A share code is a unique nine-digit code used to identify someone from overseas that is working in the UK. It is issued by the Home Office and employers can use it to check that a worker has the right to work in the UK. The share code also shows how long the employee is eligible to work for and the kind of work they can do.
You can get a share code and prove your right to work to an employer on the GOV UK website. To do this you’ll need either a passport, national identity card, biometric residence card number or biometric residence permit number.
If you are an employer looking to employ a vet from overseas, you can also check their right to work using their share code on the GOV.UK website.
Hopefully this guide to working in the UK as an overseas vet or sponsoring a vet from overseas has been useful but if you have any questions, you can get in touch with our friendly team of experts.