Recognition of foreign nursing qualifications in Switzerland

Relevant legal framework

Recognition of foreign nursing qualifications

• GesBG (SR 811.21), Art. 2 para. 1 lit. a and Art. 10 — nursing falls within the federal Health Professions Act; Art. 10 governs recognition of foreign educational qualifications.
• GesBAV (SR 811.214) — implementing ordinance on recognition of foreign health-profession qualifications under the GesBG.
• Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (FZA), Annex III — Swiss-EU framework for recognition of professional qualifications.
• Directive 2005/36/EC, in particular Art. 21, Art. 31 and Annex V where applicable — sectoral recognition rules for nurses responsible for general care; other cases are assessed under the applicable recognition system.

Professional practice in Switzerland

• GesBG, Art. 11 ff. — cantonal authorisation and federal requirements for professional practice under one's own professional responsibility.
• GesBG, Arts. 23–28 — Health Professions Register (GesReg).
• Cantonal health law — additional rules on authorisation, supervision and the concrete scope of professional practice.
• BGMD (SR 935.01), Arts. 1–4 — notification and qualification-check procedure for qualifying EU/EFTA service providers carrying out a regulated activity temporarily in Switzerland.

Competent bodies

• Swiss Red Cross (SRK) — recognition of foreign nursing qualifications under the federal delegation and registration-related processing.
• GesReg — federal register for recognised health-profession qualifications and relevant practice-authorisation data.
• Cantonal health authority — authorisation and supervision where nursing is practised under one's own professional responsibility.
• SBFI declaration centre — entry point for the 90-day notification procedure for qualifying temporary EU/EFTA services.