University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice (UVLF)

Why students choose it

• The only university in Slovakia training veterinarians and pharmacists — no other Slovak university offers this field.
• General Veterinary Medicine is on the EAEVE list and, according to the university, complies with EU Directive 2005/36/EC, so the MVDr. degree can be taken through the professional-recognition procedure in other EU countries.
• Study in Slovak is tuition-free — the six-year veterinary programme, the five-year pharmacy programme and the bachelor's programmes alike.
• Several bachelor's programmes (cynology, feed and food safety, the human–animal bond) admit without an entrance exam, on the school certificate alone.
• A compact campus with its own clinics, teaching farm and laboratories: hands-on work with animals starts in the first years.
• Košice is an affordable city in eastern Slovakia, about 90 km from the Ukrainian border, with UPJŠ and TUKE nearby and a large Ukrainian-speaking student community.

Faculties and programmes

How international students apply

Application deadlines

Bachelor's and long-cycle programmes — around 31 March; master's programmes — around 31 May. Entrance tests take place in May in two rounds and in several cities: in 2026 these were 9 and 23 May, administered by the SCIO testing company. Check the 2027/2028 dates on uvlf.sk.

Entrance exams

• General Veterinary Medicine, Food Hygiene, Pharmacy — written test in biology and chemistry (60 questions per subject, secondary-school level).
• Veterinary Nurse — written test in biology (60 questions).
• Cynology, Feed and Food Safety, Human–Animal Bond, Food Market and Quality, Animal Welfare and Protection — no exam, admission on the school certificate.
• English-taught General Veterinary Medicine — the same biology and chemistry test, taken in English.

Documents

• application form (e-prihláška) and the application fee — around 50 € (2026);
• structured CV;
• certified copy of the school-leaving certificate with the transcript of grades;
• nostrification decision for the certificate (or proof that it has been filed) and an official translation into Slovak;
• for Pharmacy — a doctor's confirmation of fitness to study;
• certificates from subject olympiads and competitions — taken into account if you have them.

International applicants apply on the same terms as Slovak citizens. We choose the programme to match the certificate and the applicant's goals, prepare the nostrification of the certificate and the application, and keep track of deadlines — see turnkey admission and the route after the 11th grade.

Based on uvlf.sk as of 08/2026 — check deadlines, fees and requirements for 2027/2028 before applying.

Dormitory and costs

The university runs two halls of residence at Cesta pod Hradovou 11–13, about a ten-minute walk from campus: over 400 rooms, shared kitchens and bathrooms on each floor, internet included in the price of a bed, 24-hour security (uvlf.sk). An indicative price for a place is 70–140 € per month (indicative 2026 — check the current price list on the dormitory pages).

The accommodation request is filed after admission, through an electronic form sent together with the admission decision; the indicative deadline is 31 July. Estimate a year's budget in Košice — housing, food, transport — in the cost calculator.

Studying in English: General Veterinary Medicine and other programmes

Full-time study in Slovak is tuition-free, for international students too. English-taught programmes are paid; they are usually chosen by applicants who want an EU veterinary degree and are not ready to spend a year on language preparation. For the English-taught programme, the biology and chemistry entrance test is taken in English.

After admission to General Veterinary Medicine the university asks for a deposit of around 800 €. It counts towards the first-year fee and is not refunded if the applicant changes their mind. The annual fee can be split into no more than two instalments: the first before registration day, the second before the end of the teaching period of the first semester (uvlf.sk, indicative 2026).

The degree and recognition in the EU

UVLF is on the list of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE). According to the university, the General Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science programmes meet the requirements of EU Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. In practice this means a graduate receives a Slovak state MVDr. degree, which can be put through the procedure for access to the veterinary profession in other EU countries.

• The university's EAEVE accreditation has been valid since June 2025 according to uvlf.sk — the status and validity are worth rechecking before you apply.
• Pharmacy and veterinary medicine are regulated professions: access to practice in a given EU country is decided by its national regulator, not by the university.
• Neighbours in the city: UPJŠ for medicine, law and the sciences and TUKE for engineering and IT. Many applicants file there as a back-up in the same year as UVLF.

FAQ