Nostrification and Recognition for Other Regulated Professions

Nostrification and recognition for other regulated professions concerns skilled workers from third countries who would like to practice a profession in Austria for which statutory qualification requirements exist.

Regulated professions are professions in which access to or practice of the profession is tied to specific proof of qualification. In Austria, there is no uniform recognition rule for all professions; the required procedure depends on the specific profession and the purpose of recognition.

AS Consult supports skilled workers, employers and companies in preparing the required documents, identifying the appropriate procedure and organizing the next steps until possible professional practice in Austria.

Who this service is for

This service may be relevant in particular for the following professional areas:

  • Regulated trades
  • Craft professions
  • Master craftsman professions
  • Technical professions with statutory authorization
  • Pedagogical professions
  • Architects and civil engineers
  • Certain consulting and security professions
  • Legal professions
  • Finance and insurance professions
  • Other professions with legally regulated access

Whether a profession is regulated and which authority is responsible must always be checked on a case-by-case basis.

Requirements and application notes

For other regulated professions, it must be checked whether the foreign education or professional qualification meets Austrian requirements.

Depending on the profession, nostrification, equivalence, professional recognition, a certificate-of-competence examination or another procedure may be necessary.

For regulated professions, formal recognition or another proof of qualification is often a prerequisite for practicing the profession in Austria.

What is examined

During the procedure, the competent authority usually examines the following aspects:

  • Specific profession in Austria
  • Legal requirements for practicing the profession
  • Duration of education
  • Training content
  • Practical training components
  • Examinations and final certificates
  • Professional experience
  • Professional authorization or license in the country of origin
  • Certificates of competence
  • Differences compared with Austrian requirements

Regulated and non-regulated professions

For regulated professions, formal recognition or another proof of qualification is often required before the profession can be practiced.

For non-regulated professions, formal recognition is generally not necessary. In these cases, the employer often decides whether the foreign qualification is sufficient for the specific position.

An assessment of the qualification may nevertheless be helpful in order to classify the foreign degree or professional qualification more clearly.

Required documents

For recognition or nostrification in other regulated professions, the following documents usually have to be prepared:

Personal and education documents

  • Application form
  • Valid passport
  • CV
  • Training certificates
  • Final certificates
  • Examination certificates
  • Detailed training content
  • Evidence of practical training periods

Additional proof

  • Evidence of professional experience
  • Employment references or work confirmations
  • Professional authorization or license from the country of origin
  • Certificates of competence, if available
  • Proof of German language skills, if required
  • Criminal record certificate, if required
  • Certified translations, certifications, apostilles or verifications, if required

For commercial or craft professions, additional proof of practice, certificates of competence, master craftsman examinations or comparable qualifications may be required.

Support from AS Consult

AS Consult supports skilled workers, employers and companies in preparing and accompanying recognition procedures for other regulated professions.

  • Initial orientation regarding the specific professional goal
  • Checking whether a profession is regulated
  • Identifying the competent authority
  • Reviewing existing documents
  • Support in compiling missing documents
  • Organizational support with the application
  • Support with follow-up questions from the competent authorities
  • Coordination with employers and companies
  • Support until possible commencement of the activity in Austria

Purpose of this service

Nostrification and recognition for other regulated professions enables skilled workers from third countries to have their education and professional experience checked and made usable in Austria.

AS Consult supports skilled workers, employers and companies in the structured preparation of documents, in orientation toward the suitable procedure and in organizational support until possible professional practice in Austria.

With complete documents, careful preparation and a clear presentation of the qualification, the recognition process can be accompanied in an organized and understandable way.

Important notes

For other regulated professions, the specific individual case is always decisive.

The competent authority, the required documents and the procedure may differ greatly depending on the profession.

An assessment of foreign qualifications may be helpful, but it does not replace formal recognition if statutory professional authorization is required for the profession.

Documents that are not issued in German or English usually have to be translated and, depending on the country of origin, additionally certified or verified.