How do I get my foreign diploma recognised?
Two different things: academic recognition (for further study or a general statement of comparability) and professional recognition (to practise a regulated profession: nurse, teacher, engineer, electrician). France Éducation international — ENIC-NARIC (france-education-international.fr) — the ENIC-NARIC centre for France — issues the comparability statement and tells you whether your profession is regulated and which authority recognises it. Regulated professions go to the competent authority per profession; EU qualifications benefit from the automatic or general system. Cour d'appel — service des apostilles (notaires dès 2025) (service-public.fr) handles school and higher-education recognition. Your diploma may first need an apostille and a sworn translation — Préfecture — service des étrangers (ANEF) (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr).
🗣️ What to say
"I hold [diploma], awarded by [institution, country] in [year], and want to [work as … / continue studying in …] in France. Is the profession regulated, which authority recognises the qualification, and what documents and translations do you need?"
🪜 Step by step
- Regulated or not?Check the EU regulated-professions database or ask France Éducation international — ENIC-NARIC. Unregulated: employers decide, a comparability statement helps.
- Comparability statement: France Éducation international — ENIC-NARICOnline application, copies of diploma and transcript, translation. Weeks to a few months.
- Regulated: the competent authorityFrance Éducation international — ENIC-NARIC names it. EU diplomas: recognition within months, possibly with an adaptation period or test.
- Apostille and translationOften required for non-EU documents; the apostille comes from the issuing country. See the apostille page.
- Refugees and missing documentsThe European Qualifications Passport for Refugees and interview-based assessments exist; ask France Éducation international — ENIC-NARIC.
📇 All contacts
❓ Frequently asked
Does an EU diploma need recognition?
For a regulated profession yes — but the procedure is faster and often automatic (doctors, nurses, architects…). For an ordinary job, no.
What does it cost?
Comparability statements are cheap or free; professional recognition has fees per authority. Ask before you apply.
My profession is regulated and I am from outside the EU
Recognition is case by case, sometimes with an aptitude test. Start early; it can take a year.
📎 Sources
- France Éducation international — ENIC-NARIC →
- Cour d'appel — service des apostilles (notaires dès 2025) →
- Préfecture — service des étrangers (ANEF) →
- France Travail →
🔎 Common searches
Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.
- “diploma recognition France”
- “enic naric France”
- “foreign qualification recognised work”
- “regulated profession recognition France”
- “comparability statement diploma”
🧭 Is this still correct?
We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.
⚠️ Readers report that something here may have changed — we are checking it.
✅ Thank you — this keeps the page up to date for everyone.