Working in Finland
Recognition of foreign qualifications
The Finnish National Board of Education (NBO) is responsible for the recognition of foreign qualifications in Finland.
Having your qualifications recognised means that they are assessed to see to what extent they are appropriate to a particular job or education programme in Finland. Decisions regarding recognition are made by the following Finnish authorities and institutions:
The National Board of Education: Responsible for civil service posts and assess how well your foreign qualifications match with the Finnish equivalent. The NBO can also advise on foreign vocational qualifications, though they cannot provide official recognition.
Authorities in a specific field: In some professions you can only have your qualifications recognised by a Finnish authority in your respective field before you can begin practising in Finland. The NBO will advise you on where you ask about having your qualifications recognised.
You will have to apply to have your foreign qualifications recognised in Finland. Each application is dealt with individually, meaning that your qualifications will not be recognised automatically – even if you earned your qualification in an EU country.
Recognition in Finland is generally granted if the qualification was earned at an official higher education institution in a foreign country and is legally recognised by authorities in that country.
You will need to fill out a National Board of Education application form in order to have your foreign qualifications recognised in Finland. You can find details regarding the application procedure on the National Board of Education website .
Also in this section
- Introduction: The Finnish job market
- Job hunting: How to find a job in Finland
- Working in Finland: Recognition of foreign qualifications
- Working conditions: Working culture, salaries and holidays in Finland
- Benefits: The social security system in Finland
- Pensions: Types of pensions in Finland
- Taxation: Inome tax in Finland