The Finnish National Agency for Education advises education providers, higher education institutions and other stakeholders on questions concerning academic and professional recognition of qualifications. On this page, you can find guidance material on recognition of qualifications and information about foreign systems of education to support your guidance work.
A teacher at a computer smiling
Photo: Hanna Anttila

Pages for holders of foreign qualifications

The web pages of the Finnish National Agency for Education are intended for individuals who have completed their qualification abroad provide useful information for your guidance work. There is also information on the different types of decisions and instructions on how to apply for a decision from the Finnish National Agency for Education.  

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Service guide for recognition of qualifications

The service guide helps you to find out

  • whether a person with a foreign qualification needs a decision on recognition
  • how and where to apply for the decision on recognition and
  • where you can find further information

The service guide advises you step-by-step. You can use it in Finnish, Swedish or English.

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Brochure on recognition of qualifications

The brochure explains in which situations one needs a decision on recognition of qualifications completed abroad and who makes the decision. The brochure also describes the decision-making process at the Finnish National Agency for Education. 

The brochure is published in Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic, Chinese, Estonian, Farsi, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. 

Brochures in different languages
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Flow chart: is a decision on recognition needed?

With help of the flow chart, individuals who have completed their qualifications abroad can find out whether they need a decision on recognition of their qualifications. The flow chart also clarifies which bodies are responsible for the recognition decisions. It can be useful in guidance work. The flow chart is published in Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic and Russian.  

Flow chart in different languages
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Guide on recognition of teacher education completed abroad

The guide on recognition of teacher education completed abroad is intended primarily for experts working with teachers who hold foreign qualifications. 

As an annex in the guide, there is a flow chart that can be used to find out, together with the individual who has obtained a foreign qualification, how to gain eligibility to work as a teacher in Finland. The guide is published in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Teacher Guide in Finnish, Swedish and English
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Guide to recognition of early childhood education and care education completed abroad

Guide to recognition of early childhood education and care education completed abroad is intended primarily for experts working with people who have a foreign qualification.


As an annex in the guide, there is a flow chart that can be used to find out, together with the individual who has obtained a foreign qualification, how to gain eligibility to work in early childhood education and care in Finland. The guide is published in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Guides to recognition of early childhood education and care education completed abroad in Finnish, Swedish and English
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Information about systems of education in different countries

When searching for information about foreign systems of education and certificates, it is recommended that you use information given on the web pages of national authorities and the institution awarding the qualification as your primary source of information.  You can find links to the international sources of information on this page. 

General information about some foreign systems of education is available in the diagrams that the Finnish National Agency for Education has published for guidance purposes. They help guidance and student admission practitioners assess the level of a foreign qualification. The diagrams include the title of the qualification or education in the original language and English translation used in the country of origin.

Diagrams on education systems
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International sources of information

On the internet, there are many useful, international sources of information about systems of education and educational certificates in different countries. 

The ENIC-NARIC network has a website for sharing information to support recognition of qualifications, and on the enic-naric.net you will find links to national sources of information. Through this website you have access to reliable information, especially on higher education qualifications, in for example the European countries, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Below we have gathered also some other web sites of our foreign partner organisations  that we use in our own work too. Some of these sites require registration.

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Other links for guidance practitioners working with immigrants

The Finnish National Agency for Education collaborates with education providers, higher education institutions, authorities and other professionals working in integration services to improve education and employment opportunities of immigrants in Finland.
 
Questions related to the higher education of immigrants and asylum seekers are handled especially in the higher education institutions responsible for SIMHE (Supporting Immigrants in Higher Education in Finland) -services that aim at enhancing the identification and recognition of prior learning of immigrants. 

In addition to the other sources of information on this page, the links below may be useful in your guidance work.

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Email:

recognition(at)oph.fi 

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