Replying to a request for an expert opinion on an application for the right to practise a profession
Valvira grants the right to practise a social welfare or health care profession on application to professionals trained in Finland and abroad. Valvira may request an expert opinion from a Finnish educational institution that provides the training in question to help with the processing of such applications. Expert opinions are requested in order to establish whether there are differences between the applicant’s qualification and the Finnish equivalent.
In the request, the educational institution will be asked to examine documents to determine whether the applicant’s qualification corresponds to the training that is required in Finland to practise the profession in question. The idea is to compare the applicant’s qualification against not just the training provided by an individual educational institution but against all relevant training in Finland. If the applicant’s qualification differs from the Finnish equivalent, Valvira may order the applicant to complete supplementary studies or compensatory measures, depending on the applicable legislation. It is therefore important that the expert opinion addresses all the questions included in the request.
If you need additional information to give your opinion, please do not contact the applicant directly but send an enquiry to the contact person identified in the request.
If a qualification obtained in an EU or EEA country cannot be automatically recognised, Valvira will investigate whether the training completed by the applicant qualifies for the same profession as the relevant Finnish training. For this purpose, Valvira will ask an expert to give an opinion on the comparability of the applicant’s education and training to the Finnish equivalent. The applicant’s work experience and any supplementary professional training or continuing education can also be taken into consideration and may compensate for any differences in the training between countries. If there are material differences between the applicant’s qualification and the relevant Finnish qualification, Valvira may issue a certificate of conditional recognition. The certificate of conditional recognition will specify the compensatory measures that are required of the applicant. Compensatory measures include an aptitude test and an adaptation period. Once these compensatory measures have been completed, the applicant can apply for finalisation of the recognition of their professional qualification.
It will be up to the applicant whether they wish to complete an adaptation period or take an aptitude test, which is why the expert opinion must set out the scope of both options as well as the length of the adaptation period. For more information on compensatory measures, please visit our website.
In the case of applicants who have obtained their qualification outside the EU/EEA, Valvira will investigate whether the training completed by the applicant qualifies for the same profession as the relevant Finnish training. The applicant’s work experience and any supplementary professional training or continuing education can also be taken into consideration and may compensate for any differences in the training between countries. If the comparison reveals material differences (social welfare professions) or differences (health care professions) between the applicant’s qualification and the relevant Finnish qualification, Valvira may issue a certificate of conditional recognition or order the applicant to complete supplementary studies. The applicant will need to complete these before requesting legalisation or the right to use a protected occupational title, depending on the profession.
Applicants who have obtained their health care qualification outside the EU/EEA need to demonstrate that their training corresponds to the training required in Finland. What this means in practice is that they need to supplement their competence by studying the Finnish service system.
The expert opinion must itemise the required supplementary studies in enough detail to make it possible for the applicant to take them. The idea is to compare the applicant’s existing qualification against not just the training provided by an individual educational institution but against all relevant training in Finland, and the list of supplementary studies should not be based on the curriculum of a single institution. For more information on applying for the right to practise after completing supplementary studies, please visit our website.
For some professions, Valvira will request an expert opinion as to whether the training completed by the applicant qualifies them for the profession in question. If the training completed by the applicant is not deemed to qualify them for the profession in question, the expert opinion must explain why this is. The length or level of training is not a valid explanation on its own.
Material differences between qualifications refer to the entirety of the knowledge, skills and competence that are relevant to the pursuit of the profession in question and in respect of which the content of the training completed by an applicant differs materially from the training required in the Member State where the applicant wishes to practise the profession. Elements of the profession that can be learned through onboarding are not considered material differences.