A new application procedure makes it easier for nurses, midwives and pharmacists to apply for a right to practice – Finland at the forefront in the EU

The Finnish Supervisory Agency will introduce the EU’s system supporting cross-border information exchange, the Once Only Technical System (OOTS), in the spring 2026. The reform makes it easier for nurses, midwives and pharmacists who have completed their education in an EU or EEA country to apply for the right to practice. In the future, the Finnish Supervisory Agency may request certificates related to applications directly from another Member State if the applicant has chosen to have them provided this way, and the applicant does not have to submit them themselves. This is a step towards smoother EU transactions concerning rights to practice in healthcare and social services. 

Applying for the right to practice is moving towards automatic data exchange 

Nurses, midwives and pharmacists who have completed their education in an EU or EEA country will benefit from the reform. In the future, applicants can select in the service from which country the information is retrieved, and after the selection the certificate material will be forwarded as an attachment to the application to the Finnish Supervisory Agency. At the same time, the system automatically shows which attachments are required for the application. Documents no longer need to be saved as PDF files or submitted separately to the authority. The change will reduce applicants’ administrative work and significantly streamline transactions. 

“This is a clear step towards a one stop shop and once only service, where the customer benefits concretely from digital authority solutions,” says Head of Group Kaisa Saukko at the Finnish Supervisory Agency. 

“It is great that the system can now be introduced for the first occupational groups, and in the future a similar smooth transfer of information can also be extended to other occupational groups, such as doctors,” Saukko says. 

The once only principle streamlines a multi-stage transaction chain 

OOTS (Once Only Technical System) is based on the once only principle: Information does not need to be provided to the authority several times. The OOTS system is based on the EU regulation on the Single Digital Gateway (SDG), which entered into force at the end of 2018 and whose goal is to facilitate free movement and support citizens and companies in cross-border situations. 

Finnish authorities have already been using cross-border electronic services, such as the European Professional Card and the IMI system (Internal Market Information System). OOTS drives development forward by shifting the focus of data delivery from the customer to automatic information exchange between authorities. 

National implementation relies on centralised cooperation between authorities 

The Finnish Supervisory Agency acts as part of a nationally coordinated whole, in which the Employment, Development and Administration Centre, or KEHA Centre, plays a key role. KEHA Centre is responsible for the national coordination of the OOTS entity and has implemented a centralised data transmission service for the authorities. In addition, the KEHA Centre has published a data management service that enables the retrieval of certificate materials from the registers of other Member States. Information is retrieved via the Suomi service. 

National coordination ensures that Finnish authorities have common practices and the technical capabilities to participate in the EU’s cross-border exchange of information in a controlled and cost-effective manner. 

Deployment proceeds in phases – development work continues 

The OOTS system is not yet fully complete, and the amount of information to be transmitted is currently limited, as only a few states are involved in the provision of data. 

The Finnish Supervisory Agency participates in the implementation from the very first stage to promote the system’s development through practical experiences. 

The aim is smoother and more customer-oriented dealing with the authorities, which will work even better in cross-border situations. 

Read more 

More information is available on KEHA's website. 
Finnish Supervisory Agency’s instructions for applying for a European Professional Card. 
Finnish Supervisory Agency’s application instructions: A nurse, pharmacist, or midwife, who has completed their education in an EU or EEA state.
More information on the IMI system (Internal Market Information System). 

Inquiries 

Head of Group Kaisa Saukko, tel +358 (0)29 5255 201 
[email protected]