Member States should recognise the applicant’s professional qualifications obtained in another Member State on the same basis as those of EU citizens once they grant them access to the labour market. They should also adopt measures to address the practical obstacles applicants face in authenticating foreign diplomas, certificates or other forms of qualification. This particularly applies where the applicant cannot provide documentation or afford the costs associated with recognition procedures (recital 54 RCD (2024)).
The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol establish the right for beneficiaries of international protection to access education and employment, making the recognition of their foreign qualifications and validation of skills essential prerequisites.
Beneficiaries of international protection are entitled to equal treatment with nationals regarding the recognition of foreign diplomas, certificates and other formal qualifications. Competent authorities must facilitate full access to these recognition procedures, even for those who cannot provide documentary evidence of their qualifications. They also have equal access to schemes for assessing, validating and recognising prior learning and work experience (Article 30 Qualification Regulation (QR)).
Member States need to consider special measures to effectively address the practical difficulties encountered by beneficiaries of international protection in having their foreign diplomas, certificates or other formal qualifications recognised. These difficulties often stem from missing documents or the inability to cover recognition-related costs (recital 71 QR).
Information provision messages
Inform beneficiaries of international protection about the following.
- What recognition of formal qualifications and validation of skills mean:
- recognition of formal qualifications – an official acceptance of qualification diplomas and certificates obtained abroad
- validation of skills – formally confirming the abilities gained through work or experience.
- The importance of having their qualifications recognised and their skills validated through formal processes: benefits (e.g. improved employment prospects) and compliance with legal obligations (e.g. certain jobs, continuation of studies).
- The necessary steps for the recognition of qualifications and validation of skills:
- file submission (e.g. required documents and fees)
- additional courses, practical assessments, competency tests (if needed)
- responsible institutions and their contact details
- timeline for this procedure and how to follow up on their application.
- Common challenges (e.g. lack of documents, complex procedures, costs of translations).
- Support services available (e.g. counselling, financial support for fees and translation, file preparation, file submission, appeal in case of rejected file) and their contact details.
- Dedicated services, resources and programmes designed for beneficiaries with special needs and in vulnerable situations. Provide guidance on how to access them.
Practical tips
- Provide details on resources for information on qualification recognition and skills validation, such as leaflets, brochures and websites.
- Provide a checklist or a diagram with the main steps for navigating these processes.
- When discussing challenges in the recognition and validation of qualification and skills, complement the information with examples of good practices.