Australasian Veterinary Boards Council

What Australasian Veterinary Boards Council does

Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) is the peak accreditation and standards-setting body for the veterinary profession across Australia and New Zealand, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Melbourne. It is a not-for-profit, member-owned organization that brings together 9 veterinary statutory boards (8 Australian state/territory boards plus the Veterinary Council of New Zealand) and serves as the Australian Government-gazetted Assessing Authority for the veterinarian occupation under the Migration Regulations 1994. Its core services include accreditation of veterinary schools against the AVBC Accreditation Standards 2024, the Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE) for overseas-qualified veterinarians seeking registration, paper-based skills assessments for migration purposes, and specialist qualification assessments. It also coordinates cross-jurisdictional policy through standing committees including VSAAC (Veterinary Schools Accreditation Advisory Committee), AVEC (Australasian Veterinary Examination Committee), and the Sustainable Practice Committee.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through fee-for-service charges: skills assessments (AUD 309–714 depending on residency and renewal status), specialist assessments (AUD ~1,494–1,671), and AVE examinations (eligibility assessment AUD 515, MCQ ~AUD 3,460, Clinical ~AUD 9,325). The go-to-market is a hybrid of self-service through an online application portal, event-driven examination delivery at the University of Queensland Gatton campus and global MCQ test centres, and community-led engagement via standing committees, workshops, and professional association networks. Customer segments are three-pronged: 9 member regulatory boards (B2B/government), 9 domestic plus 6 internationally accredited veterinary schools (B2B/education), and individual veterinarians requiring registration, specialist recognition, or migration skills assessment (B2C).

In June 2026 AVBC completed its transition from an incorporated association to a Company Limited by Guarantee, with a new skills-based Board under Chair Professor Jan Thomas taking governance from 1 July 2026. The organization holds mutual recognition agreements with the South African Veterinary Council (renewed 2022) and the Veterinary Council of Ireland (2022), and is actively pursuing statutory regulation of veterinary nurses and technicians.

Name

Australasian Veterinary Boards Council

Legal name

Australasian Veterinary Boards Council Inc.

Website

https://avbc.asn.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) is the peak accreditation and standards-setting body for the veterinary profession across Australia and New Zealand. It accredits veterinary schools, runs the Australasian Veterinary Examination for overseas-qualified veterinarians, and assesses skills and specialist qualifications for migration and registration purposes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Accreditation and Professional Assessment Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assessment Policy, Benchmarking & International Comparability Authorities (EDADAFAJ), International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

Keywords

• Veterinary accreditation services
• Professional qualification assessment
• Veterinary examination services
• Skills assessment migration
• Registration pathway frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Skills Assessment Fees: Fees charged for assessing veterinary qualifications for migration purposes and specialist registration assessments. Full skills assessment is valid for 3 years.
2. Examination Fees: Fees for AVE eligibility assessment, MCQ examination, and clinical examination. Clinical supplementary exams are charged on a cost-recovery basis.
3. Specialist Assessment Fees: Fees for assessment of specialist qualifications for both Australian and overseas qualifications, subject to GST for Australian residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AVBC accredits Australasian veterinary degree programs against the 2024 Accreditation Standards and delivers the Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE), which is the mandatory assessment pathway for internationally qualified veterinarians seeking registration in Australia and New Zealand. It also issues skills assessments for migration purposes and assesses overseas specialist veterinarians for recognition by member boards.

Product overview

AVBC is the peak accreditation and standards-setting body for the veterinary profession across Australia and New Zealand. It operates as a platform of interconnected regulatory and accreditation services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: (1) Program Accreditation for veterinary schools; (2) The Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE) - a two-part examination pathway for overseas-qualified veterinarians; (3) Skills Assessment for Migration - evaluating overseas veterinarians for skilled migration purposes; (4) Veterinary Specialist Assessment for specialist registration; (5) Veterinary Registration support through qualification recognition and mutual recognition agreements; and (6) Standards frameworks including Day One Competencies and Accreditation Standards. These services are accessible through an online Application Portal. AVBC also supports professional sustainability through its Sustainable Practice Committee initiatives addressing mental health, CPD, and new graduate transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE) Mandatory examination pathway for internationally qualified veterinarians seeking registration in Australia and New Zealand, comprising written and clinical components delivered domestically and at international venues. Priced at $1,100 for Australian Residents and $2,750 for Non-Residents, with a clinical supplementary examination at cost recovery.
• Skills Assessment for Migration Migration skills assessment issued by AVBC as the recognised assessing authority for veterinarians seeking to migrate to Australia. Includes annual renewal pricing to maintain validity for migration processing.
• Veterinary Specialist Assessment Formal assessment of overseas-trained veterinary specialists to support their recognition by Australasian member boards, with a $200 application fee per submission.
• Veterinary School Program Accreditation Formal accreditation of veterinary degree programs against the 2024 Accreditation Standards, currently held by nine schools across Australasia and internationally. Accreditation is a prerequisite for graduates to be eligible for registration across member boards.
• AVBC Application Portal Service Online candidate-facing portal used globally to submit applications and supporting documents for AVE, skills assessments, and specialist assessments, with customer support and feedback channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43 overseas-qualified veterinarians registered in 2022 through AVE, doubling the previous record
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kasetsart University Faculty of Veterinary MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026AVBC accredited Kasetsart University's Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Accreditation enables graduates to register as veterinarians in Australia and New Zealand.
• Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong KongminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2023First newly established international veterinary school to be accredited by AVBC. Six-year collaboration culminating in full accreditation.
• Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2022Mutual Recognition Agreement formalizing current arrangements allowing veterinarians qualifying in Australasia and Ireland to move freely between jurisdictions.
• South African Veterinary Council (SAVC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2022Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) ratified for recognition of veterinary qualifications between South Africa and Australasia. Formalizes recognition of accreditation and site visit systems.
• Australian Council of Professions (ACoP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2021AVBC is a member of ACoP which signed the Professional Bodies Climate Action Charter as a Supporter, representing veterinary professions in climate action.
• Mind Matters International (RCVS and AVMA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2021AVBC signed the Mind Matters International joint statement on veterinary mental health and wellbeing. Collaboration with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK) and American Veterinary Medical Association.
• Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU in place to work together on progressing regulation and title protection for veterinary nurses and technicians in Australia. Collaboration includes workshops and the Regulation of Veterinary Nurses & Technicians Working Party (RVNT WP).
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVBC accredited SLU's veterinary science program in July 2024, enabling graduates to register in Australia and New Zealand.
• University of QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUQ provides the venue for AVE Final Clinical Examinations at Gatton campus. UQ team has provided excellent service over many years ensuring smooth examination delivery.
• Veterinary Schools of Australia and New Zealand (VSANZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on monitoring impacts of COVID on veterinary education, new graduate transition, and accreditation standards review.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• South African Veterinary Council (SAVC): South African veterinary statutory regulator and AVBC's MRA partner since 2013/2022. Comparable scope: accredits veterinary schools, registers veterinarians, and runs qualification assessments — a direct structural peer operating in a different geography.
• European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE): European veterinary school accreditation body operating under the European System of Evaluation of Veterinary Training (ESEVT). Directly comparable to AVBC's VSAAC accreditation function across 100+ institutions and serves as an international accreditation peer.
• Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS): UK veterinary statutory regulator and accreditor. Direct peer to AVBC — both accredit veterinary schools, run registration examinations for overseas-qualified veterinarians, and hold mutual recognition arrangements. RCVS is the international benchmark AVBC aligns with (Day One Competences referenced).
• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education: US accreditor of veterinary medical colleges through its Council on Education. Closest international peer to AVBC's accreditation function; AVMA accreditation is the most widely recognized global standard and AVBC's Day One Competencies explicitly reference alignment with comparable frameworks.
• Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ): New Zealand's veterinary statutory body and member of AVBC. Operates registration and competency standards for veterinarians in NZ, making it both a member-board and a functional peer in registration pathways.
• Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI): Irish veterinary regulator and AVBC's MRA partner since July 2022. Functional peer with parallel responsibilities in registration, accreditation, and disciplinary oversight of veterinarians in Ireland.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA): National registration and accreditation scheme for 16 health professions in Australia. While not veterinary-specific, AHPRA represents a more consolidated regulatory model that AVBC's new governance structure (Company Limited by Guarantee) loosely mirrors.

Regional players

• Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS): Administers specialist examinations and fellowship credentials for veterinarians in ANZ. Comparable professional credentialing function to AVBC's specialist assessment pathway, and works closely with AVBC on specialist recognition standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-v-b-c
• Facebookfacebook.com/avbc.aus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australasian Veterinary Boards Council