European Commission proposes easier qualification recognition for non-EU citizens

The European Commission has introduced a new legislative proposal to streamline the recognition of professional qualifications for non-EU citizens. The initiative aims to address structural skilled labor shortages and reduce “skills waste,” a situation where qualified third-country nationals work in roles for which they are overqualified due to bureaucratic hurdles.

Currently, non-EU nationals lack the protections of the Professional Qualifications Directive, which is restricted to EU citizens. Instead, they must navigate decentralized national systems. A European Commission assessment indicates that the standard recognition procedure costs an average of €1,500 and takes approximately 14.2 months to complete. Furthermore, roughly 70 percent of non-EU citizens surveyed identified the length of this process as a major obstacle.

The proposed directive establishes a dedicated framework for third-country nationals already residing in the EU or planning to move there. It covers credentials earned both within other member states and outside the bloc. While the directive seeks to establish uniform documentation standards and strict deadlines to reduce waiting times, individual member states will retain sovereign authority over final labor standards.