Language Proficiency

Language proficiency

Health care professionals must have sufficient oral and written language proficiency to allow them to perform their duties. Valvira verifies the language proficiency of applicants. Employers are required to evaluate whether a person has sufficient language proficiency in order to perform their duties.

Finland’s official languages are Finnish and Swedish. Applicants must demonstrate language proficiency in either Finnish or Swedish.

Sufficient language proficiency can be demonstrated with the following:

• Certificate of completed general education in either Finnish or Swedish (e.g. upper secondary school leaving certificate).

OR
• Other report on language proficiency. Valvira will evaluate such other reports on a case-by-case basis.

OR
• Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate or National Certificate of Language Proficiency, issued in Finland. For the Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate, the requirement is at least ‘Satisfactory skills’ in all skills areas; for the National Certificate of Language Proficiency, the requirement is at least the intermediate level test (levels 3--4) in all skills areas.

About the National Certificate of Language Proficiency

About the Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate