Applying for recognition of equivalence of professional qualifications
Last update
Summary:
In order to practise certain professions in Luxembourg, regardless of your nationality, you must apply for recognition of equivalence of your professional qualifications obtained abroad. This requirement applies to qualifications obtained both within and outside the EU.
You can only apply for an authorisation to practise the profession in question after your application for equivalence has been accepted.
The Department for the Recognition of Diplomas (Service de la reconnaissance des diplômes) establishes the recognition of equivalence of professional qualifications in relation to the diplomas required in Luxembourg for access to:
- certain liberal, commercial and craft professions;
- health professions; and
- socio-educational professions (qualified educator and carer).
An application for recognition of equivalence is subject to the payment of a mandatory fee.
Who is concerned
- Commercial/liberal/craft professions
- Health professions or socio-educational professions
Any person, regardless of nationality, may require a recognition of equivalence of their professional qualifications acquired abroad in relation to the equivalent qualification in Luxembourg in order to obtain an authorisation to practise:
- a craft activity (equivalence to the DAP, the former CATP or the master's certificate); or
- certain commercial or liberal professions (equivalence to the DAP or the former CATP).
Any person, regardless of their nationality, must have their professional qualifications acquired abroad recognised as equivalent to the equivalent qualification in Luxembourg before applying for authorisation to practise one of the following professions (non-exhaustive list):
- health professions;
- socio-educational professions: educator and carer.
The licence to practise a socio-educational profession can be obtained from the Department for the Recognition of Diplomas.
Prerequisites
- Professional qualifications acquired in an EU Member State
- Professional qualifications obtained outside the EU
In order for your professional qualifications acquired within the European Union (EU) to be recognised, you must provide evidence of:
- a formal qualification that allows you to enter the profession in question in another EU Member State; or
- if the profession is not regulated in your Member State of origin:
- one year's full-time professional experience during the past 10 years in the Member State of origin;
- a certificate of competence or a formal qualification.
The content and duration of the training course must closely match the conditions of access to the profession required in Luxembourg.
Nursing and midwifery qualifications obtained in another EU country will be recognised automatically as the minimum training conditions have been harmonised at EU level.
In order for your professional qualifications acquired outside the European Union (EU) to be recognised, you must provide evidence of:
- a formal qualification issued by a non-EU country, and officially recognised by another EU Member State; and
- a professional experience of 3 years in said Member State.
Deadlines
Once your application is complete, you will normally receive a response within 2 to 6 weeks, and within a maximum of 3 months. The time frame begins on the date on which you hand in your complete application file to the Department for the Recognition of Diplomas.
Costs
All requests for recognition of equivalence of a diploma or other qualification are subject to the payment of a fee of EUR 75. An additional EUR 300 will be charged if any compensatory measures are required (adaptation course and/or aptitude test).
- Application by online form
- Application by email or post
If you choose to apply using the online form, you must pay the fee directly during the application procedure. The following payment methods are available:
- by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) via Saferpay; or
- by Payconiq.
If you apply by email or post, you must enclose proof of payment of the fee. The fee must be paid by bank transfer to the following account:
Account holder: AED-LAR-TAXES
IBAN: LU36 0019 5955 4436 2000
BIC: BCEELULL
Communication: Taxe reconnaissance des diplômes, MENEJ, [name of applicant], [date of application]
The payment of the fee is mandatory in order for the application to be processed, but it does not mean that the recognition of equivalence will be granted. As a matter of fact, for each application, the conditions of recognition of equivalence must be met.
The fee is not reimbursed if the recognition of equivalence is refused.
You can request a duplicate of your certificate of equivalence for a fee of EUR 10.
How to proceed
Application procedure
You can submit your application for recognition of equivalence (see 'Online services and forms') by:
- email to reconnaissance@men.lu;
- by post to the Department for the recognition of diplomas of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (Service de la reconnaissance des diplômes du ministère de l’Éducation nationale, de l’Enfance et de la Jeunesse - MENEJ); or
- online form.
Elements of the application
For professional qualifications to be recognised as equivalent, you must send the Department for the Recognition of Diplomas a full application containing:
- the application for recognition of equivalence corresponding to the profession in question;
- a curriculum vitae (CV) in Europass format or other, stating in particular:
- the detailed school curriculum;
- legitimate professional experience that can be proven by a document of a certain legal value (employment certificate, payslip, etc.) and internships completed;
- date and place of birth;
- a copy of the diplomas/certificates/school reports for the last 3 school years;
- a copy of the work certificates concerning the professions for which recognition is requested;
- a copy of an identity document (ID card or passport showing your place of birth);
- proof of payment of the fee to the Registration Duties, Estates and VAT Authority (AED) (see details under 'Costs');
- for socio-educational professions: proof of the last 3 years of training;
- for third-country nationals: a copy of their valid residence permit.
All copies of documents issued by non-EU countries must be certified true to the original by a competent authority (communal administration, embassy or consulate).
If the documents are not drawn up in German, French or English, you must attach a certified translation from a sworn translator. The translator's stamp must be affixed partly on the translation and partly on the source document. Each document must be signed by the translator.
Processing the application
The recognition of equivalence of professional qualifications is not granted automatically (except for midwifery and nursing qualifications). It is conducted on a case-by-case basis, and generally at the decision of a committee overseen by the Department for the Recognition of Diplomas.
In the case of missing documents, the Department for the Recognition of Diplomas will send you a letter requesting you to complete your application file. If you do not submit the missing documents within a period of 3 years following receipt of the letter requesting additional information, the application for recognition will be cancelled and a new application will have to be submitted.
For further information, please contact the Department for the Recognition of Diplomas by email at reconnaissance@men.lu.
Decision on the application
- Acceptance
- Refusal
If your application for recognition has been accepted, you will receive your certificate of recognition by post. You can then apply for an authorisation to practise the profession in question.
If the recognition of the equivalence of a professional qualification is refused, you may lodge a non-contentious appeal with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (MENEJ).
If the non-contentious appeal is unsuccessful, you can lodge a judicial appeal against the MENEJ's decision with the Luxembourg administrative tribunal, with the assistance of a lawyer.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
Ministry of Education, Children and Youth Department for the recognition of diplomas
- Address:
-
29, rue Aldringen
L-1118
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
L-2926 Luxembourg
- Phone:
-
(+352) 247 85910
Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 17.00
- Email address:
- reconnaissance@men.lu
Closed ⋅ Opens tomorrow at 8.00
- Wednesday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.00 to 17.00
- Thursday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.00 to 17.00
- Friday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.00 to 17.00
- Saturday:
- Closed
- Sunday:
- Closed
- Monday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.00 to 17.00
- Tuesday:
- 8.00 to 12.00 , 13.00 to 17.00
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
General system of recognition of professional qualifications
on the website of the European Commission
-
Listes des experts, traducteurs et interprètes assermentés
sur le site du ministère de la Justice
-
Mutual recognition of diplomas
on the website of the European Parliament
-
Recognition of health profession diplomas
on the website of the Ministry of Research and Higher Education
-
Regulated professions by country
on the site of the European Commission
Legal references
-
Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005
on the recognition of professional qualifications
-
Directive 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013
amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System
-
Loi modifiée du 28 octobre 2016
relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles
-
Loi du 19 décembre 2014
relative à la mise en oeuvre du paquet d'avenir - première partie (2015)
