Not everyone starts veterinary medicine in year one, but joining a higher year is sometimes possible. In our experience it is entered in the second year at the most; this is how, for example, veterinary technicians join in Ukraine and in Georgia. The studies last from five to six years, so after joining the second year of a six-year programme you have five years left. Below are the rules that the veterinary universities in our offer publish about transfers, and what we know from our own practice. If you think about medicine after veterinary medicine, we describe it separately: from veterinarian to doctor.
Key points
- The university sets the year, after comparing your transcript and course descriptions with its programme. Nobody can guarantee it before the university decides.
- In our experience veterinary medicine is entered in the second year at the most.
- The veterinary university in Košice admits transfer students only after they pass the entrance exams and are accepted to the first year, and it does not admit to the fifth or sixth year at all. The University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest recognises studies at other accredited universities, but every applicant takes an online oral exam before final acceptance.
- Start with your transcript and course descriptions: send them to us and we will check whether a transfer is possible.
Who can join a higher year of veterinary medicine
We distinguish three groups of people.
- A veterinary student from another university. You transfer and the new university credits the subjects you have already completed. The veterinary university in Košice allows a transfer only for students registered at another institution in a study programme of the same level and study branch.
- A veterinary technician. The university assesses vocational education and checks which subjects correspond to its programme: from veterinary technician to veterinarian.
- Someone who completed part of a natural science curriculum. The University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest writes that applicants who have completed a section of the curriculum in natural science at another university may be admitted after the study of the submitted transcripts and references, without a written examination.
What decides the year of entry
The veterinary universities write about it in different ways, but the same factors come back in their transfer conditions.
- Level and branch. The veterinary university in Košice transfers students only from a programme of the same level and study branch, and after the recognition of the subjects and the evaluation of their position in the study plan you may be transferred into a higher year.
- Exams and interview. In Košice a transfer requires passing the entrance exams and acceptance to the first year. In Budapest an online oral exam before final acceptance is mandatory for all applicants.
- Completed subjects. In Košice only subjects completed with a final grade can be recognised. Prior to entering the third year of the Budapest curriculum all exams from the previous two years have to be passed.
- Deadlines. In Košice the request for the recognition of subjects is submitted within 15 days of the delivery of the admission decision. In Budapest the university has to receive the original syllabi directly from your school within 3 months.
- Fees. LSMU in Kaunas, where veterinary medicine is an integrated programme, states on its tuition page that transfer students pay the tuition of the current year plus, if there are any, a fee for additional courses or exams.
- The highest year. The university in Košice does not admit to the fifth or sixth year. In our experience veterinary medicine is entered in the second year at the most.
What the universities in our offer publish
The table collects the rules from the universities’ official pages, read in November 2026. The rules change with every intake, so we confirm them with the university before you apply.
| University | What it publishes about the higher years |
|---|---|
| University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, UVLF (veterinary medicine) | Transfer is possible only for students registered at another institution in a study programme of the same level and study branch, conditional upon passing the entrance exams and acceptance to the first year. The university does not accept students applying to the fifth or sixth year. Within 15 days of the delivery of the admission decision you may apply for recognition of the subjects passed (only subjects completed with a final grade), with a full transcript and course information letters; after the recognition and the evaluation of their position in the study plan you may be transferred into the higher year of study. |
| University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest (veterinary medicine in English) | The university recognises studies at other accredited universities from any part of the world, and applicants who have completed a section of the curriculum in natural science may be admitted after the study of the submitted material (transcripts and references), without a written examination; an online oral exam is mandatory before final acceptance. The original syllabi have to be sent by your school directly to the Student’s Secretariat within 3 months. If a sufficient number of exemptions is approved, the time of studies can be shortened, and a start in February may also be possible. Prior to entering the third year of the Budapest curriculum all exams from the previous two years have to be passed. |
| Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) in Kaunas | The tuition page for 2026/27 has one sentence about transfers: transfer students pay the tuition of the current year plus, if there are any, a fee for additional courses or exams. The page does not describe the procedure, the semester or the year of entry. |
We do not describe the universities missing from the table: either they do not state transfer rules on the pages we read, or we have not yet checked this topic. In that case we ask the university about your case.
Ukraine and Georgia: our experience
In our experience veterinary technicians start veterinary medicine in the second year, in Ukraine and in Georgia; the university decides after comparing the documents. This is not a guarantee: the university decides on admission and on the year. In Ukraine veterinary medicine is a master’s programme after secondary school, 360 ECTS credits and six years, with tuition of 4900 USD per year and a state qualification exam (we describe it in a separate article).
Documents you will need
The list depends on the university. From the universities in the table:
- The veterinary university in Košice asks for a full transcript, an official confirmation of student status and a written request naming the institution and the current and target year; the request for the recognition of subjects, submitted after admission, is accompanied by a transcript of grades with ECTS credits and grading scale and by course descriptions;
- The University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest asks for transcripts and references, and it has to receive the original syllabi directly from your previous school within 3 months.
If you have a vocational diploma, send us the diploma and a list of subjects and we will check which universities can consider it; the details are in the article about veterinary technicians.
Step by step
- Send your documents Send us your transcript and course descriptions and we will check whether a transfer is possible. The consultation and the assessment of documents are free.
- Choosing a university We point out the universities that admit people in your situation to the higher years of veterinary medicine and tell you which year and which costs are realistic.
- Application We prepare the request for the recognition of subjects, the translations and the deadlines, and where needed also the entrance exam.
- The university’s decision The university recognises subjects and names the year of entry. It may also set additional subjects to catch up on.
- Departure We help with tuition, the visa where one is needed, accommodation and travel.
- Studies from a higher year Your adviser stays with you until graduation. This care is free for students because it is sponsored by the universities we have agreements with.
Pros and cons of a shortened route
Pros
- You have fewer years to complete: after joining the second year of a six-year programme you have five years left, not six, so you also pay tuition for fewer years.
- Subjects that the university recognises count as completed, so you do not repeat that material.
Cons
- You have no guarantee of the year or of admission: the university may recognise fewer subjects than you expect.
- The veterinary university in Košice admits transfer students only after they pass the entrance exams and are accepted to the first year, and it does not admit to the fifth or sixth year at all.
- Budapest requires an online oral exam before final acceptance, and your previous school has to send the original syllabi directly to the university within 3 months.
- Studies from a higher year still last several years, so you need to plan living costs and tuition for that time.
After graduation: the right to practise
Directive 2005/36/EC requires the training of a veterinary surgeon to comprise at least five years of full-time theoretical and practical study (Article 38). Where you can work after graduation depends on the country where you graduate and the country where you want to work, so we check the rules for recognising your diploma with you before you choose a university.
Frequently asked questions
Can I join veterinary medicine straight away in a higher year?
Yes, if the university recognises your earlier credits or education. The university sets the year, and in our experience veterinary medicine is entered in the second year at the most. There is no guarantee, so we start by checking your documents.
Can a veterinary technician start veterinary medicine in the second year?
In our experience veterinary technicians start veterinary medicine in the second year, in Ukraine and in Georgia. The university decides on admission and on the year after comparing the documents, so we start by checking your diploma and the list of subjects.
Does the university in Košice admit to the fifth or sixth year of veterinary medicine?
No. The veterinary university in Košice writes that it does not accept students applying to the fifth or sixth year, and a transfer is conditional upon passing the entrance exams and acceptance to the first year.
Do I have to take a written exam in Budapest?
The University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest writes that applicants who have completed a section of the curriculum in natural science at another university may be admitted after the study of the submitted transcripts and references, without a written examination. An online oral exam before final acceptance is mandatory for all applicants, however.
How much does your help with entering a higher year cost?
The consultation and the assessment of documents are free. We set the price of a transfer and of admission to a higher year individually because it depends on the case. Care during the studies is free for our students because it is sponsored by the universities we have agreements with.
Read also: veterinary medicine in Ukraine. You can find all the universities in the list of universities.
Official sources
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