Support in Obtaining a Veterinary Practice Licence in Ukraine
As of 31 January 2026, the veterinary services market has returned to full licensing: the simplified declaration-based regime of the wartime period has been abolished, and every veterinary clinic, surgery, outpatient facility or private practitioner must now hold a veterinary practice licence. Businesses that operated under a declaration have been given a tight transition period, and the price of delay is being barred from lawfully providing services. Dextra Law provides end-to-end support in obtaining a veterinary practice licence: from checking compliance with the licensing conditions to filing documents with the State Food Safety Service and obtaining the decision.
What changed in 2026: veterinary practice is once again subject to licensing
During martial law, veterinary practice could be carried out under a simplified procedure — on the basis of a declaration. That regime has been abolished. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 98 of 28 January 2026 amended Resolution No. 314 of 18 March 2022, removing veterinary practice from the list of activities that may be carried out on the basis of a declaration under martial law.
As a result, from 31 January 2026 it is no longer possible to obtain the right to carry out veterinary practice by submitting a declaration. All business entities — veterinary clinics, surgeries, outpatient facilities and private practitioners — must obtain a full licence. The requirement to license veterinary practice itself is established by the Law of Ukraine “On the Licensing of Types of Economic Activity” No. 222-VIII, while the specific requirements for licensees are set out in the Licensing Conditions for carrying out economic activity in veterinary practice, approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 896 of 4 November 2015.
The changes are part of a broader reform of veterinary medicine regulation aimed at harmonising legislation with European standards and improving the quality control of veterinary services and the transparency of the market. For businesses, this means a return to a model in which the treatment of animals requires confirmed staff qualifications, an adequate material and technical base, and appropriate infrastructure.
Veterinary practice licensing: the essentials at a glance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Law No. 222-VIII; Licensing Conditions (CMU Resolution No. 896); abolition of the declaration — CMU Resolution No. 98 |
| Licensing authority | State Food Safety Service (Derzhprodspozhyvsluzhba) |
| Who obtains it | Legal entities and sole proprietors who are veterinary medicine specialists |
| Form of submission | In person, by post, or electronically via the Diia portal |
| Application review period | As a rule, 10 working days |
| Issuance fee | One-off; UAH 3,328 in 2026 |
| Licence validity | Indefinite |
| Deadline for those who operated under a declaration | File the application by 30 April 2026 |
Who needs a veterinary practice licence
A licence is required by everyone who plans to carry out veterinary practice as an independent economic activity:
- legal entities — veterinary clinics, hospitals and other enterprises providing veterinary services;
- sole proprietors who carry out veterinary activity as veterinary medicine specialists.
Without a licence, such activity is considered unlawful. At the same time, a separate licence is not required for a specialist who works under an employment contract at a facility that already holds a valid veterinary practice licence — in that case, the employer’s licence is the legal basis for the activity.
Licensing conditions: what the veterinary business must meet
The licensing conditions approved by Resolution No. 896 set out organisational, staffing and material-and-technical requirements for the licensee. The key ones include:
- Premises. Ownership or use (lease) of premises suitable for veterinary practice and compliant with sanitary and veterinary-sanitary requirements.
- Material and technical base. Equipment, instruments and supplies needed to provide the declared types of veterinary services.
- Staffing. A sufficient number of veterinary medicine specialists with the appropriate level of training.
- Staff qualifications. Compliance of specialists with the unified qualification requirements, confirmed by diplomas and documents on education and qualification level.
- Compliance with the rules. Keeping the documents that confirm the right to carry out the activity and observing the requirements of veterinary medicine legislation.
In practice, most refusals come down to two issues: a material and technical base that falls short, and incomplete documents on the education and qualifications of the practitioners. Both are worth resolving before the application is filed.
Which documents are submitted
To obtain a licence, the following are submitted to the licensing authority, in particular:
- an application for a licence to carry out economic activity in veterinary practice;
- information in the prescribed form on the available material and technical base and premises;
- information on the veterinary medicine specialists, stating their educational and qualification level;
- certified copies of diplomas and other documents confirming the specialists’ qualifications;
- a copy of the passport of the head of the entity or of the sole proprietor to whom the licence is to be issued;
- a power of attorney — where the documents are submitted by a representative.
The licensing procedure: step by step
- Compliance assessment. Checking the legal basis of the current activity, assessing the premises, equipment and staff against the licensing conditions, and identifying gaps to be closed before submission.
- Preparation of the document package. Drawing up the application and the information in the prescribed form, and organising the staffing and permit documents.
- Submission to the State Food Safety Service. The documents are submitted to the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection — in person, by post, or electronically via the Diia portal under the pilot project for introducing the Unified State Electronic System of Permit Documents.
- Review of the application. The licensing authority reviews the documents and decides to issue the licence or to refuse it within the period established by Law No. 222-VIII — as a rule, within 10 working days.
- Acquisition of the right to operate. The right to carry out veterinary practice arises on the day a corresponding entry is made in the licensing register on the basis of the decision to issue the licence.
Timeframes, fee and licence validity
A one-off fee, the amount of which is set by the state (UAH 3,328 in 2026), is charged for issuing the licence. The document confirming payment of the fee must be kept: its absence may be a ground for suspending the licence. A veterinary practice licence is issued indefinitely — there is no time limit on its validity for as long as the licensee complies with the licensing conditions.
The transition period for those who operated under a declaration
A transition period is provided for business entities that began operating during martial law on the basis of a declaration. Such clinics, surgeries and sole proprietors must file an application for a licence by 30 April 2026. After that date, operating without a licence is treated as a breach of the law, with the corresponding consequences.
A few months is less than it looks: if the premises need to be re-equipped or the staffing documents put in order, there may not be enough time left for the actual bringing into compliance. So it is worth gathering the documents now, rather than closer to April.
Grounds for refusal and suspension of a licence
A licence may be refused if false information is found in the submitted documents, or if the material and technical base and staff qualifications do not meet the licensing conditions. An already issued licence may be suspended — for example, due to non-payment of the issuance fee or an identified non-compliance of the activity with statutory requirements. The documents must therefore be complete and consistent, and the actual state of the facility must match what has been declared.
What a business risks without a licence
Carrying out veterinary practice without a licence after the abolition of the declaration-based regime is unlawful. This creates the risk of sanctions for conducting economic activity without a licence, suspension of the facility’s operation and reputational losses. For operating clinics, the safest course is to complete licensing in good time and avoid a period in which the activity formally has no legal basis.
How Dextra Law supports obtaining a veterinary practice licence
Dextra Law’s lawyers take on the full cycle of support — from diagnostics to obtaining the licence and the subsequent protection of the licensee’s interests. Our work covers:
- Compliance audit against the licensing conditions. We check the legal basis of the activity, the premises, the equipment and the staff, and draw up a list of what needs to be addressed before the application is filed.
- Preparation of the document package. We draw up the application and the information in the prescribed form, organise the staffing and permit documents, and resolve the inconsistencies that most often lead to refusals.
- Submission and communication with the State Food Safety Service. We handle the submission of documents, including electronically via Diia, and support the review of the application, processing the licensing authority’s queries.
- Support during the transition period. We help those operating under a declaration switch to the licensing model in good time — by 30 April 2026 — without interrupting their work.
- Amendments and protection of the licence. We support amendments to the licence and represent the client’s interests in disputes over refusal or suspension of the licence.
Most refusals and delays arise not from the complexity of the procedure but from small issues in the documents and premises that fall short of the requirements. When a lawyer spots these points in advance, licensing goes through without surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. From 31 January 2026, the declaration-based principle for veterinary practice has been abolished. All business entities must hold a full licence.
Licensing is carried out by the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (the State Food Safety Service).
Entities that operated on the basis of a declaration during martial law must file an application for a licence by 30 April 2026.
No, if the practitioner works under an employment contract at a facility that already holds a valid licence. A licence is required by whoever carries out the activity independently — a legal entity or a sole proprietor.
The licensing authority decides to issue or refuse the licence within the period established by Law No. 222-VIII — as a rule, within 10 working days of receiving the application.
A veterinary practice licence is indefinite — there is no time limit on its validity for as long as the licensee complies with the licensing conditions.
Most often it is a material and technical base that does not meet the licensing conditions and shortcomings in the documents confirming the education and qualifications of the veterinary specialists.
Yes. Documents may be submitted electronically via the Diia portal under the pilot project for introducing the Unified State Electronic System of Permit Documents, as well as in person or by post.
Need support in obtaining a veterinary practice licence?
The Dextra Law team will check your facility’s compliance with the licensing conditions, prepare the documents and support obtaining the licence from the submission of the application to the entry in the licensing register. Contact us to assess your situation and draw up a clear action plan within the transition period.
