Recognition of qualifications is always assessed on a case-by-case basis. For this reason, we cannot guarantee a certain decision in advance or give a definitive assessment of which Finnish qualification a specific foreign qualification corresponds to. Nor is there a list explaining the equivalence of qualifications completed in different countries.

To apply for a decision, you should submit a completed and signed application form, accompanied by the necessary appendices, to the Finnish National Board of Education.

When the Finnish National Board of Education makes a decision on eligibility provided by a foreign qualification, the level of the qualification is assessed on the basis of the scope and requirements of the programme. The essential condition for recognition of a qualification is that the higher education institution  and the qualification fall within the country’s higher education qualifications system. In addition, the qualification must be completed in full; incomplete studies will not be recognised.

People who have completed their qualification abroad will need a Finnish National Board of Education decision on recognition of their qualification in order to be eligible for a municipal or central government post or position which requires specific qualifications laid down in an Act or a Decree.

You can apply for a decision concerning the recognition of the level of the qualification, provided that the qualification in question is a higher education degree for which at least three years of study is required. If your qualification is a vocational qualification or the nominal length of the higher education degree is less than three years, you may apply for an advisory statement from the FNBE (see Finnish National Board of Education statements on foreign vocational qualifications).

Finnish higher education institutions decide independently on the eligibility provided by a foreign qualification for further studies and on transfer of credits completed abroad towards a Finnish higher education degree.

However, if you are planning to apply to complete teachers’ pedagogical studies in Finland, you will need a Finnish National Board of Education decision on recognition of the level of your qualification and possibly also on the comparability of studies in the teaching subject included in your qualification. For further information about the requirements, please refer to the higher education institution organising the programme.

People who have completed their qualification abroad should use their original qualification title. A decision on recognition of a qualification issued by the Finnish National Board of Education does not transform a foreign qualification into a Finnish one. You can only obtain a Finnish degree title by completing the relevant degree at a Finnish higher education institution.

A Finnish National Board of Education decision on recognition of a qualification completed abroad is subject to a fee of €238 + €10 for delivery (2011).

The decision will be sent to you or to your designated contact person residing in Finland for settlement on delivery. The local post office will send you confirmation that it is ready for collection and you will pay the fees at the post office when you go to collect it.

The average period for processing an application is about four months. The processing period varies according to whether the Finnish National Board of Education requests any external expert opinions on the qualification.

The Finnish National Board of Education is obliged to make decisions under the Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications within four months of receipt of all documents. There is no statutory maximum duration for processing decisions made in accordance with the Act on Competence for Civil Service Posts Conferred by Higher Education Studies Taken Abroad.

Remember to apply on time.

Authorised translations of qualification certificates and transcripts of records are required if the original documents are in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic or English. Bilingual qualification certificates conferred by higher education institutions are acceptable without authorised translations, provided that one of the languages is one of those mentioned above.

The translator must be licensed/authorised in Finland to translate from the language in question into Finnish or Swedish.

A list of licensed/authorised translators is available on the FNBE website at www.oph.fi/info/kaantajat (in Finnish). For data protection reasons, the Finnish National Board of Education cannot publish the contact details of individual translators. You can search for a listed translator’s contact details in a telephone directory or on various websites, such as the Membership Register of the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters

If there are no licensed/authorised translators from your language into Finnish or Swedish, it is advisable to contact the FNBE Recognition and International Comparability of Qualifications Unit and ask about the translation requirements in advance. 

Certified copies are available from local Register Offices in Finland and from Finnish diplomatic missions abroad. Copies provided by foreign authorities, accompanied by Apostille certificates, are also accepted.
Contact details of local Register Offices: www.maistraatti.fi and States and authorities issuing Apostille certificates 

Fees for services provided by local Register Offices are also available on the above-mentioned website.

The Finnish National Board of Education does not accept original documents and it is not possible to bring documents to be photocopied.

The documents are not returned, they will remain at the FNBE’s records.

The Finnish National Board of Education does not have customer reception facilities. Where necessary, advice is provided via e-mail or by telephone.