Foreign diploma or degree in Finland

In Finland, some professions are regulated. A profession is regulated if, by law, it requires a specific education, qualification or right to practise. You need a decision from the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus) or another authority on eligibility, i.e. recognition of a foreign degree or qualification, if you want to practise in a regulated profession.

You will also need a decision if you apply for a position that by law requires a tertiary degree or a tertiary degree at a certain level. Such positions exist especially in the public sector, i.e. the state and municipalities.

If you want to continue your studies in Finnish educational institutions, you can find more information on the InfoFinland pages Applying for education and training and Foreign students in Finland.

If a job does not by law require a specific eligibility, the employer assesses independently whether a foreign degree provides sufficient qualifications for the job.

If you apply for a position that by law requires a tertiary degree or a tertiary degree at a certain level, you will also need a decision on the comparability of the level of your tertiary degree completed abroad. 

A tertiary degree completed abroad may be comparable to degrees completed in Finland, including

• a bachelor’s degree completed at a university or a university of applied sciences,
• a master’s degree completed at a university or a university of applied sciences, or
• a postgraduate licentiate’s or doctoral degree.

In order for a tertiary degree completed abroad to be comparable to a tertiary degree completed in Finland, it must be completed and belong to the official degree system of the country where it was completed. The level of the Finnish tertiary degree corresponding to a tertiary degree completed abroad is assessed based on the scope, complexity and focus of the degree programme that led to the degree. 

You can apply for the recognition of the level of your degree completed abroad using an electronic form in the Opintopolku.fi service. The decision is subject to a charge.

A profession is regulated if, by law, it requires a specific education, qualification or right to practise. Regulated professions include teacher, doctor, nurse, psychologist, physiotherapist, lawyer and auditor.

If you qualified for such a profession abroad and you also want to be qualified for it in Finland, you need a decision by an authority on the recognition of your degree or qualification or the right to practise the profession. 

The authorities for each sector make decisions on the right to carry out a regulated profession or use the professional title. For example, in the health and social services sector, the decision is made by Valvira, and in the education sector, it is made by the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus). The decision is subject to a charge.

The process can be affected by whether you completed your degree in an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland or in another country, as well as whether you are an EU or EEA citizen.

The website of the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus) has a list of regulated professions and their decision-making authorities.

Education sector and early childhood education 

You need professional qualifications to work in education in Finland, for example as a teacher, early childhood education teacher or school social worker. You can apply for professional qualifications from the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus). 

Health and social services 

You need a professional qualification to work in the health and social services sector in Finland, for example as a social worker, doctor or psychologist. You can apply for professional qualifications from Valvira. 

Animal and food safety professions 

In Finland, you need relevant professional qualifications to work in a profession related to animals or food safety, such as veterinarian or seminologist. You can apply for professional qualifications from the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto). 

Transport 

In Finland, you need professional qualifications for many transport professions, such as bus driver or driving instructor. Apply for professional qualifications from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (liikenne- ja viestintävirasto) Traficom. 

Rescue sector 

If you want to work in the rescue sector in Finland, for example as a firefighter, you need professional qualifications. Apply for professional qualifications from the Emergency Services Academy Finland (pelastusopisto).

Other professions 

In Finland, there are also many other fields where you need professional qualifications. For example, lawyer, auditor and security guard are all regulated professions. The authority from which you can apply for professional qualifications depends on the field. Decisions on qualifications are made by, for example, the Regional State Administrative Agency (aluehallintovirasto), the Finnish Bar Association (asianajajaliitto), the police department (poliisilaitos), the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (patentti- ja rekisterihallitus), the Church Council (kirkkohallitus) and other authorities responsible for each sector. 

If you have completed a vocational qualification abroad, you can apply to the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus) for a statement on your qualification. The statement describes the level and contents of the degree and the positions that the degree qualifies you for in the country where you completed it. However, the statement does not qualify you to practise a regulated profession in Finland.

If the original language of your certificate is not Finnish, Swedish or English, you may need to have the documents translated. More detailed information on the document requirements can be found on the website of the responsible authority.

The processing of the application may take several months. The guidelines vary from one field to another, as decision-making is the responsibility of a different authority. Please read the application instructions carefully.