Authorisation and recognition of foreign qualifications in Åland
If you have a foreign degree and want to work in Åland, it is often the employer who assesses what skills and knowledge your foreign degree provides, and the same applies if you have an Åland degree and are looking for a job abroad.
You need recognition from the Government of Åland for some regulated professions or to apply for them. In some sectors, there are also requirements for further training, licences and safety standards in order to apply for certain posts.
If you are interested in the academic recognition of degrees, i.e. the conditions under which you can apply to study in Åland with a foreign degree or the conditions under which studies abroad can be included in your degree, you can visit the page Higher education in Åland.
Regulated professions in Åland
A profession is regulated if a law or regulation requires a certain education, degree or right to work in the profession. A person who has completed a degree abroad needs a decision from the Government of Åland to be authorised for these professions in Åland. The eligibility requirements of the Åland legislation are applicable only to those persons who hold national professional qualifications. Where Åland does not have legislative powers, Finland's rules on competences apply. In the case of national professional qualifications, it is up to the employer to assess whether the applicant fulfils the eligibility requirements for the post or employment.
In the menu tabs below you can read about some of the most common regulated professions in Åland. You can find more regulated professions in Åland and more about the recognition of professional qualifications on the website of the Government of Åland. For more information on regulated professions in Finland, see Recognition of professional qualifications and foreign degrees in Finland.
Recognition of foreign degrees in Åland
If you have completed a degree abroad, you may need a decision recognising the degree in order to work in Åland. In most cases, it is the employer who assesses what qualifications and skills your foreign degree corresponds to.
If you have a foreign higher education, you may need to apply for your degree to be equated with the equivalent qualification in Finland. If you are applying for a post in Åland for which the legal eligibility requirement is a university degree, you can apply for your university degree to be deemed equivalent.
Read more about how to apply for recognition of professional qualifications and equivalence of higher education studies on the website of the Government of Åland.
Sector-specific rules
In some sectors there are agreements on specific rules. These may include requirements for further training, certification and safety standards. Occupational safety cards, hygiene passports and serving passports are examples of sector-specific requirements.
In Åland, most courses and examinations for sector-specific requirements are organised by the Åland Vocational High School. In the menu tabs below, you can read about the most common sector-specific regulations that exist. The Åland Vocational Upper Secondary School's webpage on courses and further training for working life lists the majority of all sector-specific training programmes available in Åland.
To work in a profession in the social and healthcare sector in Åland, you need an licence granted by the Finnish National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira). The application instructions differ depending on whether you have completed your studies in Finland or Åland, in a Member State of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) or outside the EU or EEA.
Read more and apply for a licence on Valvira's website on professional rights in the social and healthcare sector.
Under Åland law, there are eligibility requirements for staff employed in day-care centres, after-school centres and primary schools. The eligibility requirements are directly applicable only to holders of national professional qualifications. In these cases, it is up to the employer to assess whether the eligibility requirements are met.
For persons holding foreign professional qualifications, the provincial act on the recognition of professional qualifications or the provincial act on the equivalence of higher education studies for access to regulated professions in Åland applies.
Under Åland law, professional drivers in Åland must undergo continuous training to maintain their competence in professional transport. To ensure this competence, all lorry and bus drivers must have basic professional competence. After basic training and passing an examination, a certificate of professional competence is awarded. The certificate of professional competence is valid for five years and is issued by the Åland Vocational High School.
Åland Vocational High School has a complete webpage on further training for professional drivers where you can read more relevant information. The site contains information for those who need documented knowledge of forklift handling, ADR regulations, etc.
The alcohol passport (serving passport) certifies your knowledge of the Alcohol Act. You need a serving passport if you work as a responsible manager in a catering establishment. Exams for alcohol passports are organised by the Åland Vocational High School.
The Finnish Alcohol Act applies in Åland with certain exceptions. Staff who have passed an alcohol passport test in Åland can work as supervisors in Finland and vice versa, but should be aware of how the specific rules differ.
You can read more about the alcohol passport and other relevant information on the website of the Åland Environment and Health Protection Authority.
Persons who handle food in restaurants and cafés must be able to present a certificate of food hygiene competence, known as a hygiene passport. Hygiene passports are granted to persons who have passed a hygiene passport test. Tests are organised by the Åland Vocational High School.
You can also read more about the hygiene passport on the website of the Åland Environmental and Health Protection Authority.
More information
On the Info Norden website you can find information on authorisation and recognition of foreign qualifications in the other Nordic countries and which authorities to contact if you have questions.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.