Study Veterinary Medicine in Europe: Schools, Admission and Costs

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Veterinary medicine is taught at a small number of schools: our whole catalogue has 62 programmes at 51 institutions. Germany has 5, Switzerland 2, Czechia 1. With so few places, competition is strong everywhere.

Admission by country

• Spain. 14 programmes. At public universities the last admitted student had an access score between 11.16 and 12.08 out of 14. Veterinary medicine in Spain.
• Portugal. 8 programmes, closing between 161.3 and 171.3 on the 200-point scale. Portugal.
• Italy. 17 programmes under the same national rules as medicine: an open first semester, then national exams and a ranking. Italy.
• Germany. Places at all veterinary faculties are allocated centrally through hochschulstart.de. Germany.
• France. The national veterinary schools select through a competitive process, including a route straight after school on Parcoursup. France.
• Czechia. One veterinary university, in Brno, with 4 programmes taught in English. Czechia.
• Switzerland. Taught in Bern and Zurich, with restricted admission. Switzerland.

Length

Five years in Spain and Italy, about five and a half in Germany and Portugal, six in Czechia. The German course ends with a state examination rather than a bachelor's or master's degree.

What it costs

Typical fees for EU students at public institutions: €1,064 a year in Spain, €697 a year in Portugal, €2,573 a year in Italy before income-based reductions, €2,808 a year in France, and no tuition in Germany. Non-EU students typically pay €3,604 a year in Spain and €8,000 a year in Portugal. English-taught programmes in Czechia charge tuition, while Czech-taught ones at public universities do not.

What to check before you apply

• Accreditation. European veterinary schools are evaluated by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE). Its website lists the status of every school.
• Practical requirements. Some schools expect work experience with animals before or during the first years. The school's admission page says so.
• Language. 6 programmes in the catalogue are taught in English. Farm and clinic placements still happen in the local language.

Recognition

A veterinary degree that meets the EU training standard is recognised automatically in the other EU and EEA countries and in Switzerland.

Where to look next

• All veterinary programmes by country
• Study medicine in Europe

Official sources

• EAEVE: evaluation of veterinary schools in Europe
• hochschulstart.de
• Parcoursup
• Universitaly

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.