In brief
Responsibilities are divided: SERI for specified vocational and higher-education procedures, the EDK/CDIP for designated teaching and specialist educational qualifications, MEBEKO for university medical professions and the Swiss Red Cross for certain healthcare qualifications.
The legal distinction
A foreign qualification may resemble several Swiss occupations. The actual professional tasks, teaching level and special cantonal or federal rules determine which authority can decide.
What to do next
Start with recognition.swiss but verify statutory competence. Where a body declines to examine a filing, its reasons may deserve legal review.
How Swiss authorities divide the work
SERI deals with certain vocational and higher-education qualifications, while the EDK assesses teaching diplomas for specified school levels. MEBEKO covers university medical professions, the Swiss Red Cross designated healthcare qualifications, and the Psychology Professions Commission (PsyKo) may handle relevant psychology diplomas. Applicants cannot simply choose whichever authority seems more convenient.
The diploma title may be misleading
A foreign teaching certificate may cover several school levels, whereas the corresponding Swiss activities can involve different procedures. School-teaching recognition and requirements for vocational education are not necessarily identical. Similarly, one foreign healthcare qualification may cover multiple activities. The competent authority follows the Swiss reference occupation rather than the certificate's label.
What to do before filing
Start at recognition.swiss, then verify the stated legal competence. Describe your profession, school level, duties and intended canton. Professional recognition and subsequent cantonal permission to practise can be different stages. A procedural decision declining to examine an application is not the same as a substantive refusal of the qualification.