To gain premises accreditation and a Certificate of Suitability (COS) under the Council’s Premises Accreditation Scheme (PAS), a COS application must first be made, and a premises inspection is then carried out to ensure that the premises is compliant with all the relevant PAS Standards and Regulations. The PAS Standards which must be met will depend on which premises classification the application is made under. COS Applications may only be submitted by persons registered with the Veterinary Council.

A copy of the COS application and a report of the premises inspection are first considered by the Practice Premises Committee (PPC), who will make its recommendation to the Council on whether to grant the COS or not. All final decisions on whether a COS is granted rests with the Council. 

Please find below the following documents:

Please read these documents carefully before submitting a COS application.

The COS fee

The COS fee for a certificate lasting from 2024 to 31 December 2025 is €850. This fee is divided into two payments:

1. An initial non-refundable fee of €450 to cover the cost of the inspection by one of the Premises Assessors;
2. The remaining €400 is due on granting of the COS by the Council.

Applications can only be accepted once the initial inspection fee has been paid. The COS fee can be paid by cheque, bank transfer or online by selecting the appropriate fee – here. 

Timeline

Please be advised that the process of obtaining premises accreditation can take up to three months. The PPC and the Council meet 6-8 times a year on dates predetermined at the start of the year. Premises must be ready at time of inspection. If a second assessment of the premises is deemed necessary at any stage by the Veterinary Council in order for an application to be fairly determined, this assessment will be at the expense of the applicant. Premises inspections must be carried out well in advance of the PPC meeting date. This is to ensure enough time for the premises inspection report to be prepared and to give applicants a chance to address any minor issues identified.

For a list of meeting dates and inspection deadlines, please contact the Executive team by email at pas@vci.ie.

Upon receipt of your full application and payment of the appropriate fee, a member of the PAS team will be in touch to discuss the application and your availability for an inspection of the premises.

In the meantime, please note that in accordance with Section 106 (1) (a) of the Veterinary Practice Act 2005, as amended, the practice of veterinary medicine is not permitted at or from any premises not registered with the Veterinary Council of Ireland.

Should you have any queries regarding this, please don’t hesitate to contact the VCI Executive office by email to pas@vci.ie.