Go work abroad in healthcare and social welfare

If you are qualified for a social welfare or health care profession in Finland and want to work in the same profession abroad, you may need a certificate of your right to practise. In some cases, you will need to apply for the right to practise from an authority in the destination country, which will make a decision in the matter.

You may need a certificate of your right to practise in Finland if you intend to work abroad or apply for the right to practise your profession abroad. You can order the certificate from the Finnish Supervisory Agency. 

If you are a registered nurse, physiotherapist or pharmacist, you can apply for a European Professional Card (EPC).

EU Professional Qualifications Directive

The purpose of the EU Professional Qualifications Directive is to make it easier to work in another EU or EEA Member State. The Directive contains rules according to which a Member State must recognise a professional qualification obtained by an EU or EEA citizen in another Member State. The Directive defines, for example, the types of documents that the decision-making authority may require to be attached to an application for recognition of professional qualifications.  

The Finnish National Agency for Education acts as the national support centre for the Vocational Qualifications Directive. The Finnish National Agency for Education provides information on degrees and qualifications as well as the recognition procedures for degrees in Finland and other Member States. You can find more information on the Vocational Qualifications Directive on the Finnish National Agency for Education’s website.  

If you apply for recognition of professional qualifications in another Member State, the decision-making authority can check your professional qualifications with the Finnish authorities through the Internal Market Information System (IMI).

Contact information

E-mail: [email protected] 
Telephone: +358 295 256 932 (Monday–Friday 9:00–15:00)
Application documents to the address: [email protected]