Having your qualifications recognised means that they are assessed to see to what extent they are appropriate to a particular job or education programme in Finland. Decisions regarding recognition are made by the following Finnish authorities and institutions:
The Finnish National Agency for Education: Responsible for civil service posts and assess how well your foreign qualifications match with the Finnish equivalent. The EDUFI can also advise on foreign vocational qualifications, though they cannot provide official recognition.
Authorities in a specific field: In some professions, you can only have your qualifications recognised by a Finnish authority in your respective field before you can begin practising in Finland. The EDUFI will advise you on where you ask about having your qualifications recognised.
You will have to apply to have your foreign qualifications recognised in Finland. Each application is dealt with individually, meaning that your qualifications will not be recognised automatically – even if you earned your qualification in an EU country.
Recognition in Finland is generally granted if the qualification was earned at an official higher education institution in a foreign country and is legally recognised by authorities in that country.
You will need to fill out a National Board of Education application form in order to have your foreign qualifications recognised in Finland. You can find details regarding the application procedure on the EDUFI website.