Veterinary Surgeon

Any physical person is eligible to register to the Veterinary Surgeons Register and thus exercise the veterinary practice, provided that the Cyprus Veterinary Council is satisfied that he/she:

• is a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus or a spouse or child of a Cypriot citizen and has his/her permanent residence in the Republic of Cyprus or is an EU member state citizen;
• has not committed an offence nor was guilty of disgraceful or inappropriate professional behavior so that the responsible Veterinary Council of his/her country has imposed measures against him/her;
• possess a recognized diploma/certificate or equivalent title listed in Annex III of the Law (Annex V.4. of Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications as amended) or covered by the provisions of article 9 A of Law (article of 23 Directive 2005/36/EC as amended) or recognized title by the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications (KYSATS);
• possess a clear criminal record certificate from the responsible authority of the country of origin or certificate of «Goodstanding/current professional status» issued by the competent authority of the member state as a proof of good character;
• possess very good knowledge of the Greek language as it is certified by exams that are under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth and especially good knowledge of the Greek veterinary terminology.

The application for registration in the Veterinary Surgeons Register can be submitted either through the PSC Cyprus Portal or by hand/post to the competent authority:

Registrar of Cyprus Veterinary Council
Athalassa,1417 Nicosia
Tel: +357 22805200
Fax: +357 22332803
E-mail: director@vs.moa.gov.cy
Website: http://www.moa.gov.cy/vs

1. The application should be accompanied by the following documents:

   • copy of identity card or passport;
   • copy of diploma/certificate or title in Veterinary Medicine (certified translation in Greek or English language to be submitted);
   • copy of transcript of academic records (certified translation in Greek or English language to be submitted);
   • copy of certificate of recognition of titles of studies by the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, only if the applicant does not posses the formal qualifications listed in Annex III of the Law (Annex V.4 of the EU Directive 2005/36/EC as amended) or the diploma/certificate or title is not covered by the provisions of article 9 A of the Law (article 23 of Directive 2005/36/EC as amended);
   • copy of a clear criminal record certificate issued by the police or «Certificate of Good standing» or «Certificate of current professional status» issued by the competent authority of the member state or member states in which the medicine was practiced in the past (the original clear criminal record certificate is to be shown at the personal interview of the applicant with the Cyprus Veterinary Council);
   • certificate of very good knowledge of the Greek language as it is certified by exams of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus;
   • certificate of permanent establishment in Cyprus in the case of a national of another Member State (this certificate is issued by the local authority).

   In case that the applicant is a national of another Member State , Cyprus Veterinary Council may request the applicant to attend a personal interview in order to assess the level of knowledge of the Greek language and especially the knowledge of the veterinary terminology.

Upon approval, the applicant must pay the registration fee of €8,54 (payable by cash).

Administrative Action Against a Competent Authority’s Decision

Any person may file an Administrative Action at the Administrative court against a decision, act or omission of any competent authority or body.

Pursuant to Article 146 of the Constitution, an Administrative Action may be lodged within 75 days from the date of the decision or act or omission or from the day when such decision or act or omission was notified to the applicant.

The Administrative Court acts as a cassation Court and not as a substantive Court. In other words, the Administrative Court may:
I. Dismiss the Administrative Action
II. Annul wholly or partially the contested decision or act
III. Compel the relevant authority or body to take a certain action

After a decision is annulled, the authority and/or public body must reverse things back to the state prior to when the concerned decision and/or act was executed and reexamine.

Appeal Information

An Appeal may be filed against the Administrative Court’s first-instance decision within a period of 42 days from the date such decision was given.

At the Supreme Court (Court of Appeal Section) hearing, the contested issue of the appeal remains the legality of the decision or act already adjudicated for. However, such revision of the legality of the decision or act is solely examined on the matters and the extent that the two parties have limited the reasons in the relevant notice of appeal.

The decision adopted by the Supreme Court is considered final in relation to the matter that has been judged.

• Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications
• Directive 2013/55/EU amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’)
• The Exercise οf Veterinary Practice and Registration of Veterinary Surgeons Law of 1990 (169 / 1990)
• The Private Veterinary Laboratories (Registration, Operation and Control) Regulations

Registered Veterinarians are obliged to comply with the Professional Code of Veterinary Practice Regulations of 1994 (in the “Application & Documents”) and the Exercise οf Veterinary Practice and Registration of Veterinary Surgeons Law and Regulations, as periodically amended. Specifically, registered veterinarians are obliged, among others, to:

• contribute, to the extent possible, to the enhancement of animal production;
• promote the animals’ welfare with the prevention and treatment of animal diseases;
• protect human’s health from animal diseases and ensure the highest possible hygiene and quality standards of the food and animal products;
• defend the honor, reputation and dignity of the profession with their behavior;
• equally treat their customers regarding the provision, diligence and devotion exhibited in the cases undertaken;
• provide explicit directions as per the usage and custody of the prescribed medicine;
• behave with respect, politeness and generosity towards their colleagues;
• not implement procedures or methods of unfair competition during the exercise of the veterinary practice;
• be fully informed regarding the latest scientific developments especially those relating to the veterinary practice;
• inform the Cyprus Veterinary Council before the end of November of every year either in case of change of professional or home address, or in case of obtainment of new specialization;
  keep records of cases and activities undertaken relating to the exercise of veterinary practice.

The Cyprus Veterinary Council is the delegated body to exercise disciplinary control on the registered veterinarians and impose disciplinary penalties, such as the temporary or permanent deletion of a registered veterinarian from the registry, temporary suspension of the authorization to exercise the veterinary practice, penalties, written reprimand etc.