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Recognition of foreign qualifications

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Have you completed your training in a foreign country? If you wish to work in a regulated healthcare profession in Switzerland, your qualification must be recognized

Warum brauche ich eine Anerkennung?

Have you completed your training in a foreign country? If you wish to work in a regulated healthcare profession in Switzerland, your qualification must be recognized.

Regulated professions

Regulated professional activities are defined as activities that can only be legally carried out by holders of a specific qualification. If you wish to carry out a regulated profession in Switzerland, you must have your foreign diploma recognised in order to be allowed to work.
If the profession is not regulated, no recognition is required and you can work directly in Switzerland on the basis of your foreign qualification.

List of regulated professional activities in Switzerland (from page 7)
Opens a new window

What do I need to do?

Please read through the whole process first, from Step 1 to Step 3. Once you have read it all, you can start with Step 1, the free PreCheck. The PreCheck will tell you whether or not you can apply for recognition.

  • Step 1: Complete PreCheck

  • Step 2: You will be given a positive or negative PreCheck result.
    → Positive result: You request application documents and apply for recognition.
    → Negative result: We give you information on other options.

  • Step 3: We inform you of whether or not your qualification has been recognized.

Step 1: Information about the PreCheck

The PreCheck will give you answers to these questions:

  • Is the SRC the competent authority for recognizing my qualification?

  • What are the prerequisites for me applying for recognition?

A woman holds a tablet in her hand, on which the website for the recognition of diplomas is visible.

PreCheck

Start the PreCheck now to find out if you can apply for recognition.

PreCheck

What happens next?

Once you have submitted all the documents, processing will take a maximum of four weeks. Then you can log back into the PreCheck portal. You will be able to view your result. Your PreCheck result will be positive or negative.

Step 2: Applying for recognition

You will have received an initial application form with your PreCheck result. You complete and return this to request the formal application documentation.

What happens next?

  • You collect all the necessary documents.

  • You pay the required fee.

  • You send us all the documents and the signed application form by post.

Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz
Gesundheitsberufe
Werkstrasse 18
3084 Wabern

Once we have received the application together with all documentation and the fee has been processed, your application process for recognition has begun. After three to four months maximum, we will send you a written response. And we will inform you about what happens next.

Step 3: Decision on recognition of your qualification

Your qualification is recognized directly: you do not need to take any further action. The recognition process and your registration are complete.
If your qualification is not recognized directly, you will have the opportunity to top up your qualifications. When we inform you of the decision, we will also inform you what compensatory measures are necessary.

Compensatory measures

As part of the recognition process, we compare your professional qualification with the qualification in Switzerland. Did the training you undertook abroad differ substantially from the training in Switzerland? If so, you will be asked to undertake compensatory measures. For example:

  • an adaptation course

  • an adaptation course and additional training course

  • an aptitude test

GOOD TO KNOW

Compensatory measures

You can find more information on compensatory measures in the FAQ section.

FAQ

How long does the recognition process take?

Once we have received your complete application, you will receive an initial decision from us within around three to four months.
If compensatory measures are needed, the process will take longer.

Note:
Your dossier will remain open for a maximum of two years.

How much does recognition cost?

  • 550 Swiss franc if your degree in nursing or midwifery is listed in the EU requirements 2005/36/ECOpens a new window, Annex V (starting on page 124) in the relevant countries. You will receive one invoice.

  • 930 Swiss franc if no compensatory measures are required. You will receive two partial invoices.

  • 1,000 Swiss franc if compensatory measures are required. You will receive two partial invoices.

  • Depending on the profession, an additional 130 Swiss franc may be charged for registration with GesReg / NAREG, the National Register of Healthcare Professions.

IMPORTANT

Costs compensatory measures

Are compensatory measures required? This will incur some additional costs. You will be invoiced directly for these costs by the providers of the compensatory measures.

FAQ

Documents required to support an application for recognition

Certificate of Current Professional Status / Letter of Good Standing

As part of the application for recognition, we require a certificate stating that the person submitting the application is entitled to carry out their profession.

Why do I need this certificate?

This certificate ensures the quality of healthcare in Switzerland and thus protects patients. When applying for your qualification to be recognized, you need to submit various documents. These include a certificate confirming that you are entitled to carry out your profession in the relevant foreign country, and that there are no sanctions against you. That means you have never been barred from working in your profession, either permanently or temporarily.

Where do I get this certificate?

You get the certificate from the authority in the country that you last worked in. It is your responsibility to obtain this certificate. You will find an overview of the competent authorities here.

Competent authorities

What information needs to be on the certificate?

  • Name

  • Profession/training

  • Statement on sanctions

  • Issuing country and authority

  • Date, signature of authority

IMPORTANT

CCPS/LoGS process

The certificate may have a different name depending on the country: ‘Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS)’ or ‘Letter of Good Standing’ (LoGS). For the first step in recognizing qualifications, the PreCheckOpens a new window, a current CCPS/LoGS is not required.

As part of your application for recognition, you must submit a CCPS/LoGS that is no more than three months old.

When is no CCPS/LoGS required?

If you have been working in your profession in Switzerland for more than five years already, you do not need a CCPS/LoGS.

In this case, you require the following documents instead:

  • references

  • current extract from the register of criminal convictions in Switzerland

  • professional licence to work in Switzerland, professional diploma, registration or work licence

If your qualification has not been registered, the competent authority will not be able to issue a CCPS/LoGS. This could be for the following reasons:

  • There is no register in the relevant country.

  • You have never worked in your profession in the country you trained in.

In this case, to submit your application for recognition you will need:

  • A certificate to prove that you are NOT registered: ‘Certificate of Non-Registration’. You can obtain this certificate from the competent authority.

  • You will also need an extract from the register of criminal convictions. This must not be more than three months old.

What information must be included in the Certificate of Non-Registration?

  • Name

  • Profession/training

  • Confirmation that there is no register for that profession or that the applicant is not registered

  • Confirmation that the applicant’s qualification entitles them to work in that profession

  • Issuing date and authority

  • Date, signature of authority

Information on your profession

Language competency

For your qualification to be recognized you must have attained the following level of language competency:

  • Level B2 in German, French or Italian

GOOD TO KNOW

Certificates

Your language certificate can also be issued abroad.

The SRC accepts the following certificates:

Submitting proof of language competency

Depending on your professional qualification and the country you gained it in, you will be asked to submit your proof of language competency at different points during the recognition process. You may have to submit proof of language competency during the recognition process. This is the case if

  • your professional qualification is listed in Annex V (from page 124 or page 138 onward) to EU Directive 2004//36/ECOpens a new window and you undertook your training in one of the following countries:

If the above do not apply, you will have to submit your proof of language competency before the recognition process starts. That is to say in Step 1, when you start the PreCheck.

Note:

You will receive more information on language competency when you get your PreCheck result.

FAQ

Costs

Duration

Documents

Compensatory measures

After the recognition

Billing for services

Further information

Would you like to know what the legal bases are for the recognition process? You will find the key information here.

Legal bases

Important websites

State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)

You will find the legal bases here.

Important websites

Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)

The Federal Office of Public Health is responsible for the health of the population and develops Swiss health policy.

Important websites

Swiss Conference of Cantonal Health Directors (GDK)

The Swiss Conference of Cantonal Health Directors is the political health policy coordination body for the Swiss cantons (information available in German and French only).

Important websites

Recognition / Swiss ENIC

For job seekers with a qualification from a foreign higher education institution that does not relate to a regulated profession, Swiss ENIC can make a recommendation of recognition.

Important websites

European Commission

You can find numerous education and training opportunities for students of all ages, information on studying abroad, professional training and recognition of qualifications and competencies here.

Important websites

OdASanté

OdASanté is the national umbrella association for healthcare professions. It represents the interests of the healthcare sector throughout Switzerland with regard to the training and education required for health professions. You will find information on framework curricula and courses here (information in German, French and Italian only).

Important websites

SASIS

You will find information on obtaining a control number or invoicing number (paying agent register number ZSR/RCC) if you wish to work as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist in Switzerland here (information in German, French and Italian only).

Important websites

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)

The State Secretariat for Migration determines under which circumstances a person may enter Switzerland to live and work. It also decides who is granted protection from persecution.

Important websites

Santésuisse

santésuisse is the leading organization in the Swiss social health insurance sector.

Important websites

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