Nurse who have qualified outside the EU/EEA

1) Copy of a passport, ID card, alien's passport or refugee travel document (document certifying your identity and nationality)

2) Your degree certificate (diploma)

Please also submit the contact details for the educational institution (snail mail address and official e-mail address) so that Valvira can verify the validity of your degree.
OR

Please have your original degree certificate (diploma) legalised in the country in which you completed your training, using the Apostille or Grand Legalisation procedure. In this procedure, the position of the person who signed the degree certificate and their right to sign that document must be verified. Please contact the foreign ministry or other relevant body in the country where your completed your training to find out how your degree certificate should be legalised in that country. Further information on the Apostille and Grand Legalisation procedures is available on the Valvira website.

3) Your degree certificate appendix (e.g. diploma supplement, academic transcript).

4) A certificate verifying that your right to practise the profession in question has not been restricted or revoked (e.g. Certificate of Good Standing). This certificate must be no more than three months old when received by Valvira. You must submit such a certificate from every country where you have been legalised to practise your profession.

5) Translations into Finnish, Swedish or English of all the aforementioned documents.

The translations must have been produced by an authorised translator in Finland or in another EU/EEA Member State. Authorised translators in Finland can be found through the online service of the National Agency for Education (oph.fi). If the translator is not an official or authorised translator in an EU/EEA Member State, the translation may nevertheless be acceptable if the translator’s status is confirmed with an Apostille or Grand Legalisation.

6) A certificate of language proficiency.
Please visit the Valvira website for further information on how to demonstrate language proficiency.

Valvira may issue a decision mandating supplementary studies even if you have not submitted attachments 4 and 6 referred to above, but you must submit those attachments in order to be legalised. In other words, you must submit those documents at the latest when you file your final legalisation application, having completed the mandated supplementary studies.
 
If you are not attending qualification training, you need to attach not only documents 1–6 referred to above but also documents 7–11:

7) Freeform consent stating that Valvira has your permission to submit your application documents to a Finnish educational institution for an expert opinion if necessary.

8) A more detailed description of your courses and training periods (learning outcomes, contents and number of hours; and operating environments and duties in the case of training periods).

A general study guide is only acceptable as documentation if the educational institution separately and specifically confirms that you have completed your studies in accordance with the description in the guide. The educational institution may deliver the report directly to Valvira by e-mail at kirjaamo(at)valvira.fi.

9) 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.

10) A certificate of any supplementary professional training and continuing education.

11) Translations into Finnish, Swedish or English of all the aforementioned documents.
The translations must have been produced by an authorised translator in Finland or in another EU/EEA Member State. Authorised translators in Finland can be found through the online service of the National Agency for Education (oph.fi). If the translator is not an official or authorised translator in an EU/EEA Member State, the translation may nevertheless be acceptable if the translator’s status is confirmed with an Apostille or Grand Legalisation.

Valvira may request further explanations as necessary. Please note that Valvira will not return any documents submitted or make copies.
Attachments 8–10 may be necessary for obtaining an expert opinion when Valvira compares the training you have completed to the corresponding training provided in Finland. You do not have to submit those attachments, but it is recommended.

If you have been granted the right to pursue the profession of registered nurse in another EU/EEA Member State and you have worked in the profession of registered nurse for at least 3 years in that EU/EEA Member State, then your application may be processed as for training completed in an EU/EEA Member State. This only applies to EU citizens and persons of comparable status.

Submit your application and attachments to Valvira by mail National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health, P.O. Box 43, FI-00521 Helsinki.

Finnish universities of applied sciences provide various qualification training modules for persons who have completed a registered nurse’s degree. If you are attending qualification training, Valvira can consider this in your legalisation process. In practice, this means that Valvira may mandate you to attend supplementary training but will not then request an expert opinion; instead, your competence will be evaluated comprehensively in the qualification training.
Further information and instructions on how to apply for qualification training can be found via the links below. Please note that you must in any case apply to Valvira for the right to practise your profession even if you are attending any of the qualification training modules listed below.

Diak: Sairaanhoitajien pätevöitysmiskoulutus (diak.fi)

Laurea: Sairaanhoitajaksi Suomessa (laurea.fi)

Metropolia: Sairaanhoitajien pätevöitymiskoulutus maahanmuuttajille (metropolia.fi)

Oulun ammattikorkeakoulu: Sairaanhoitajaksi Suomessa (eduplan.fi)

Savonia ammattikorkeakoulu: Sairaanhoitajaksi Suomassa -koulutus (savonia.fi) ​​​​​

Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu: Sairaanhoitajaksi Suomessa (tuni.fi)

Turun ammattikorkeakoulu: Sairaanhoitajaksi Suomessa (turkuamk.fi)

If you have already received a Valvira decision mandating supplementary studies, you may complete those studies in accordance with the new evaluation made in the qualification training. You may apply for final legalisation when you have completed the studies that Valvira considered necessary. Please note that the assessment of the university of applied science may differ from the studies mandated in the Valvira decision.

After completing your supplementary studies, you must apply again for the right to practise your profession. However, you do not need to re-submit the documents that you submitted with your previous application. You only need to fill in the application form and attach the certificate of completing your supplementary studies.

You must also attach the following documents if you did not already submit them:
• A certificate of language proficiency. See Language proficiency requirements.
• A certificate, no more than three months old, verifying that your right to practise the profession in question has not been restricted or revoked (e.g. Certificate of Good Standing). You must submit such a certificate from every country where you have been legalised to practise your profession.

Valvira may request further explanations as necessary.

The processing period is calculated from the time when Valvira has received all the required documents. If Valvira has to send you a request for further information or if Valvira has to verify your qualification, then processing your application will take significantly longer, about one year on average. In most cases, the processing period will be at least 4 months.

Valvira 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.

Types of fee include:

Fee for expert opinion EUR 200–600
Decision on supplementary studies EUR 300
Legalisation after completing supplementary studies EUR 500
Legalisation without a decision mandating supplementary studies EUR 800  

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.

Valvira may send you any requests for further information, certificates and decisions 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.