Professional bodies and language requirements
Certified copies and sworn translations
The authorities may ask for certified copies and/or sworn translations of certain key documents to prove the authenticity of your documents such as your qualification certificates.
Warning
The authorities are obliged to accept sworn translations from any EU country. The authorities cannot ask you for sworn translations of your identity card, passport or other documents not related to your qualifications.
Language tests
Your new country might require you to have some knowledge of the national language(s) especially if this knowledge is important for practising your profession. However, language requirements may not exceed what is objectively necessary for practising your profession.
Warning
As long as language skills are not part of your qualification, the application for the recognition of your professional qualification and the requirement to prove language skills are not related. Therefore, the recognition of your professional qualification cannot be refused or postponed because of a lack of language skills.
What is a sufficient proof of language skills
One of the following documents is enough to prove your language skills:
- a copy of a qualification received in the language(s) of your host country
- a university degree taught in the language(s) of your host country
- a language certificate awarded by a recognised language institution such as the Goethe Institute, etc.
- proof of previous professional experience in your host country.
If you cannot provide any of these documents, you may be required to do an interview or a test (oral and/or written).
Before you start working
Once your qualifications have been recognised, the authorities must allow you to use the academic title you had in your home country, and possibly an abbreviated form in the language of your home country, as well as the professional title used in your new country.
If your profession is regulated by an association or organisation (as it is often the case for lawyers or doctors) in the country where you want to work, you will have to become a member before you can use your professional title.