Authorisation and the Framework of Legislation for the Trade

It is not enough to have a journeyman certificate to know what you can and cannot do on an animal clinic. A large part of the veterinary assistant's daily work — from administering medicine to independent treatment of certain injuries — is framed by concrete legislation, and it is a professional responsibility to know the most important rules, not just follow the clinic's habit.

The regulation on authorization of veterinary nurses is issued pursuant to the Veterinary Act and sets the rules for who can be authorized and what an authorized veterinary nurse may perform of treatment of companion animals and horses. Both trained veterinary nurses and persons with education that can be equated with this can apply for authorization.

The appendices to the regulation specify concretely which treatments an authorized veterinary nurse may perform. The purpose of the scheme is to provide a clear legal framework for the tasks that veterinary nurses in practice already handle closely with the veterinarian — while also ensuring that only those with the necessary training perform them independently.

The Authorisation Regulation is not Static — It Has Been Updated Several Times, and Changes to the Rules Have Occurred as Recently as 2025. It is therefore Part of Professional Responsibility to Continuously Stay Informed About Changes, for Example Via the Danish Veterinary Authority's Website or Your Professional Organisation, Rather Than Assuming That What You Learned During Your Education Applies Unchanged for the Rest of Your Career.

Alongside the authorization rules the Animal Welfare Act sets the overarching ethical and legal framework for all work with animals in Denmark. The act superseded in 2020 the more than 100-year-old animal protection law and Denmark was the first country in the world to write directly into the law that animals are sentient beings. The act stipulates that animals must be treated responsibly and protected as much as possible from pain suffering fear permanent injury and significant inconvenience and that anyone who keeps animals must ensure they are fed watered and cared for according to their physiological behavioral and health needs.

• 01The Animal Welfare Act applies to all animals, not just patients at the clinic.
• 02The law values active welfare, not just absence of abuse.
• 03The Authorisation Rules for Veterinary Nurses are a Supplementary, More Specific Set of Rules Within This Overall Framework.
• 04Both sets of rules fall under the veterinary law and animal welfare law respectively, which are administered by the Danish Food Authority.

“An authorisation is not just a piece of paper — it is a legal boundary for what you are allowed to do alone and when the vet must be involved.”