New professional certificate for veterinary assistants: 690 hours and mandatory dual training

Key data

Assistants and technicians at veterinary clinics have had an official qualification that recognizes and regulates their work since June 19, 2026. Royal Decree 489/2026 establishes the Professional Certificate in Clinical Assistance in Veterinary Centers (code AGA_C_010_5B), with validity throughout the national territory. Until now, this professional profile lacked a regulated training framework of these characteristics at the state level.

The regulation enters into force on the same day of its publication in the BOE, June 19, 2026, which requires veterinary clinics and vocational training centers to review their selection processes, student internship reception and curriculum offerings immediately.

What does this regulation establish?

RD 489/2026 creates and regulates the professional certificate AGA_C_010_5B — Clinical Assistance in Veterinary Centers, classified in the Agricultural professional family. Below are the key structural elements:

The certificate enables the performance of technical support functions under veterinary supervision in the following areas:

• Veterinary consultation
• Operating room
• Hospitalization
• Diagnostic imaging
• Clinical laboratory

The structure in grades A and B allows modular and cumulative training: the student can obtain partial accreditations (grade A) and accumulate them until completing the full certificate (grade B). This facilitates training for working professionals who cannot complete the full program at once.

Additionally, RD 489/2026 modifies RD 404/2025, of May 27, on the Professional Certificate in Operations with Earthmoving Machinery in Construction (Building and Civil Works professional family).

Economic and operational impact

For veterinary clinics, the main operational impact is the obligation to host students during dual training periods. This involves designating internal tutors, adapting supervision protocols and assuming training responsibility over the student during their stay at the center.

For vocational training centers, the impact is curricular and immediate: they must design and implement the training offer adjusted to the state basic curriculum of 690 hours, with modules corresponding to grades A and B, and establish agreements with veterinary clinics to guarantee the dual phase.

For sector workers, the certificate represents official recognition of their qualification, which may have effects on collective bargaining, professional categorization and access to public employment calls requiring regulated qualifications.

Autonomous communities have room to incorporate territorial specificities to the state basic curriculum, which may generate differences in training offerings depending on the region.

Who does it affect?

• Veterinary clinics and centers: must prepare to host students in dual training and act as collaborating work centers.
• Active assistants and technicians at veterinary clinics: can accredit their experience or complete their training through the modular structure (grades A and B).
• Vocational Training Centers: required to adapt or create the offer of certificate AGA_C_010_5B with the approved curriculum.
• Autonomous communities: must incorporate the certificate into their training offer and may add territorial specificities.
• HR departments of veterinary clinics: will need to review hiring profiles and professional categories in light of the new qualifications framework.

Practical example

A medium-sized veterinary clinic in Catalonia wants to hire a technical assistant. Until now, there was no official level 3 professional certificate that accredited this function. With RD 489/2026 in force, the clinic can:

1. Require the AGA_C_010_5B certificate as a requirement in the job posting, ensuring that the candidate has received regulated training in consultation, operating room, hospitalization, diagnostic imaging and laboratory.
2. Enter into an agreement with a VET training center in its autonomous community to host students in the dual training phase, meeting support staff needs during the training period.
3. Facilitate an assistant already on staff to obtain the certificate through the modular route: the worker can accumulate partial accreditations (grade A) until completing the full certificate (grade B) without interrupting their work activity.

In the case of the Community of Madrid or Andalusia, the training offer may include territorial specificities on the state basic curriculum, so it is advisable to consult the autonomous adaptation before designing the training plan.

What should companies do now?

1. Veterinary clinics: review technical assistant job profiles and incorporate the code AGA_C_010_5B as a qualification reference in upcoming hires.
2. HR managers: evaluate whether active staff can benefit from the modular route (grades A and B) to obtain the official certificate without leaving their position.
3. VET training centers: initiate the curriculum design process for certificate AGA_C_010_5B and contact veterinary clinics in the area to establish dual training agreements.
4. Autonomous communities: incorporate the certificate into the regional training offer and define, if appropriate, the territorial specificities allowed by the regulation.
5. Clinics interested in hosting students on internships: contact VET training centers in their area to formalize collaboration agreements in the dual phase before the first calls are launched.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-13295