European Professional Card (EPC)

How does the professional card work?

The card is not a plastic card but an electronic certificate. The application is made through an account on the EU portal Your Europe; authorities exchange the file via the Internal Market Information System IMI. The legal basis is Articles 4a to 4e of Directive 2005/36/EC as amended by Directive 2013/55/EU, supplemented by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/983. The home state confirms receipt within one week and verifies authenticity and completeness within one month before forwarding the file.

For which professions does it actually exist?

Since its launch on 18 January 2016 there are exactly five: nurses responsible for general care, pharmacists, physiotherapists, mountain guides, and real estate agents. Physicians, dentists, veterinarians, midwives, and architects are not included, even though they are precisely the professions that fall under automatic recognition. The EU Commission's implementation report of 20 February 2026 states that many professionals are not even aware of the procedure. An extension to further professions has not yet been decided; a common training framework for physiotherapists is under review.

What does this mean for graduates from EU countries?

Those who studied medicine in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Malta, or the Baltic states cannot use the card and continue to apply for the medical licence in the classic way through the state authority. For pharmacy graduates the situation is different: pharmacists are among the five professions and can take the electronic route. In Austria the route for physicians goes through the Austrian Medical Chamber; in Switzerland through the Medical Professions Commission, which does not participate in the procedure because it is linked to IMI.

Deadlines and pitfalls

For establishment, the host state decides within one month if the qualification is automatically recognised, otherwise within two months with a possible extension of two weeks. If the deadline passes, the qualification is deemed recognised. For temporary service provision, the card is generally valid for 18 months; for establishment, indefinitely. Fees may be charged separately by the home and host states, and the card alone replaces neither the language certificate nor professional registration.