General System

Instructions

Valvira’s task is to investigate whether your training qualifies for the same profession as the relevant Finnish training. Work experience, supplementary professional training and continuing education may be considered in the comparison assessment. If necessary, Valvira can request an expert opinion on your professional qualifications which will be charged from you (100-400€).

Application

Application form (in Finnish)

Application form (in Swedish)

You may also submit a freeform application indicating in which profession you are applying for the right to practise. Also include your name and your contact details for managing the matter.

If you wish to apply for the right to practise in more than one profession, you must submit a separate application for each of them.

Application attachments

1. Document certifying your identity and nationality (passport or identity card)
2. Degree certificate with appendices (e.g. diploma supplement, academic transcript).
3. Report issued by the educational institution detailing the learning outcomes, contents and scope in hours of the units included in your degree and the operating environments in which you completed your practical training and your duties therein. If the educational institution supplies a general study programme to provide this information, the institution must separately confirm that you have completed the units required. The educational institution may deliver the report directly to Valvira by e-mail. It is in your interests to supply information on your training in as much detail as possible, because Valvira will compare the content of your training to the corresponding training given in Finland.
4. Employment certificates for work in the profession following completion of your training. Employment certificates must have been issued by your employer, and they must state at least your job title, your job duties and the duration of your employment.
5. Certificate of supplementary professional training and continuing education.
6. Certificate, no more than three months old, verifying that your right to practise the profession in question has not been restricted or revoked, such as a Certificate of Current Professional Status. If you have been granted the right to practise your profession in several countries, you must submit this certificate for each country.
7. Translations in Finnish, Swedish or English of documents mentioned in spots 3 – 6 if they are not issued in those languages. The translations must have been made by an authorised translator in Finland or in another EU or EEA Member State. Authorised translators in Finland.
8. Freeform consent stating that Valvira has your permission to submit your application documents to a Finnish educational institution for an expert opinion if necessary. A fee will be charged from you if this is done.
9. Certificate of language proficiency.

•  Leaving certificate/diploma of the education completed in Finnish or in Swedish, on a second stage educational institution. The second stage educational institution is an institution intended for post primary studies (for example vocational school and upper secondary school).

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. National Certificate of Language Proficiency, the requirement is at least the intermediate level test (levels 3--4) so that all skills areas are at least 3.

More information on language tests (OPH, in Finnish) https://www.oph.fi/fi/koulutus-ja-tutkinnot/kieli-ja-kaantajatutkinnot

•  Other report on language proficiency, which Valvira will assess on a case-by-case basis.

Valvira may request further explanations as necessary. Please note that Valvira will not return any documents submitted, and Valvira will not make copies of any documents.

You can submit uncertified copies of your attachment documents when you file your application. However, Valvira may later require you to submit officially certified copies of those attachment documents.

If Valvira does require officially certified copies, you can obtain those from a notary public in Finland or in another EU or EEA Member State, or from a Finnish mission in other countries.

You may also submit copies issued by a foreign authority and verified using the Apostille or Grand Legalisation procedure. Send to Valvira the copies that bear the original stamp and signature of the notary public or Finnish mission.

Further information on notaries public

If you do not submit a certificate of language proficiency, Valvira can only recognise your professional qualifications. In order to be eligible for this, you must be a citizen of an EU or EEA Member State or a person of comparable status, and you must have completed your training in an EU or EEA Member State. Recognition of professional qualifications does not automatically entitle you to practise your profession or to use a protected professional title in Finland.

Further information on recognition of professional qualifications.

Processing period

The average processing period for applications is 4 months. The processing period is calculated from the time when Valvira has received all the required documents.

Decision

A fee is charged for every decision concerning professional rights, even if decision is a negative one. If you cancel your application, you will be charged half of the application processing fee.

Types of fee include:

• Fee for a statement requested from a university or other educational institution to evaluate a foreign degree or training programme

and

• Legalisation and protected title registration of a professional arriving from an EU/EEA Member State

or

• Recognition of professional qualifications
• Legalisation and protected title registration once proof of language proficiency is received after recognition of professional qualifications

or

• Decision on conditional recognition
• Recognition of professional qualifications, legalisation or protected title registration after an adjustment period or a proficiency test
• Legalisation and protected title registration once proof of language proficiency is received after recognition of professional qualifications

The decision on the right to practise a profession will be issued in Finnish or Swedish. The invoice will be sent separately by post after the decision.