Assessment of qualifications for job purposes
You may be eager to enter the job market, but aren't sure how your foreign qualifications are interpreted here in Sweden. Knowing more about them can help you determine if you can get a job right away, or should spend time studying.
Get an immediate answer with the Qualifications assessment tool
The Swedish Council for Higher Education (Universitets- och högskolerådet, UHR) is responsible for the recognition process for foreign qualifications for job purposes. The Qualifications assessment tool gives you an immediate answer to what your foreign qualification compares to in Sweden. You can download it as a PDF and use it when applying for jobs. This helps the employer understand what your qualification compares to in Sweden.
Qualifications assessment tool
Recognition statement for all other countries
If your qualification isn't available in the assessment tool, you can have it assessed by a credentials officer. The result of this assessment is a recognition statement which shows what your foreign qualification compares to in the Swedish education system. You can use the recognition statement when applying for jobs.
Find out more about the recognition process
Professional qualifications
Certain professions are requlated by Swedish law. A regulated profession is one that requires some form of (state) authorisation to practice, such as a license, certification, or qualification.
Often, a specific education is required to obtain permission to work in the profession. For example, a nursing education is required to obtain a nursing license.
A profession is often regulated to protect the consumer or the practitioner if the profession involves certain risks. Some professions that are often regulated include those in healthcare, teaching children, and construction and transportation jobs.
Recognition is provided by the appropriate responsible authority. You can find out more here:
There are rules and regulations in place in the European Union making it easier for professionals to work within their field in another EU country.
Read more at UHR's website regarding professional qualifications
Supplementing your foreign degree
To be entitled to work in some professions in Sweden, you may be required to supplement your foreign degree with additional studies.
Please note that all supplementary programmes for regulated professions are taught in Swedish.
List of supplementary programmes for regulated professions (in Swedish): Komplettera utländsk utbildning