Foreign diploma recognition in Luxembourg: where to apply
Foreign diploma recognition in Luxembourg goes to one of two ministries, by the level of your diploma: a secondary or vocational qualification to the Education ministry’s diploma recognition service, a higher-education diploma to the Ministry of Research and Higher Education (MESR), says Guichet.lu. Equivalence, professional recognition and the register of titles each cost 75 EUR. A business permit often needs none unless the Ministry of the Economy asks.
Do you need your diploma recognised for your activity?
You need a recognition only for a regulated activity, and for a business permit usually only if the Ministry of the Economy asks for one. Article 3 of the law of 28 October 2016 calls a profession regulated when the law ties its access or practice to a given qualification.
A commercial activity not otherwise regulated needs no qualification under article 8 of the law of 2 September 2011, only the business permit itself. For a craft or a liberal profession, your qualification is one of the business permit criteria.
| Situation | Recognition needed? |
|---|---|
| Commercial activity not otherwise regulated | No |
| Craft or liberal profession | Only if the Ministry of the Economy asks |
| Health profession | Depends on the profession: see the last table |
| Using a foreign academic title in public | The register of titles |
A protected title is enough: under article 3, using a title reserved to qualified holders counts as practising.
Which office takes your file?
The level of your diploma decides: a secondary or vocational qualification goes to the Education ministry, a higher-education diploma to the MESR, for professional recognition or the register of titles.
The Education ministry, the ministère de l’Éducation nationale, de l’Enfance et de la Jeunesse (MENEJ), decides the equivalence of professional qualifications through its Service de la reconnaissance des diplômes, the diploma recognition service, at 29, rue Aldringen, (+352) 247 85 910, says Guichet.lu. The ministère de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement supérieur (MESR) handles higher-education diplomas for regulated professions.
| Diploma and activity | Office and procedure |
|---|---|
| Vocational, for a craft (DAP, CATP or brevet de maîtrise) | Education ministry, equivalence |
| Vocational, for some commercial, liberal, health or socio-educational activities | Education ministry, equivalence |
| Higher education, for a regulated liberal or health profession | MESR, professional recognition |
| Higher education, for its title or level | MESR, register of titles |
Which craft needs which diploma is in craft activities and their qualifications. The Chambre des Métiers recognises no diploma; it helps with the permit file, says Guichet.lu.
Professional recognition, equivalence, register of titles: three procedures
Equivalence compares a secondary or vocational qualification with a Luxembourg diploma; professional recognition opens a regulated profession; the register of titles lets you bear a foreign higher-education title, with no right to practise.
The MESR’s procedure page says professional recognition gives no academic title and no level on the Luxembourg qualifications framework (CLQ). The register of titles, the MESR’s normal procedure, covers the title, not your studies’ content, says Guichet.lu’s register page. Article 68 of the 2016 law forbids bearing such a title in public before entry, the one case where the MESR’s register FAQ makes entry compulsory.
| Procedure | Gives you | Does not give you |
|---|---|---|
| Equivalence (Education ministry) | A certificate of equivalence | The permit itself |
| Professional recognition (MESR) | The way into a regulated profession | An academic title or a CLQ level |
| Register of titles (MESR) | The right to bear the title, and its CLQ level | Any right to practise |
A school-leaving diploma (baccalauréat, maturité) has its own Education ministry equivalence, says Guichet.lu’s page on it.
Your application, step by step: documents, translation, form
The MESR takes the application on MyGuichet.lu or by post, the Education ministry through its online form, by e-mail (reconnaissance@men.lu) or by post; each wants copies of your diplomas and your ID.
- Gather the documents. For professional recognition, the MESR wants copies of your titles and transcripts, proof of any professional experience, your ID, your Luxembourg residence permit if you are a third-country national, and proof of payment, says Guichet.lu. The Education ministry adds its equivalence form, a CV, your reports from your last three school years and work certificates, says its Guichet.lu page.
- Have them translated. Article 50 of the 2016 law and the MESR accept French, German, Luxembourgish or English, the Education ministry all but Luxembourgish; anything else needs a sworn translation. The Ministry of Justice publishes the list of sworn translators.
- Submit and pay. The MESR’s professional-recognition form is the MyGuichet.lu procedure Recognition of professional qualifications, paid by card at the end, says the MESR’s procedure page. By post, Guichet.lu gives 18-20, montée de la Pétrusse, L-2327 Luxembourg, with proof of a transfer. For a craft or commerce activity, the Education ministry’s form is the Application for recognition of higher education qualifications, equivalence of diplomas and equivalence of professional qualifications for skilled craft trades and commerce.
A certificate of good standing is not on these lists: Guichet.lu’s expert-comptable page puts those documents in the business permit file.
What it costs and how long it takes
Guichet.lu and the MESR put each procedure at 75 EUR, the Education ministry’s answer at 2 to 6 weeks and the register’s at 4 to 6, and article 51 of the 2016 law gives the MESR three months from a complete file.
| Procedure | Fee | Delay after a complete file |
|---|---|---|
| Equivalence | 75 EUR | 2 to 6 weeks, 3 months at most |
| Professional recognition | 75 EUR per recognition and profession | 3 months at most, no typical delay published |
| Register of titles | 75 EUR per diploma | 4 to 6 weeks on average |
| Compensation measure | 300 EUR each time you register | — |
Per Guichet.lu, no fee is refunded after a refusal and a duplicate costs 10 EUR. At the MESR, asked for more documents, you have three months under article 50, extendable twice, or the application lapses. The setup timeline for the self-employed shows where this wait sits.
Recognition and the business permit: in which order?
The permit file comes first: the Ministry of the Economy checks your diploma there and asks for a recognition only if it falls short; the recognition then comes before the permit.
- You file the permit application with your diplomas, as applying for the business permit explains.
- The ministry checks them. For a craft it may require an Education ministry equivalence for a non-university diploma, or a register entry for a degree’s level, says Guichet.lu’s List A page.
- If your diploma misses the criteria for direct access, the ministry invites you to apply for professional recognition, and the permit comes only after it is accepted, says Guichet.lu. For a liberal profession, the MESR’s liberal professions page adds that an ad hoc commission then examines your training; liberal professions and the business permit covers that check.
Experience can replace a diploma: articles 16 to 19 of the 2016 law accept two to six years of practice in another EU state for the EU directive’s annex IV activities. For a craft, Guichet.lu’s List A page asks for the attestation CE, usually from your home country’s professional chamber.
A recognition is not a permit: practising without the business permit or the authorisation to practise is illegal even after one, warns Guichet.lu.
Compensation measures, refusal and appeal
The decision is a direct recognition, compensation measures or a refusal, and a refusal can be appealed; a compensation measure is an aptitude test or an adaptation period of up to three years (2016 law, article 14), usually your choice.
Under that article, a measure may be required when your training covered substantially different subjects, costs 300 EUR per registration, and is yours to choose unless the authority prescribes it, as for professions advising on Luxembourg law. The grand-ducal regulation of 17 February 2017 gives you three years and three attempts for an aptitude test; the adaptation period runs under an employment contract, so you earn while you train.
Appeals:
- MESR, professional recognition: the Tribunal administratif within three months of notification, through a lawyer, says its appeals page; a gracious appeal (asking the ministry to reconsider) first suspends that delay.
- MESR, register of titles: an action for annulment, under article 68 of the 2016 law.
- Education ministry: a gracious appeal, then the Tribunal administratif with a lawyer, says Guichet.lu.
Health, law, architecture: professions with their own route
Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lawyers, architects, experts-comptables and auditors start outside the three procedures, or add a step after them. Rows follow the pages they link; the expert-comptable row, Guichet.lu’s above.
| Profession | Start at | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor, dentist, vet | Health ministry; the MESR only if the ministry finds a recognition necessary | Authorisation to practise |
| General-care nurse or midwife with an annex V title (directive 2005/36/EC), except the Flemish gegradueerde verpleger diploma | Health ministry, no recognition | Authorisation to practise |
| Other health professions | MESR, professional recognition | Health ministry’s authorisation |
| Pharmacist with an EU annex V diploma | Health ministry, no recognition | Authorisation, 450 EUR |
| Lawyer with a foreign law diploma | MESR homologation, 125 EUR, unless you may practise in another EU state | Luxembourg law courses from 1 October to 15 April, then a stage of at least two years |
| Architect with an annex V diploma | Business permit, no MESR step | Insurance, then entry with the OAI, the Ordre des Architectes et Ingénieurs-Conseils |
| Expert-comptable | Business permit | Entry with the Ordre des Experts-Comptables |
| Réviseur d’entreprises agréé (auditor) | The CSSF’s (financial regulator) title of réviseur d’entreprises, which requires IRE (auditors’ institute) membership | The CSSF’s approval (agrément) |
Frequently asked questions
Which office handles diploma recognition in Luxembourg?
The level of your diploma decides. A secondary or vocational qualification goes to the Education ministry's Service de la reconnaissance des diplômes, which decides equivalence. A higher-education diploma goes to the Ministry of Research and Higher Education (MESR), either for professional recognition or for the register of titles.
How do you apply for diploma recognition in Luxembourg?
Apply to the MESR on MyGuichet.lu or by post, or to the Education ministry through its online form, by e-mail or by post. Attach copies of your diplomas and your ID, and pay the 75 EUR fee. Documents beyond French, German and English (the MESR also takes Luxembourgish) need a sworn translation; third-country nationals add their residence permit.
What is the difference between recognition and equivalence of a diploma?
Equivalence, decided by the Education ministry, compares a secondary or vocational qualification with the Luxembourg diploma an activity requires, such as the DAP or the brevet de maîtrise. Professional recognition, at the MESR, opens a regulated profession to a higher-education diploma. The register of titles only lets you bear a foreign higher-education title, with no right to practise.
Do you need your diploma recognised for a business permit?
Usually not before you apply. The Ministry of the Economy checks your diploma in the permit file and asks for an equivalence, a register entry or a professional recognition only if it needs one; that recognition then comes before the permit. A commercial activity not otherwise regulated needs no qualification at all.
How much does diploma recognition cost and how long does it take?
Each procedure costs 75 EUR: per recognition and profession at the MESR, per diploma for the register, per equivalence at the Education ministry. A compensation measure adds 300 EUR each time you register for one. The Education ministry answers in 2 to 6 weeks and the register in 4 to 6; the law allows three months from a complete file.
What can you do if the application is refused?
Against a MESR decision you can go to the Tribunal administratif within three months of notification, through a lawyer; a gracious appeal to the ministry first suspends that delay. Against the Education ministry, a gracious appeal comes first, then the Tribunal administratif. A refused register entry is open to an action for annulment. The 75 EUR is not refunded.