Veterinary Medicine (Veterinarian), 6-year integrated programme

About the course

A 6-year integrated programme (360 ECTS) taught in English at LBTU’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Jelgava. You graduate qualified as a Veterinarian. The programme has national accreditation until August 2028 and has been approved by EAEVE, the European veterinary education body.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• The university assesses the Irish Leaving Certificate individually and does not publish a fixed Irish requirement. Contact admissions to confirm. In general, LBTU asks for completed secondary education that makes you eligible for university in your home country, an average of at least 6.5/10 (65%) in your previous studies, and at least a ‘Satisfactory’ grade in Biology or Chemistry. The Academic Information Centre (AIC) checks your qualifications.
• Entrance exam: an online test in biology and chemistry, taken on MS Teams (you need a webcam and microphone). A motivation letter is also required. The application portal says EU/EEA/Swiss citizens may be exempted from the entrance test, so ask admissions whether this applies to you.
• English: B2 level (CEFR) is required. Accepted proof includes IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 80 (LBTU’s other pages list this as 4.0 on the new TOEFL scale), TOEFL PBT 547, PTE Academic 67 or Duolingo 110. Ask admissions whether Irish Leaving Certificate English is accepted in place of a test.

Working in Ireland afterwards

Veterinary degrees from EU member states listed in Annex V (point 5.4.2) of Directive 2005/36/EC are recognised qualifications you can register with at the Veterinary Council of Ireland, which in effect means automatic recognition. You still need to apply to the VCI to register before you can practise. Check the VCI’s list of recognised qualifications to confirm your specific degree is on it.

How to apply

1. Prepare documentsGet together your passport, Leaving Certificate results and transcripts (or predicted grades), proof of English, a motivation letter and a receipt for the application fee.
2. Apply onlineApply through apply.lbtu.lv before the deadline for applicants who do not need a visa (15 July in the 2026 cycle; confirm it for 2027) and pay the application fee.
3. Recognition and entrance testThe Academic Information Centre (AIC) checks your qualifications, which can take 3-4 weeks. You then sit the online biology and chemistry entrance test, unless admissions tells you that you are exempt.
4. Accept and enrolIf you are accepted, pay the study deposit and tuition, register your EU residence in Latvia and attend registration in Jelgava before classes start on 1 September.

Costs

• Tuition is EUR 9,600 per year (the figure for September 2026 entry), and it is charged to EU students on this English-language programme. There is also a non-refundable application fee. LBTU’s How to Apply page lists EUR 160 for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, but the programme’s portal page shows EUR 230, so check which one applies to you. The portal also lists a one-off EUR 500 study deposit, which the How to Apply page says is refundable. Students in university housing pay a dormitory fee (EUR 150 a month in the 2026 cycle) plus a dormitory deposit. Confirm all 2027/28 figures with LBTU admissions.

At a glance