Recognition of professional qualifications obtained abroad | Traficom
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Recognition of professional qualifications obtained abroad

The recognition of professional qualifications means the issuing of a decision on whether professional qualifications obtained in another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland make you qualified to practice a corresponding regulated profession in Finland.

A person who has obtained professional qualifications abroad needs a decision from a competent authority to become qualified to pursue the corresponding regulated profession in Finland. Traficom can grant qualifications for the professions of driving instructor, driving test examiner and head of instruction at a driving school.

The applicant must hold a professional qualification obtained from another member state for the profession for which they are applying for a qualification in Finland. If the profession or the education and training leading to it are not regulated by the other member state, the applicant must have worked in the profession in the member state in question full-time for a total of one year during the last ten years or part-time for an equivalent amount of time.

The decision may require the applicant to complete an adaptation period or aptitude test if the applicant’s education and training substantially differs from the education and training required for the profession in Finland or if there are significant differences in the duties associated with the profession.

In this case, the decision may be influenced by knowledge, skills and competences acquired by the applicant in the course of their professional experience or through lifelong learning and which have been formally validated to that end by a relevant body.

The adaptation period consists of the pursuit of the regulated profession in Finland under the supervision of a qualified practitioner of the same profession. The adaptation period may also include continuing education and training.

The aptitude test is a procedure for measuring the professional knowledge of the applicant with the aim of assessing their ability to pursue the regulated profession in Finland. The aptitude test is usually carried out in Finnish or Swedish.

Recognition of professional qualifications for the professions of driving instructor, driving test examiner and head of instruction at a driving school is applied for from Traficom using electronic services. 

Once the applicant has completed the adaptation period or aptitude test, they must submit an application to Traficom for the issuing of the final decision on the recognition of their professional qualification using electronic services.

The decision-making is based on the Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications. The act applies to the recognition of professional qualifications obtained by a national of an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland in another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland.

The act also applies to the recognition of professional qualifications obtained in non-EU/EEA member states, provided that

  • the applicant is a national of a member state,
  • the applicant’s professional qualification has been recognised in another member state and
  • the applicant has at least three years of professional experience in the profession concerned in that member state.

The act also applies to the recognition of professional qualifications obtained in an EU/EEA member state based on Union legal provisions pertaining to the status of third country nationals.

Application for the recognition of professional competence in driving instruction
Application for a final decision on the recognition of professional qualifications

The withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU), commonly referred to as Brexit, has had consequences on the recognition of professional qualifications acquired in the UK.

The UK’s withdrawal took place on 31 January 2020, and was followed by a transition period which lasted until 31 December 2020. The Withdrawal Agreement, along with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, are the primary instruments governing the EU's relationship with the UK.

The implications on the recognition of professional qualifications depend on whether it is an EU or a UK national holding the qualification and whether the qualification was obtained (for EU nationals) or recognised (for UK nationals) before the end of the transition period.

Under EU law, EU citizens have the right to pursue a regulated profession, on an employed or self-employed basis, in an EU country other than the one in which they obtained their qualification. In that context, EU nationals have specific procedural and substantive rights regarding the recognition of their qualifications by an EU country different from the one where they acquired their qualifications (see Directive 2005/36/EC).

Depending on the profession, different recognition regimes may apply. Specific rules may apply to some professions, such as lawyers and statutory auditors.

In general, this EU regime does not apply to the recognition of professional qualifications held by non-EU nationals, unless specific arrangements are in place, e.g. for Swiss nationals and nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA).

As a general rule, qualifications obtained in the UK before the end of the transition period set out in the Withdrawal Agreement (before 1 January 2021) by EU nationals are EU qualifications. The rules and recognition regimes of Directive 2005/36/EC apply to the recognition of these qualifications.

This is valid for all types of qualification covered by Directive/2005/36/EC, meaning evidence of formal qualifications, professional experience and attestations of competence. Furthermore, it applies to all recognition regimes of the directive, with no limitation in time.

More information

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) on specific situations concerning the recognition of UK qualifications held by EU nationals in the EU (pdf, 643 kt)
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