In-House Veterinary Station: How to Secure a Veterinary Practice License for an Enterprise

For a livestock complex, poultry farm, equestrian club, or agricultural holding company, a veterinary facility is a fundamental part of the infrastructure. Its operation directly affects the biological safety of the enterprise, livestock health, and the financial stability of the entire business. Any outbreak of an infectious disease on a large farm can result in immediate and significant financial losses, which is why animal health must be monitored continuously.

In practice, however, many agricultural enterprises have provided veterinary services in-house for years without proper legal documentation, often without realizing that such activities may require obtaining a veterinary practice license.

What Is a Veterinary Facility on a Farm or Agricultural Enterprise? 

A veterinary facility on a farm or agricultural enterprise is a dedicated specialized area where veterinary care is provided directly on the premises. Such facilities are typically established to reduce reliance on external specialists, respond quickly to animal health issues, and independently manage disease prevention and control measures.

The format of the facility may vary depending on the type and size of the enterprise. For some businesses, it may be a small room used for routine examinations and vaccinations. For larger agricultural complexes, it may be a fully equipped veterinary and sanitary unit.

Veterinary facilities are particularly common:

• on dairy and livestock farms;
• at equestrian clubs and riding facilities;
• at industrial poultry farms;
• at breeding farms;
• at agricultural enterprises with their own livestock.

At the same time, businesses often view such a facility simply as an internal part of the farm rather than as a separate activity subject to state regulation. As a result, many enterprises do not consider the need for veterinary practice licensing, compliance of the premises with applicable standards, staff qualifications, or proper documentation until much later in the process.

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When Veterinary Activities Require a License: The Main Mistake Agricultural Businesses Make

Many farm owners mistakenly believe that a license is required only for veterinary clinics or practices that provide services to third-party clients and receive direct payment for those services. However, the legal framework is different. If an enterprise employs a veterinarian who examines animals, administers vaccinations, performs preventive treatments, or carries out other veterinary procedures involving veterinary medicines, such activities may already fall under the definition of veterinary practice and require a license.

In other words, the key legal consideration is not whether the services are provided for payment, but the nature and substance of the veterinary activities being performed. Licensing issues may arise, for example, when:

• a veterinarian works permanently on the farm;
• veterinary medicines are used;
• injections, vaccinations, or treatments are performed;
• a dedicated veterinary facility is maintained;
• systematic veterinary care is provided to the livestock.

This is where many agricultural businesses make a common mistake, assuming: “If we treat only our own cows or horses, government regulation does not apply to us.” However, the legislation focuses not on who receives the veterinary care, but on whether veterinary practice is actually being carried out.

Fines and Sales Restrictions: The Risks of Operating Without a License

Practicing veterinary medicine without a valid license from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection is not merely a formal violation that can be resolved with a minor fine. For an agricultural business, the consequences can be much more serious:

1. Administrative liability. Under Article 164 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses, conducting business activities without the required license may result in a fine, with or without confiscation of manufactured products, production equipment, and raw materials.
2. Restrictions on product sales. This can be the most significant financial consequence for a business. If an enterprise does not have a properly licensed veterinary facility, the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection may have legal grounds to stop issuing veterinary accompanying documents, including veterinary certificates F 1 and F 2, through the Unified State Register of Veterinary Documents. Without the required veterinary documents, an enterprise may be unable to legally sell milk, meat, or live animals, or ship products for export. For a large dairy farm, even a single day of shipment restrictions caused by spoiled raw materials and breached supply contracts can result in substantial financial losses.

Requirements for Veterinary Facility Premises

A common mistake when setting up a veterinary facility is to use any available room or storage area on the farm and assume that this is sufficient for lawful operation. In reality, veterinary practice requires not only suitable premises but also appropriate functional organization.

First, the licensee must have the premises under a valid legal right of ownership, lease, or other lawful use. This must be confirmed by the relevant documents, such as an extract from the Register of Real Estate Rights or a lease agreement.

Even a basic veterinary facility should have clearly designated areas for:

• a veterinary professional's workstation, with space for preparing and storing documentation;
• storage of veterinary medicines, biological products, and medical instruments;
• sterilization of instruments, materials, and protective workwear;
• storage of household and cleaning equipment, as well as disinfectants.

Therefore, the facility is not simply a “veterinarian's office.” It must be organized in a way that allows veterinary procedures to be performed safely while ensuring proper storage of medicines and instruments.

Depending on the size and needs of the agricultural enterprise, the veterinary facility may include additional areas, such as:

• a separate examination and diagnostic room;
• a dedicated medication storage room;
• an isolation room for animals with suspected infectious diseases;
• staff and utility facilities.

It is important to understand that the requirements for the premises depend directly on the veterinary services actually provided by the enterprise. This is another area where businesses often make a mistake: they declare a “minimal” operating model, while in practice the facility performs a much broader range of veterinary procedures.

Legal Warning

It is important to note that the requirements outlined above are the minimum requirements specifically applicable to a veterinary medicine facility. In practice, however, we regularly encounter situations where a client applies to register a veterinary facility, but an analysis of the actual scope of operations shows that the activities are more consistent with a veterinary outpatient facility or clinic.

This is particularly common when a business plans to operate an X-ray room, provide ultrasound diagnostics, maintain an inpatient facility, or perform more complex veterinary procedures. In such cases, registering the facility as a standard veterinary medicine facility may no longer meet the requirements of the regulatory authority, the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP).

For this reason, one of the key tasks at the initial stage is to correctly determine the type of veterinary practice that corresponds to the actual activities of the business. Based on our practical experience in supporting veterinary licensing, we understand what type of facility and scope of activities the SSUFSCP expects to see in each particular case. 

What Equipment and Facilities Are Needed for a Veterinary Facility?

For stable operations and successful licensing, the equipment of an on-site veterinary facility should consist of four mandatory categories, each of which must be specified in the information on the material and technical resources (MTR).

Diagnostic and Treatment Equipment

This category includes the main equipment used by the veterinarian to examine and restrain animals, as well as to perform basic treatment procedures:

• Animal restraint equipment: specialized restraint chutes for cattle or horses, or treatment tables for small animals, depending on the farm’s profile.
• Surgical or treatment tables: equipped with drainage systems and made of materials resistant to aggressive disinfectants.
• Specialized lighting: shadowless surgical lamps or mobile treatment lamps to provide adequate visibility during procedures or treatments.

Specialized Instruments and Sterilization Equipment

An on-site veterinary facility must have a complete set of instruments necessary to provide both emergency and routine veterinary care:

• Surgical instruments: scalpels, forceps, clamps, needle holders, and other standard surgical instruments.
• Therapeutic instruments: automatic syringes for mass vaccination, probes, and obstetric sets, including chains and loops used to assist with difficult births.
• Sterilization equipment: autoclaves or dry-heat sterilizers. The availability of a certified sterilizer at the facility is a mandatory licensing requirement to demonstrate that reusable instruments undergo proper sterilization and processing.

Medication Storage Equipment (Cold Chain)

Because agricultural businesses often purchase vaccines and sera in bulk, maintaining their effectiveness can involve significant financial investments. Licensing requirements provide for the availability of:

• Medical or specialized refrigerators: equipped with reliable temperature control and capable of maintaining the required temperature, typically between +2°C and +8°C, for the storage of temperature-sensitive veterinary medicines.
• Microclimate monitoring devices: psychrometers (hygrometers) and thermometers. These should be placed both inside refrigerators and in areas where other medicines are stored. Their readings must be recorded daily by the veterinarian in the relevant records.
• Safes or metal cabinets: if the facility uses potent substances or hormonal medicines, they must be stored exclusively in lockable safes securely attached to the floor or wall.

Disinfection and Hygiene Equipment

• Germicidal irradiation devices: quartz germicidal lamps for regular disinfection of the air and surfaces in the treatment area.
• Premises disinfection equipment: professional sprayers for treating the veterinary facility itself and the surrounding area.

Please note! All measuring equipment, including scales, thermometers, hygrometers, and moisture meters, must have valid verification certificates (metrological verification certificates).

Requirements for Veterinary Personnel and Employment Documentation

In veterinary medicine, staff qualifications are not only a matter of effective animal care but also a strict licensing requirement. The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection carefully reviews the company's personnel documentation because the education and legal status of its specialists directly determine whether the veterinary facility can operate lawfully. 

Educational and Professional Qualifications of the Head and Specialists

Veterinary practice, including prescribing treatment and signing internal veterinary documents, may only be carried out by individuals with the appropriate professional education:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (master's or specialist-level qualification).
• Veterinary paramedic (bachelor's or junior specialist qualification).

All specialists' diplomas must be issued by Ukrainian higher education institutions or officially nostrified (recognized) if the education was obtained abroad.

Mandatory Continuing Professional Development

A higher education diploma is only the first step. Ukrainian legislation requires veterinary professionals to regularly update their knowledge and qualifications. Veterinary doctors and veterinary paramedics must undergo continuing professional training at least once every five years.

This is confirmed by the relevant certificate or qualification document in the prescribed form, issued by an accredited scientific or educational institution.

Please note: If your farm employs an experienced veterinarian with 20 years of professional experience, but their most recent continuing professional training certificate was issued more than five years ago, the licensing authority may consider this a serious compliance issue and refuse to grant the license.

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Legal Status and Employment Arrangements

It is important to properly integrate veterinary personnel into the company’s organizational structure:

• Formal employment: all specialists responsible for operating the veterinary facility must be officially employed under an employment agreement or contract.
• The company must have approved job descriptions clearly defining each employee’s responsibilities and authority, including (for example, authorization to work with potent veterinary medicines and responsibility for maintaining vaccine inventory records, etc.).

Because the personnel work at an agricultural or livestock enterprise, all veterinary facility employees must undergo regular mandatory medical examinations and have valid personal medical records.

Mandatory Veterinary Record-Keeping

The professional compliance of a veterinarian is determined not only by their ability to treat animals but also by strict adherence to record-keeping and reporting requirements.

A veterinary doctor working at an enterprise must continuously and properly maintain the following mandatory records:

1. Call log.
2. Preventive measures logs.
3. Logs of the receipt, use, and remaining stock of biological products.
4. Biological product disposal log.
5. Veterinary document issuance log.

Proper maintenance of these records helps protect the business from allegations of uncontrolled antibiotic use or failure to report disease outbreaks. The absence of even one of these records during a scheduled or unscheduled inspection by the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection may result in an order to remedy a violation of licensing requirements or, in certain circumstances, suspension of the license.

Most Common Mistakes When Opening an On-Site Veterinary Facility

Based on our practical experience and audits of facilities that approached us after unsuccessful attempts to obtain a license independently, we have identified five common mistakes made by company management.

Veterinary licensing leaves little room for error or compromise. Trying to navigate the requirements independently often costs more than engaging specialized experts, as every month of operating an unlicensed veterinary facility creates a risk of significant fines from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection and may result in restrictions on the sale of farm products.

Legal Support for Veterinary Practice Licensing at an Enterprise

We do not simply provide assistance with “paperwork.” Pravova Dopomoga takes full responsibility for helping your veterinary facility obtain legal status without disrupting the farm’s operations.

Our team offers both substantive legal consultations and a turnkey service, which includes:

• Strategic audit at the initial stage. We analyze your business processes to accurately determine the appropriate status of the facility, whether a veterinary facility, outpatient facility, or clinic, and help avoid refusals caused by an incorrect classification of activities.
• MTR and equipment audit. We review technical passports, certificates of conformity, and verification certificates for your equipment. We provide clear recommendations on what is missing for successful licensing.
• Personnel review. We verify the diplomas and continuing professional training certificates of veterinarians. We also help HR specialists properly prepare employment agreements and job descriptions in accordance with licensing requirements.
• Preparation and submission of the application package. We accurately complete the application and the Information on Material and Technical Resources. We independently communicate with the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP) throughout the review process.

The advantage: your in-house lawyers, accountants, and chief livestock specialists do not have to divert their attention from managing the farm to studying specialized veterinary legislation. They can focus on improving business profitability while we build its legal protection.

If you are planning to open a veterinary facility or want to check whether your company's current activities comply with licensing requirements, contact us. Call our toll-free number or submit a request through the online form to consult with a leading lawyer in the practice.