Automatic recognition (EU sectoral professions)

Under Article 21 of Directive 2005/36/EC, each member state must recognise the qualifications listed in Annex V and give them the same effect as the diplomas it issues itself. The authority does not compare your course with its own and cannot impose an aptitude test or adaptation period for differences in training. That is the main difference from the general system.

Automatic does not mean instant. You still apply to the competent authority, which checks that your diploma is the listed one, that it is genuine and, where needed, that it comes with a certificate of conformity from your home country. Spain's ministry, for example, asks EU applicants for that certificate. You also still meet the host country's other conditions, such as good standing, health, registration and the language knowledge needed to practise (Article 53).

• Doctors: basic medical training of at least five years and 5,500 hours (Article 24). General practice training (Article 28) and the specialist titles listed in Annex V are also covered; the Commission counts 56 specialist qualifications recognised automatically in certain countries.
• Nurses responsible for general care: at least three years and 4,600 hours of theoretical and clinical training (Article 31). The Commission states there is no automatic recognition for specialist nurses.
• Midwives: the Commission lists three training routes, including three years of full-time midwifery training, or general nurse training followed by at least two years or 3,600 hours of midwifery training (Articles 40 to 43).
• Dentists, pharmacists, veterinary surgeons and architects, each with their own minimum training conditions.

If an EU qualification predates the reference date or does not match the Annex V title, acquired rights rules may still give automatic recognition. For general care nurses the Commission says you must show at least three years of professional experience in the last five years (Article 23). If neither route works, your case moves to the general system, where differences can be compensated.

No. A degree from India, Pakistan, Nigeria or the Gulf is not in Annex V, however long the course. Germany's recognition portal puts it simply: the training must have been completed in an EU country. If a member state recognises your third-country qualification and you then work there for three years, certified by that state, Article 3(3) lets you use the directive in other member states, but through the general system (Article 10(g)), not automatic recognition.

1. Check that your diploma title is listed for your country in Annex V and ask your home authority for a certificate of conformity if needed.
2. Apply to the competent authority of the host country, or use the European Professional Card if you are a general care nurse or pharmacist.
3. The authority acknowledges your file within one month and decides within three months of a complete file (Article 51).
4. Complete any language check and register with the regulator before you start work.