The European Professional Card (EPC) is an electronic procedure you can use to have your professional qualifications recognised in another EU country (in this case the 27 EU Member States). It is easier and quicker to manage than traditional qualification recognition procedures, and more transparent: you can keep track of your application on-line and re-use already uploaded documents to start new applications for different countries.
The EPC is not a physical card. It is the electronic proof that you have passed administrative checks and your professional qualifications have been recognised by the country you want to work in (host country), or that you have met the conditions to provide services temporarily in that country.
When an application is approved, you will be able to generate an EPC certificate in pdf format. This will also include a reference number your prospective employer can use to check your EPC’s validity online.
For the moment, you can use the EPC procedure only if you are:
• a nurse responsible for general care;
• a pharmacist;
• a physiotherapist;
• a mountain guide (not applicable in the Republic of Cyprus);
• a real estate agent.
A) you want to practise your profession in another EU country on a temporary and occasional basis (temporary mobility)
Example:
• A Belgian real estate agent wants to go to Hungary to assist a client with the search of an apartment in Budapest;
• A German mountain guide wants to work in France during the busy Chamonix holiday season.
OR
•B) you want to settle in another EU country and practise your profession there permanently (establishment)
Example:
• A Finnish general care nurse wants to move with her family to Sweden and practise her profession there;
• A Polish pharmacist has studied and obtained her diploma in Germany and she now wants to come back to Poland and work as a pharmacist there.
The EPC will be valid:
• indefinitely if you are settling long-term (establishment);
• 18 months in most cases where you’re providing services temporarily, or 12 months for professions which have an impact on public health or safety (i.e.: this could be the case in certain countries for professions such as physiotherapist or mountain guide).
To apply for an EPC, you will first need to sign in with EU Login, through the European Commission Authentication Service (ECAS). You will need to create an account, if you don’t have one already.
It will then take a few minutes to complete your EPC profile with your personal information and contact details.
Once your profile information is complete, you can create an application, upload electronically scanned copies of the relevant documents and submit them to your home country authority. You can use the Simulator to check which relevant documents you need and fees to be paid.
Each supporting document should be scanned and then uploaded as a separate file.
In your profile you can update your contact details (e-mail address, telephone number) anytime. Once the first application is submitted, you can no longer update your personal data (ID or passport number, your last name or nationality – which will appear on the certificate) yourself, but will have to request an update to the authority handling your file.
For each application, both home country and host country authorities could charge you fees to examine your file. If they do, you will receive a separate invoice from each authority. Authorities may also ask you to provide certified copies of your documents, if they can’t verify the validity of your documents.
For more information follow this link.