Recognition of foreign diplomas and professional certification for adults (CPA)
Before starting to work in Switzerland, you may need to take steps to have the training or experience acquired in your country of origin recognised. In Switzerland, certain professions are said to be “regulated”. That means that the exercise of these professions requires an officially recognised title. This is for example the case of medicine, nursing, education, for which the recognition of diplomas is compulsory if you wish to practise. For regulated professions, a recognition procedure is mandatory. Have you studied abroad and do you want to know if your diploma is recognised in Switzerland? Find out more from the Secrétariat d’État à la Formation, à la Recherche et à l’Innovation (SERI).
Find out if your diploma is recognised in Switzerland
Adults with several years of professional experience in a profession of the CFC or AFP type have the possibility of obtaining the end-of-training title by following a qualification procedure for adults in two ways:
- Either by taking the end of apprenticeship exams with the possibility of taking preparatory courses.
- Or by following a procedure for validating prior learning (VAE). This involves the development of a portfolio file documenting the skills related to those required in the qualification profile of the targeted profession, benefiting from collective and individual support.
It is also possible, on the basis of your training course, to be able to follow a professional training of reduced duration.