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The European Professional Card (EPC) is an electronic procedure you can use to have your professional qualifications recognised in another EU country. It is easier and quicker to manage than traditional qualification recognition procedures, and more transparent: you can keep track of your application online.
Reference to the updated information below. If your profession is not regulated in Spain, you don’t need to request permission or start any administrative procedure. You can practise your profession in your new EU country under the same conditions as the nationals of that country.
Update February 9 2019. EPC and Brexit. Useful information provided by the European Commission.
For those who may lose their EU status post Brexit and have recognised professional qualification or about to apply for the EPC, read the information provided by the EU Commission.
What happens today when a person moves from one Member State to another Member State with his or her qualifications? EU citizens have the right to pursue a profession, on an employed or self-employed basis, in a Member State other than the one in which they obtained their qualification. Member States are obliged to consider the qualifications obtained in other Member States; and in a few professions (doctors, nurses, dental practitioners, veterinary surgeons, midwives, pharmacists and architects) there is an automatic recognition system based on common minimum training conditions.
The Member State where recognition is sought must issue a decision providing for the recognition of the qualifications in question or reject the application – such a decision is subject to appeal under national law. This Union regime does not apply to applications made by non-EU nationals. Qualifications acquired in non-EU countries are covered by the Union regime only in the event that they have been assimilated to Union qualifications after three years of exercise in the Member State which first recognised them.
I am a British architect living and working in Estonia. Will I be able to continue to practise my profession?
Yes. If you have had a professional qualification recognised in the country where you currently reside or, for frontier workers, where you work, you will be able to continue to rely on the recognition.
I have applied for recognition of my qualification. What will happen if I do not receive a decision before Brexit?
If you have applied for recognition, before the specified date, to a competent authority of the Member State where you currently reside or, for frontier workers, where you work, the procedure for the recognition of those qualifications should be completed under the Union rules 23 applicable before the specified date. This should guarantee the smooth completion of the procedure and a positive outcome, so long as your request was justified.
Taken from the Withdrawal Agreement.
Ongoing procedures on the recognition of professional qualifications
Article 4, Article 4d in respect of recognitions of professional qualifications for establishment purposes, Article 4f and Title III of Directive 2005/36/EC, Article 10(1), (3) and (4) of Directive 98/5/EC, Article 14 of Directive 2006/43/EC and Directive 74/556/EEC shall apply in respect of the examination by a competent authority of the host State or State of work of any application for the recognition of professional qualifications introduced before the end of the transition period by Union citizens or United Kingdom nationals and in respect of the decision on any such application.
Articles 4a, 4b and 4e of Directive 2005/36/EC shall also apply to the extent relevant for the completion of the procedures for the recognitions of professional qualifications for establishment purposes under Article 4d of that Directive.
Article 29
Administrative cooperation on recognition of professional qualifications
1. With regard to the pending applications referred to in Article 28, the United Kingdom and the Member States shall cooperate in order to facilitate the application of Article 28. Cooperation may include the exchange of information, including information on disciplinary action or criminal sanctions taken or any other serious and specific circumstances which are likely to have consequences for the pursuit of the activities falling under the Directives referred to in Article 28.
2. By way of derogation from Article 8, for a period not exceeding 9 months from the end of the transition period, the United Kingdom shall be entitled to use the internal market information system in respect of applications referred to in Article 28 insofar as they concern procedures for the recognition of professional qualifications for establishment purposes under Article 4d of Directive 2005/36/EC.
