When can recognition in an EU/EEA country be relevant?
If you obtained your education in a country outside the EU/EEA, an authorisation, licence or other professional recognition granted in an EU/EEA country, together with documented professional experience, may in some cases mean that your application is assessed under the rules for recognised professional qualifications within the EU/EEA rather than the rules that apply to qualifications obtained outside the EU/EEA.
For this to be applicable, it is not sufficient to have obtained authorisation or other professional recognition in an EU/EEA country. You must also be able to document at least three years of professional practice with full professional rights in the country that granted you the recognition.
Full professional rights means that you have been entitled to practise the profession independently, without restrictions or requirements for specific supervision or guidance.
Documentation
You must provide documentation of:
- your education from a country outside the EU/EEA
- the authorisation, licence or professional recognition you have obtained in an EU/EEA country
- an Article 3.3 certificate issued by the competent recognition authority in the EU/EEA country. The certificate must confirm:
- that you hold an authorisation, licence or professional recognition (full access to the profession) in the EU/EEA country that recognised your qualification obtained outside the EU/EEA
- that you have practised the profession for at least three years after obtaining full professional rights
- the profession in which you have worked
- the period and extent of your professional practice
- that the professional practice was carried out in the country that granted the recognition
- that you held full professional rights throughout the entire period
Which countries are covered?
The EU/EEA includes the member states of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.