Applying for Licensure
Here to assist you
We understand that applying for a licence to practice veterinary medicine is a significant step in your career, and we want to support you with clear information about our processes in accordance with our service commitment. When you submit an application for licensure, our staff review it carefully and will strive to contact you with information about the outstanding requirements within five business days. Once you meet all the requirements for a particular licence, it can be approved and processed within two business days. We look forward to assisting you with the licensing process and answering any questions you have. Contact our team at licensure@cvo.org if you would like to make an appointment to meet with us.
How to apply
Please read through the licensure process information that applies to you.
Holding a licence to practise in the province is a privilege and as such comes with ongoing responsibilities. Only veterinarians licensed by the College are permitted to practise veterinary medicine in Ontario.
Licensure Process Information
Accredited veterinary school graduate
Individuals who have graduated or are about to graduate from an accredited veterinary school.
Applicants licensed in Canada
Individuals who are currently licensed in another Canadian province or territory.
Unaccredited veterinary school graduate
Internationally educated individuals who have graduated from an AVMA-COE accredited veterinary school or an acceptable unaccredited veterinary school.
Additional Information
Jurisprudence Exam, Restricted Licenses, Fees, Registrations Committee
FAQs from Applicants
The College believes that the intent and spirit of the legislation is to facilitate the learning process for students enrolled in accredited veterinary medical undergraduate programs and to permit these students to participate in these placements/rotations/internships/externships under appropriate supervision without requiring licensure.
The Veterinarians Act exempts undergraduate students enrolled in the DVM program at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) from the need to be licensed with the College while engaging in the undergraduate curriculum of studies. The provision permits these students to participate in externships and other clinical activities under the immediate or direct supervision of a CVO-licensed veterinarian, both on campus during coursework and in clinical practice placements when placed in an elective rotation or in an externship. Students must be identified to clients as student learners.
If a student is volunteering or working at a clinic outside of their DVM program, they are restricted to acting as an auxiliary and cannot practise veterinary medicine.
Language project
The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) is beginning its work on a project to benchmark the language demands (both French and English) of veterinarians in Ontario. The CCLB has been engaged by the College for the one-year project. To support the project, an Advisory Committee will be established to provide guidance, and a benchmarking team will collect qualitative and quantitative data through research. The research will include job shadowing and on-site workplace observations of authentic language use. Benchmark findings arising from the analysis of this data will be validated through focus group sessions with veterinarians and experts.
The final report, expected in December 2024, will describe the benchmarks of the speaking, listening, reading, and writing tasks required of veterinarians in Ontario. It will provide a clear blueprint of the language requirements needed to work safely as a veterinarian in Ontario, based on Canada’s national language standards: Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and Niveous de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC). A current language evaluation will allow the College to use the language benchmarks to set appropriate and consistent scores across all of the accepted language proficiency tests and the ability to easily adopt new language tests and set acceptable scores.
Seeking veterinary practices for on-site workplace observation
Help inform the language demands of veterinarians in Ontario. Veterinarians work in a wide range of sites and situations and CCLB’s research team is interested in becoming familiar with all of these areas. To participate in on-site workplace observations, please email Lindsay Sproule, Principal Licensure at lsproule@cvo.org.