Nostrification

In plain words

Nostrification is the recognition of foreign education in the destination country. Unlike legalisation, which confirms only the authenticity of a document, here the substance is assessed: what you studied, for how many hours, and whether the programme meets local requirements for the field.

How complex the procedure is depends on the profession. For unregulated professions, formal recognition of the level of education is often enough. For regulated ones — medicine, law, engineering, teaching, pharmacy — the requirements are stricter: additional subjects, professional examinations, confirmation of practice and a certain level of language proficiency may be required.

For a family that is relocating, this is one of the most underestimated questions. Immigration status can be obtained relatively quickly, while the right to work in your profession is a process of months, sometimes longer. That is why the question of recognising qualifications is sensibly raised at the very start of planning, not after the move.

When nostrification is needed

What the authority assesses

How the process works

1. 01Find out the requirements for the profession
2. 02Legalise the educational documents
3. 03Apply for recognition
4. 04Additional subjects or examinations if needed
5. 05Decision on recognition

What you need to know

• Recognition of qualifications is not the same as legalisation
• Regulated professions require separate procedures
• Additional subjects or examinations may be required
• A confirmed level of language is often needed
• The procedure takes months and runs separately from the immigration one

Common mistakes

• ✕Putting the question off until after the move
• ✕Assuming legalisation of the diploma is enough
• ✕Not checking whether the profession is regulated in the country
• ✕Not taking into account the profession’s language requirements
• ✕Planning to start work without a time margin

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