Working in Switzerland - Recognition of Diplomas

For certain occupations (medical occupations and architects), special directives have been laid down by law. Recognition is practically automatic in these cases. In all other cases, the host State is entitled to check whether your training and vocational experience conform to its requirements and, where appropriate, to decline to assign the same status to your diploma.

Information office

To help you take your first steps, Switzerland has established a vocational diplomas information centre within the Federal Office of Vocational Training and Technology. This contact point will give you all necessary information on the occupations covered by the agreement and where necessary direct you to the competent authority for authorisation.

It is important to understand that diploma recognition applies only to the regulated occupations. An occupation is deemed to be regulated if its exercise in a country is conditional on the possession of a diploma, certificate or certificate of vocational capacity.

Each EU Member State has a regulatory system different from Switzerland’s for authorising the practice of an occupation. It is best to begin by ascertaining that your intended occupation in Switzerland is regulated in this country too. The information centre mentioned above will give you all the relevant information.

If an occupation is not regulated, it is not necessary for diploma equivalence to be evaluated. A work permit will suffice. Anyone can work, for example, as an office clerk or a baker in Switzerland. In this as in many other cases, the labour market, and hence the employer, decides whether a candidate without appropriate training can or cannot be considered.

The diploma recognition system in the EU (Switzerland and EU/EFTA Member States) is based on three instruments:

• special directives: medical/paramedical occupations and architects;
• general directives: mainly higher-level vocational training and trades with apprenticeship;
• temporary directives: mainly occupations in industry, commerce, arts and crafts, services and craft trades.

Seven occupations are automatically recognised:

Seven special directives have been adopted to allow the automatic recognition of the following seven occupations: 

• physician
• dentist
• veterinary surgeon
• pharmacist
• general-care nurse
• midwife
• architect

However, automatic recognition relates only to basic training. Specialist training qualifications (e.g. for medical specialists) must be notified by EU Member States to the European Commission, which expressly authorises them. Medical specialists’ qualifications issued by EU Member States, where included in the annexes to directives on physicians, are automatically recognised in Switzerland provided that these directives are covered by the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons between Switzerland and the EU.

Even where recognition is in practice given, any person wishing to practise one of the seven regulated occupations in Switzerland must apply for authorisation to practise the relevant occupation.
Applicants must submit their diplomas as evidence of their entitlement to automatic recognition.
Switzerland is also entitled to demand further documents from applicants. For this purpose applicants should contact the information centre, which will put them in touch with the competent authority.

Checklist for filing applications:

1. The host State’s information centre provides information.

2. The authorising authority checks diploma equivalence.

• The following documents must be produced:
  • application form, fully completed
  • copy of passport or identity card
  • evidence of your vocational experience
  • where appropriate, certificate of good character, medical certificate and driving licence
  • evidence that you are not bankrupt

3. Have important papers translated into one of the national languages of the host State and if necessary validated.

4. Never enclose originals, but supply copies only.

Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2006
Reproduction is authorised.