How to open a veterinary clinic in Ukraine: licensing and requirements

Opening a veterinary clinic, outpatient veterinary facility, or veterinary assistance point in Ukraine requires obtaining an appropriate license. Without such authorization, conducting veterinary activities is illegal. Licensing of veterinary practice is carried out by the state in order to control the quality of medical services for animals and ensure compliance with established standards of operation.

The authority that issues veterinary practice licenses is the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection). This body reviews applications, verifies documents, and decides whether to grant or refuse a license.

According to the legislation of Ukraine, the review period for documents to obtain a license is up to 10 working days from the moment the application is submitted. At the same time, in practice, minor delays may occasionally occur due to the workload of the government authority or the need for additional verification of documents. In most cases, the procedure takes place within the established timeframes, especially if the documents are prepared correctly and comply with all legal requirements.

Requirements for premises to obtain a veterinary license

One of the main conditions for obtaining a license is the availability of appropriate premises for the veterinarian to conduct their activities. The legislation provides that the license applicant must have non-residential premises that may be owned or used under a lease agreement. The main requirement is the ability to ensure proper conditions for providing veterinary services and compliance with sanitary and technological standards.

Veterinary establishments may operate in three main formats:

• clinic,
• outpatient veterinary facility
• veterinary point.

A veterinary medicine clinic is the most comprehensive format of a facility, as it allows providing a wide range of services — from preventive examinations to complex treatment procedures and clinical research. In such facilities, both outpatient treatment and inpatient stay for animals are possible, as well as on-site service for clients.

A veterinary outpatient facility is the most common format of a veterinary business. In such a facility, prevention and treatment of animal diseases are carried out, and veterinary services may also be provided on-site. This format is optimal for most entrepreneurs who plan to open a veterinary office or a small clinic.

A separate format is the veterinary point. Its feature is that veterinary services are provided exclusively through a specialist visiting the client. In this case, animals are not received at the premises.

For veterinary clinics and outpatient facilities, the mandatory presence of several functional areas is required. In particular, the following must be equipped:

• doctor’s office,
• a place where medicines and biological preparations will be stored,
• a sterilization and instrument processing area,
• reception area
• an area for performing medical procedures.

Places for storing household inventory must also be provided.

For veterinary clinics, an additional requirement is the presence of an isolation unit for keeping sick animals, which helps prevent the spread of infections.

In some facilities, X-ray diagnostics rooms or ultrasound examination rooms may also operate.

Requirements for veterinary facility staff

Compliance with staffing requirements is also important for obtaining a license. If the license is obtained by an individual entrepreneur, they must have education in the specialty “Veterinary Medicine.” If the veterinary facility is a legal entity, qualified veterinarians and veterinary assistants must be employed in its staff.

The legislation does not establish strict requirements regarding the level of education. It is sufficient to have a diploma of a junior specialist, bachelor, or master in the relevant specialty. Previous work experience in the field of veterinary medicine is also not required to obtain a license.

At the same time, veterinary specialists must undergo professional development every five years. If a veterinarian has recently graduated from university, such courses are not required immediately. However, if the diploma was obtained more than five years ago, the specialist must complete advanced training courses and obtain the corresponding state-issued certificate. Certificates of participation in seminars or workshops cannot replace an official certificate or document confirming professional development.

Making changes to a veterinary license

After obtaining a license, an entrepreneur or company may encounter circumstances that require changes to the licensing file. Most often this occurs in the case of:

1. change of the legal entity’s name,
2. change of surname or name of an individual entrepreneur,
3. change of the company’s location,
4. opening a new place of business activity
5. changes in staff information.

In such cases, the licensee is obliged to notify the licensing authority. The period for such notification is one month. For this purpose, a corresponding application and a package of documents are submitted. The period for reviewing an application to amend a license is up to one month; however, in practice, the procedure often occurs faster.

Validity period of the veterinary license

An important advantage of the veterinary license is that it is issued for an indefinite period. This means that after obtaining the permit, it is not necessary to go through the licensing procedure again. The license is valid throughout the entire territory of Ukraine.

Legal support for obtaining a veterinary license

Obtaining a veterinary practice license involves preparing a significant number of documents and verifying that the business complies with licensing requirements. Errors in documents or non-compliance with requirements may lead to refusal to issue the license or delays in the procedure.

Lawyers of our company help entrepreneurs go through the licensing procedure as quickly as possible and without risks.

We provide full legal support and work remotely throughout Ukraine. Our services include:

1. preparation of a package of documents to obtain a veterinary license
2. legal verification of the premises for compliance with requirements
3. support in submitting documents to the licensing authority
4. making changes to the license
5. consultations on opening a veterinary clinic or outpatient facility

Do you have questions? Leave a request on the website — and our lawyer specializing in veterinary practice licensing will contact you.