Recognition of Professional Qualifications obtained in foreign states in Latvia

The law “On the Regulated Professions and the Recognition of Professional Qualifications” (hereinafter – the Law).

The law contains legal norms arising from Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September, 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications. 

Cabinet Regulation No. 103 of 5 March, 2019, “Procedures for Covering Expenses Related to the Recognition of a Person’s Professional Qualification” (hereinafter – Regulation No. 103).

Cabinet Regulation No. 566 of 19 September, 2017, “Regulations on Information Institutions and Institutions Issuing Certificates of Recognition of Professional Qualifications Obtained Abroad in Regulated Professions” (hereinafter – Regulation No. 566).

Cabinet Regulation No. 827 of 20 December, 2016, “Procedures for the Recognition of a Professional Qualification for Independent Professional Activity in the Republic of Latvia” (hereinafter – Regulation No. 827).

Cabinet Regulation No. 71 of 31 January, 2012, “Regulations Regarding Additional Requirements for Recognition of Professional Qualification Obtained in Foreign States in Professions Regulated in the Republic of Latvia” (hereinafter – Regulation No. 71).

Cabinet Regulation No. 47 of 21 January, 2021  “Procedures for the Provision of Temporary Professional Services in a Profession Regulated in the Republic of Latvia” (hereinafter –Regulation No. 47).

Cabinet Regulation No. 569 of 11 September, 2018, “Regulations on the Education and Professional Qualifications of Teachers and the Procedure for Professional Development of Teachers” (hereinafter – Regulation No. 569).

In accordance with Regulation No. 569, the following main requirements are set for a teacher: higher education in teaching and the qualification of a teacher of the corresponding subject, or higher education in the field of science corresponding to the subject and the qualification of a teacher.

Requirements of Regulation No. 569:

Paragraph 2 - requirements for a general education teacher;

Paragraph 5 - requirements for a general education pre-school teacher;

Paragraph 6 - requirements for a professional and interest education teacher;

Paragraph 9 - requirements for a special teacher;

Paragraph 10 - requirements for a social teacher;

Paragraph 11 - requirements for a teacher - career counsellor;

Paragraph 12 – requirements for a teacher - speech therapist.

Step 1. Submit an application to the Academic Information Centre (Regulation No. 827, Annex 1).

The application can be submitted:

• in person (address: Dzirnavu iela 16, 3rd floor, Riga; e-mail: prof@aic.lv; tel. 67225155);
• by post (address: Vaļņu iela 2, Riga, LV-1050);
• electronically – documents signed with a secure electronic signature (eSignature) (address: aic@aic.lv)
• An application for the recognition of a regulated teacher’s professional qualification obtained abroad can be submitted electronically by an e-application for the recognition of a teacher’s professional qualification obtained abroad*.

(*The opportunity to use this e-service is intended for teachers from the Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area as well as Ukraine who wish to recognize their professional qualification for permanent activity in the regulated teacher’s profession the Republic of Latvia. The e-application can be filled in by teachers who use Latvia’s secure electronic signature)

Sample application

Step 2. Submit the following documents with the application:

- copy of an identity document;

- documents certifying education and professional qualifications (diplomas and their appendices (transcripts), with translation into Latvian);

- documents from the country of origin on the right to work in the profession in the specific country (certificates, licenses, registration, etc., if any);

- certificate of work experience abroad (if any);

Documents need translation into Latvian (notarial approval for the translator’s signature is not required).

Documents issued outside the EU (except for Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan) must be legalized in the Republic of Latvia.

Step 3. Pay a fee for the recognition of professional qualifications in the amount of EUR 240.

Step 4. The Ministry of Education and Science (the Ministry) (upon receipt of the applicant’s application for recognition of professional qualification and the Academic Information Centre’s certificate on the applicant’s level of education) compares the substantive compliance of the professional qualification obtained abroad with the requirements set in Latvia for the teaching profession as laid down in Regulation No. 569.

The Ministry takes a decision within a specified time. The decision must be made within four months for the professional qualification obtained in the EU, and within 6-12 months for the professional qualification obtained outside the EU, from the moment of submission of all documents to the Academic Information Centre.

If the education obtained by the applicant complies with the requirements set for work in the teaching profession in Latvia, the Ministry issues a decision that the professional qualification has been recognized and the applicant receives a certificate of recognition of professional qualification.

If the education obtained by the applicant only partially complies with the requirements set for work in the teaching profession in Latvia and this non-compliance is significant, the Ministry issues a decision that the applicant must pass a qualification examination or undergo an adaptation period.

If the education obtained by the applicant does not meet the requirements set for work in the teaching profession in Latvia, the Ministry provides information and advises the applicant on the possibilities for obtaining such education in Latvia that will give the right to work as a teacher.

The applicant for recognition of the professional qualification may challenge the decision of the Ministry again in the Ministry, which will re-evaluate the applicant’s application, or in court.

* The Ministry draws attention to the fact that in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 733 of 7 July, 2009, “Regulations Regarding the Extent of the Knowledge of the Official Language, the Procedures for Examining the Proficiency in the Official Language, and the State Fee for Examining the Proficiency in the Official Language”, Annex 1, a teacher needs official language skills according to level C, grade 1.

Persons entitled to pursue the teaching profession in EU or EEA countries, as well as in Switzerland, may work as a teacher on a temporary basis without the need for recognition of professional qualification. In this case, in accordance with the requirements of Regulation No. 47, the person must submit a declaration to the Ministry accompanied by the following documents:

• copy of an identity document;
• copy of the document certifying the applicant’s nationality, accompanied by a translation of the document into the official language;
• documents (originals) of the competent authorities of the state of legal status, which certify the applicant's right to pursue professional activities in the relevant profession or part of the professional activities of the regulated profession, if the applicant wishes to provide such temporary services
• documents certifying the education and professional qualification corresponding to the profession indicated in the declaration (originals or certified copies), accompanied by a translation of the document into the official language;
• documents (originals) or (certified transcripts, extracts or copies) from the relevant authorities of the home country certifying the applicant's right to pursue the profession of teacher or part of the teaching profession, if the applicant wishes to provide such temporary services, accompanied by translations into national languages;
• document issued by the competent authority of the home country certifying that the person is not deprived of or restricted from the right to pursue professional activity in a teaching profession in which the temporary services will be provided, accompanied by a translation of the document into the official language;
• document issued by the competent authority of the applicant’s home country certifying the duration and type of the applicant’s professional activity in the teaching profession in which the temporary services will be provided, accompanied by a translation into the official language.

The declaration may be submitted:

• in person (address: Vaļņu iela 2, Riga, LV-1050; tel. 67047850);
• by post (address: Vaļņu iela 2, Riga LV-1050)
• electronically – documents signed with a secure electronic signature (eSignature) (pasts@izm.gov.lv)

Sample declaration

Contact details: Ministry of Education and Science, Department of Vocational and Adult Education, pasts@izm.gov.lv; tel. 67047850.

Additional information on the professional qualification recognition procedure can be obtained at the Academic Information Centre, www.aic.lv, e-mail: prof@aic.lv, tel. 67225155.

Residents of Latvia who have the right to work as a teacher and who wish to work as a teacher abroad may need recognition of their professional qualifications in the country where they wish to work. The competent authority of the host country may request the person to submit a statement issued by the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia certifying:

1. the right of the person to work in the teaching profession regulated in the Republic of Latvia on the basis of an appropriate professional qualification;
2. the professional experience of the person in the teaching profession in the Republic of Latvia;
3. that the person has not been deprived or restricted of the right to pursue a regulated profession in the Republic of Latvia due to professional violations or criminal offences.

The Ministry of Education and Science, in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 128 of 14 February 2006 “Regulations For Institutions that Issue to the Inhabitants of the Republic of Latvia Documents Necessary for the Recognition of their Professional Qualifications in Foreign States, and Procedures for Issuance of such Documents” (hereinafter – Regulation No. 128), issues documents (a statement) necessary to residents of the Republic of Latvia for the recognition of their professional qualifications abroad in the teaching profession. Preparation of the statement is a paid service. The amount of the fee depends on the content of the included information (the total fee is the amount for all individual sections of information):

1. EUR 15.46, if the document required for the recognition of a person’s professional qualification abroad must include information regarding the person’s right to work in a regulated profession in the Republic of Latvia on the basis of an appropriate professional qualification;
2. EUR 37.59, if the document required for the recognition of a person’s professional qualification abroad must include information regarding the person’s professional experience in a regulated profession in the Republic of Latvia;
3. EUR 30.21, if the document required for the recognition of a person’s professional qualification abroad must include information that the person has not been deprived or restricted of the right to pursue a regulated profession in the Republic of Latvia due to professional violations or criminal offences.

In order to receive the statement required for the recognition of a professional qualification abroad, a person shall submit the Ministry a written application (request) and a document certifying payment. The application must be accompanied by a copy of a personal identification document, a document certifying education and professional qualification and the documents at the disposal of the person necessary for the receipt of the documents referred to in this Regulation or copies thereof. The application (request) must state:

1. the person’s name and surname, address of residence or stay;
2. the profession in which the person has the right to work in the Republic of Latvia (indicate educational documents, professional qualification documents or other documents certifying this right);
3. the purposes of requesting the document (e.g. for the recognition of professional qualifications in the teaching profession);
4. the profession abroad for which it is necessary to receive the requested document in order to perform professional activities;
5. the institution to which the document required for the recognition of professional qualifications abroad is to be sent;
6. content of information to be included in the statement (payment is formed by summing these points):

• the right of the person to work in a regulated profession in the Republic of Latvia on the basis of an appropriate professional qualification;
• the professional experience of the person in the regulated profession in the Republic of Latvia;
• that the person has not been deprived or restricted of the right to pursue a regulated profession in the Republic of Latvia due to professional violations or criminal offences.

The term for reviewing a person’s application and the documents attached thereto and issuing the relevant document is 15 days.

The application can be submitted:

• in person (address: Vaļņu iela 2, Riga, LV-1050; tel. 67047850);
• by post (address: Vaļņu iela 2, Riga LV-1050);
• electronically – documents signed with a secure electronic signature (eSignature) (pasts@izm.gov.lv)

Contact details: Ministry of Education and Science, Department of Vocational and Adult Education, pasts@izm.gov.lv; tel. 67047850.

Details of the Ministry of Education and Science