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  2. Recognition of foreign diplomas
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  4. FAQ: Professional Recognition (Regulated Professions)

FAQ: Professional Recognition (Regulated Professions)

  1. I completed a secondary/higher education course abroad and would like to pursue a regulated profession in Slovakia. How should I proceed?
  2. Is recognition for regulated profession required even if I completed a secondary/higher education course in the Czech Republic and there is a presidential recognition agreement in place?
  3. What name of regulated profession should I enter in the application form?
  4. Do I have to pursue the profession entered in the application form?
  5. What are the fees for the professional qualification recognition procedures?
  6. I have a language certificate/certificate if competence from a lifelong learning course and would like to have it recognized. How should I proceed?
  7. What if the profession I wish to pursue is not listed as regulated profession on your website, yet the employer still requires a proof of the education level (e.g., civil service, certain crafts)?

 

 

  1. I completed a secondary/higher education course abroad and would like to pursue a regulated profession in Slovakia.

Act no. 422/2015 Coll. introduced a two-step system of recognition for regulated professions (evidence of formal qualifications, any other evidence).

The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic is responsible for both steps of recognition for the professions of education professionals, sports professionals (if the evidence was issued by a recognized education institution) and healthcare professionals.

The Ministry also recognizes the evidence of formal qualifications (i. e. higher education diploma, graduate diploma, upper secondary school certificate, secondary school certificate) for other professions, however, without assessing other evidence (e. g. professional experience, lifelong learning course certificate).

The application form, including the required documents for each type of application is available at the professional recognition subpage.

In case of electronic submission, you will need to fill out the online form available at the Central government portal (www.slovensko.sk):

Electronic Application for Recognition of Formal Qualifications and Professional Qualifications for Regulated Profession (healthcare, education, sports professionals)

Electronic Application for Recognition of Formal Qualifications for Regulated Profession (other regulated professions)

For recognition of professional qualifications (lifelong learning certificate, certificate of professional qualifications (outside healthcare, education, sports professionals), please contact the responsible body for recognition of professional qualifications for the selected profession. You can find it in the regulated professions database which contains various useful information for the recognition process.

  1. Is recognition for regulated profession required even if I completed a secondary/higher education course in the Czech Republic and there is a presidential recognition agreement in place?

Yes, it is. Presidential agreement with Czech Republic does not apply to recognition of professional qualifications for regulated professions (article 1 of the agreement).

  1. What name of regulated profession should I enter in the application form?

The title of the regulated profession can be found in the regulated professions database.

The database is a flexible list, before applying, please confirm the name of the profession and the act of law that regulates it. The name of your study field of study programme does not have to be (and usually is not) the name of the regulated profession.

If you are interested in several regulated profession (for example from the education professionals category), as long as they are regulated by the same act of law, they can all be entered into a single application (with a single application fee).

  1. Do I have to pursue the profession entered in the application form?

No, you do not. If you apply for recognition for regulated profession but will not pursue it, it is your decision. The object of assessment is to ascertain whether you fulfil the qualification conditions for the profession entered in the application.

  1. What are the fees for the professional qualification recognition procedures?

The application fees according to Act no. 145/1995 Coll. on administrative fees are:

  • 140 EUR for recognition of formal and professional qualifications for regulated profession in Slovakia (healthcare, education, sports professionals)
  • 70 EUR for recognition of formal qualifications for regulated profession in Slovakia (other professions).
  1. I have a language certificate/certificate if competence from a lifelong learning course and would like to have it recognized.

Language certificates as well as certificates from lifelong learning courses (e. g. massage, caregiver) are certificates of professional qualifications but not certificates of formal education (such as higher education diplomas, secondary school certificates). The authority responsible for their recognition is the body that recognizes professional qualifications, as stated in the regulated professions database for each regulated profession.

Language certificate can be used for several professions, therefore, its recognition depends on its intended use.

If you would like to become an education professional - foreign language teacher, you have to fulfil the qualification condition according to the Act no.138/2019 Z. z. on paedagogical employees and professional employees and the Regulation of the Ministry no. 1/2020 Coll., on qualification prerequisites of paedagogical eployees and professional employees. The professional qualifications is recognized by the Ministry.

If you want to obtain a trade license for activity teaching foreign languages or translating and interpreting services, the qualification conditions are stipulated by the Act no. 455/1991 Coll. on trade licensing. Professional qualifications for regulated profession - regulated act is recognized by the Ministry of Interior or the body issuing the same kind of certificate (state language school in Slovakia).

  1. What if the profession I wish to pursue is not listed as regulated profession on your website, yet the employer still requires a proof of the education level (e.g., civil service, certain crafts)?

Regulated profession in Slovakia is a profession, for which there is a qualification requirement stipulated by special law, with the exception of general requirement such as level of education or level of education in a study field that does not present a training for a specific profession.

There is, however, a group of professions that require a certain level of education without any specification of contents. Despite the act of law requiring a certain level of educations, these professions are not regulated and recognition of professional qualifications according to Act no. 422/2015 Coll. is not required.

If you want to pursue such professions and the employer requires recognition of you, you may use the process of academic recognition (recognition for further studies and other purposes). In case of academic recognition, the evidence of formal qualifications can be recognized by the:

  • Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic (recognition of the level of higher education),
  • higher education institution in Slovakia offering the same or similar study programme (recognition of the level of higher education and the equivalence of the study field),
  • Regional School administration office (recognition of secondary education).

More information can be found on the academic recognition subpage or in the section below.

 
 
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