Recognition of professional qualifications

In Slovenia, the procedures for the recognition of qualifications for the practice of regulated professions or activities are managed by the ministry responsible for the regulation of individual professions or activities. The procedure for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications is a procedure verifying the competence of a candidate who has obtained qualifications to perform a regulated profession in another Member State of the European Union. This is why the procedure focuses on the verification of professional competences of an individual, and not on the determination of the education acquired. An expert is recognised as having a professional qualification for the practice of a specific profession if he or she may practice the same profession in the country of origin and there are no major deviations from the conditions for the practice of this profession as laid down by national regulations.

An expert who wants to work in the field of education in the Republic of Slovenia and who has acquired the full professional qualifications in one of the Member States of the European Union submits a request for the recognition of professional qualifications.

The management of procedures in the field of education is in jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, which establishes the competences of candidates to perform a regulated profession in an individual procedure. Procedures in the field of education are implemented under the system of general recognition of qualifications, which is based on the rule of mutual trust, which means that an expert who has been fully trained for a specific profession in the country of origin is equally recognised as an expert for the profession in another country if there are no major deviations from the practice of the profession laid down by national regulations.

After the application and evidence of the acquired professional qualification has been examined and national regulations considered, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport issues:

• a decision on the recognition of professional qualifications,
• a temporary decision (in the case of an additional action) or
• a decision rejecting the recognition of qualifications.

With a decision on the recognition of a professional qualification, an expert is recognised as having the professional qualification for the practice of the regulated profession or regulated professions which are specified in the decision, which includes the right to practice the regulated professions in education specified in the decision. These experts may apply for vacancies in the field of education under equal conditions and be employed as candidates who fulfil the conditions laid down by law and other regulations.

Knowledge of the language of instruction (Slovenian literary language and Italian or Hungarian language in nationally mixed areas) is tested upon the first employment, in accordance with regulations. Applicants do not need to prove their knowledge of the language of instruction in the procedure for the recognition of professional qualifications.

If, on the basis of a comparison of the written documentation on the applicant's qualifications with the qualifications required by Slovenian regulations to perform a regulated profession the ministry establishes that the professional qualifications are inadequate, it may request the applicant to take an additional action, namely:

• adjustment period or
• test of professional competence.

Candidates file written applications along with enclosures and a certificate of the payment of the fee to the following address: