When another authority is competent
Professional recognition in Switzerland is decentralized. Depending on the profession and activity, competence may lie with a federal body, an inter-cantonal organization, a sector authority or a cantonal authority. Cantonal law also regulates access to a number of professions and professional activities.
The first issue is therefore to identify the regulated activity and the competent authority. In some fields, recognition of the qualification and the cantonal authorization to practise are separate steps.
Typical areas
Cantonal or other specialist authorities can be relevant particularly in areas such as:
- Cantonal professional-practice licences in healthcare professions
- Construction and planning professions where the activity is regulated by cantonal law
- Electrical professions and other technically regulated activities handled by specialist federal authorities
- Audit, financial-market and other sector-specific professional-access regimes
- Education and vocational-training matters assigned to cantonal authorities
- Other professions for which recognition.swiss designates a competent authority outside SBFI, SRK, MEBEKO, EDK or PsyKo
The competent authority must be identified from the exact activity, place of practice and applicable federal or cantonal regulation.
Official resources
anerkennung.swiss ↗Official search for regulated professions and the competent recognition authority.Foreign professional qualifications in Switzerland ↗SBFI overview of how to identify the competent recognition route.Regulated professions & fact sheets ↗Official information on regulated professions and profession-specific requirements.Legal bases for professional recognition ↗Federal, treaty and cantonal framework for recognition of foreign professional qualifications.