Assessment of Previous Education

For your educational qualifications to be assessed and recognised in Iceland, you need to provide satisfactory documentation certifying your studies, including copies of examination certificates, together with translations by certified translators. Translations in English or a Nordic language are accepted.

ENIC/NARIC Iceland carries out assessments of overseas qualifications and studies. They provide individuals, universities, employees, professional organisations, and other stakeholders with information on qualifications, education systems and assessment processes. Visit the ENIC/NARIC website for more information.

Submitted documentation need to include the following:

• Subjects studied and the length of study in years, months, and weeks.
• Vocational training if part of studies.
• Professional experience.
• The rights conferred by the qualifications in your home country.

Recognition of skills and qualifications is key to support mobility and learning, as well as improved career opportunities across the EU. Europass is for anyone who wants to document their studies or experience within European countries. More information can be found here.

The assessment consists in determining the status of the qualification in question in the country in which it was awarded and working out which qualification in the Icelandic education system it may be compared to. The services of ENIC/NARIC Iceland are free of charge.

Foreign nationals moving to Iceland and intending to work in the sector for which they have professional qualification, training, and work experience in must ensure that their overseas occupational qualifications are valid in Iceland.

Those with qualifications from Nordic or EEA countries usually have professional qualifications which are valid in Iceland, but they may need to obtain specific work authorization.

Those educated in non-EEA countries will almost always need to have their qualifications assessed in Iceland. Recognition applies only to professions accredited (approved) by the Icelandic authorities.

If your education does not cover an accredited profession, it is then up to the employer to decide whether it meets their recruitment criteria. Where applications for qualification assessment should be sent depends, for example, whether the applicant comes from an EEA or non-EEA country.

Specific ministries and municipalities are responsible for assessing qualifications in the fields under which they operate.

A list of ministries in Iceland can be found here.

The municipalities in Iceland can be found using the map on this page.

Jobs in these sectors are often advertised on their websites or on Alfred.is and list of specific qualifications, work experience and requirements are needed.

A list of various professions can be found here, including which ministry to turn to.

Are you a healthcare professional or educated and able to work as one? Are you interested in working as a healthcare professional in Iceland?

For more information, please have a look here.