Non-regulated professions

Some professions are regulated, while others are not. A profession is regulated if the national legislation of the host country stipulates that specific requirements need to be met in order to be allowed to practise this profession. In regulated professions, you need a license or certificate from a regulatory body in order to work and use the specific job title associated with that career. This often applies to occupations in the health, safety and social services sectors. Every country has its own list of regulated professions.

For non-regulated professions, requirements for employment are not regulated by law. It is up to employers to decide whether your qualifications, competences and professional experience earned abroad are equivalent to the skills needed for the job. Requirements for employment can vary from very specific to very general. Because registration and certification may be available for certain non-regulated occupations, some employers require that applicants be registered or certified by the relevant professional association as a condition for employment,

There is no one single process in place for the recognition of qualifications for the purposes of job-seeking and employment in non-regulated occupations. The procedures and practices will depend from one country to another.

Further information:

• The ENIC-NARIC national information centre (see the list of countries) is able to assist you or to direct you to the appropriate source of information.
• Some ENIC-NARIC national information centres can issue statements of comparability for the purpose of presenting your qualification(s) to suitable employers.
• For more detailed information on regulated and non-regulated professions in other countries, please visit the Recognition Conventions section of the present website and/or contact directly the national authority of the country concerned.

See also:

National assistance centres: the information points for professional recognition in the EEA countries (EU members plus Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland) and Switzerland provide information on the recognition of your professional qualifications and guide you through the administrative formalities.

EURES – European cooperation network of employment services:The EURES partners provide information, placement and recruitment services to jobseekers within the European Economic Area (EU members plus Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland) and Switzerland