Qualification guides
Get your qualifications recognised in Europe
Regulated professions — medicine, law, engineering, teaching and more — require formal recognition before you can practise or receive a work permit. Find the right recognition body, process steps, and timelines for each country.
01
The EU framework for qualification recognition
The Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36/EC (as amended by 2013/55/EU) is the cornerstone of qualification recognition across EU and EEA member states. It creates an automatic recognition regime for seven professions — doctor, nurse, dentist, pharmacist, veterinary surgeon, midwife, and architect — and a general system for all other regulated professions. Automatic recognition means that qualifying certificates issued in one member state must be recognised in all others without a substantive assessment. The general system allows member states to require compensation measures (aptitude test or adaptation period) where significant differences in training content exist.
02
ENIC-NARIC: national recognition information centres
Every European country operates a national ENIC-NARIC centre as part of the European Network of Information Centres (ENIC) and the National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC). These centres provide official information on academic qualification recognition, issue statements of comparability for foreign degrees, and can advise on the recognition process for your specific qualification. Contacting your host country's ENIC-NARIC centre is often the fastest way to understand what recognition route applies to your qualifications.
03
Regulated vs unregulated professions
A regulated profession is one where access to the professional activity or the use of a professional title is restricted by law and conditional on holding specific qualifications. In a regulated profession — such as medicine, law, or architecture — you cannot legally practise without formal recognition of your qualifications, even if you hold a valid work permit. In an unregulated profession — most engineering specialisations, business roles, IT, and creative fields — formal recognition is not legally required, though employers or immigration authorities may request a voluntary comparability assessment to verify your qualification level.
Regulated profession
Cannot legally practise without formal recognition, even with a valid work permit.
Unregulated profession
No legal requirement for recognition. Voluntary comparability assessment may be requested by employers.
Country guides
Country qualification guides
Select a country to see its recognition bodies, regulated profession list, process steps, and typical timelines.
Австрія
Західна Європа
Qualification guide →
Бельгія
Західна Європа
Qualification guide →
Данія
Північна Європа
Qualification guide →
Ірландія
Північна Європа
Qualification guide →
Іспанія
Південна Європа
Qualification guide →
Італія
Південна Європа
Qualification guide →
Кіпр
Південна Європа
Qualification guide →
Литва
Північна Європа
Qualification guide →
Нідерланди
Західна Європа
Qualification guide →
Німеччина
Західна Європа
Qualification guide →
Румунія
Східна Європа
Qualification guide →
Словаччина
Східна Європа
Qualification guide →
Фінляндія
Північна Європа
Qualification guide →
Франція
Західна Європа
Qualification guide →