UK qualifications: prepare for Brexit
Will British work qualifications be recognised in France after Brexit? K.D.
Information on this is in flux but it is advisable to take certain steps if you work in (or may want to work in) a ‘regulated’ profession and notably any job with a strict requirement for a specific qualification.
EU states are obliged to consider qualifications obtained in other member states and in certain professions (doctors, dentists, vets, midwives, pharmacists, architects) recognition is automatically given due to common minimum training conditions (these rules do not apply to non-EU nationals).
Usually where an EU citizen wishes to practise a profession in another EU country, the new country should issue a decision on recognition of their EU qualification for the purpose of carrying out the relevant job.
The UK/EU propose that any qualifications for which recognition has been gained at the date of Brexit will continue to be respected and any applications made by then will be processed using the same rules. The EU proposes this be extended to the ‘transition’ period.
If you have qualifications for which you have not obtained recognition, seek advice from the relevant professional body (www.ciep.fr/en/directory-of-regulated-professions).
If you have a British qualification of a kind that is not ‘essential’ but that you may nonetheless wish to make use of to back up a future job application the value of seeking recognition is less clear. It is also complicated by the fact that the body which can ‘vet’ these does not guarantee ‘equivalence’ with a French qualification, but only provides a ‘certificate of comparability’ to show potential French employers the level of study it entailed.
However, you may wish to apply for one as a precaution at phoenix.ciep.fr/inscriptions. There is a €70 fee. You need a scan of your UK qualification but it is not necessary for ones in English to be accompanied by a translation. You can contact CIEP via: goo.gl/ZAHFrv
Any Briton in a job that can only be done by a French or EU citizen, such as state schoolteachers, notaires and most civil servant posts, is best advised to seek French nationality.
