Recognition of professional qualifications
Recognition of professional qualifications means accepting the training completed by an individual as adequate. Recognition of professional qualifications may be awarded to a citizen of an EU or EEA Member State, or a person of comparable status, having completed their healthcare training in an EU or EEA Member State. Recognition of professional qualifications cannot be carried out in social welfare professions. Recognition of professional qualifications does not give you the right to practise your profession or to use a protected professional title in Finland. Recognition of professional qualifications may be awarded even if you have not demonstrated adequate language proficiency in Finnish or Swedish.
If you do not have a certificate of adequate language proficiency, the process for receiving a professional practice right is divided into two parts:
- Recognition of professional qualifications.
- Granting of the right to practise a profession or of the right to use a protected professional title after demonstrating sufficient language proficiency.
Applying for a professional practice right, once Finnish Supervisory Agency has already recognised the professional qualifications
Fill in the application form (pdf). Send the application and certificate of sufficient language proficiency to Finnish Supervisory Agency as e-mail attachments or by mail. The processing period is calculated from the time when Finnish Supervisory Agency has received all the required documents.
Send your completed application and appendices by e-mail to: kirjaamo(at)lvv.fi.
The processing of an application at the Finnish Supervisory Agency is subject to a fee. A fee is also charged for a withdrawn application. By submitting an application, you agree to the fees. Please check the prices at the bottom of the page under Fees.
Please note that e-mail is not recommended for sending confidential information. You can send a secure e-mail via the Finnish Supervisory Agency secure message service. Further information on how to deliver material to Finnish Supervisory Agency by e-mail can be found on our website.
Send your completed application and attachments by post to:
Finnish Supervisory Agency
P.O. BOX 20
13035 LVV
Courier mail (e.g. DHL or Fedex) is submitted to:
Finnish Supervisory Agency
Wähäjärvenkatu 6
FI-13100 Hämeenlinna, Finland
Append a certificate of sufficient language proficiency to your application. Further information on language proficiency requirements is available on our website (link).
Finnish Supervisory Agency may request further explanations as necessary. Please note that Finnish Supervisory Agency will not return any documents submitted or make copies.
Read more about the application guidelines on our website.
The process for the recognition of professional qualifications is subject to a fee. Finnish Supervisory Agency charges a fee for every decision concerning licences to practise a profession, including when an application is denied. Half the processing fee is payable if you withdraw your application.
Fees for the recognition of professional qualifications, licencing and receiving a right to use a protected occupational title (qualified in an EU or EEA Member State):
- Recognition of professional qualifications costs 470 euros.
- Licencing and receiving the right to use a protected occupational title after demonstrating sufficient language proficiency, after having received a recognition of a professional qualification costs 240 euros.
The decision on the right to practise a profession will be issued in Finnish or Swedish. The invoice will be sent after the decision.
Finnish Supervisory Agency may send you any requests for further information, certificates, decisions and invoices electronically as a Suomi.fi message if you have registered in that service. Suomi.fi messages may only be used for matters that are currently pending. You may register for Suomi.fi messages at the suomi.fi website or by downloading the Suomi.fi mobile app.
Contact information
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: +358 295 256 932 (Monday–Friday 9:00–15:00)
Application documents to the address: [email protected]