Can you practice a paramedical profession in France with a foreigners degree?

Verified 01 April 2021 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Social Affairs

To exercise a regulated profession, you must have the corresponding diploma, certificate or qualification. Depending on your nationality and the country where you graduated, you can practice in France under certain conditions. You can also go back to school to get an adaptation of the foreigners diploma or to get a French diploma.

With a European degree

If you are European, hold a European degree and intend to practice in France, 2 schemes exist. You must either obtain a license to practice in case of installation (except exceptions) or make a declaration in case of occasional exercise.

Professions concerned:

  • Caregiver's Assistant
  • Paramedic
  • Hearing aid specialist
  • Childcare assistant
  • Genetics Advisor
  • Dietitian
  • Occupational therapist
  • Nurse
  • Manipulator in medical electroradiology
  • Physical therapist
  • Optician-eyewear
  • Speech-Language Pathologist
  • Orthoptist
  • Podiatrist
  • Pharmacy preparer and hospital pharmacy preparer
  • Prosthetists and orthotists for the fitting of handicapped persons (orthoprosthetist, podo-orthesist, ocularist, epithetist, orthopedist-orthesist)
  • Psychomotrician
  • Radiophysicist
  • Medical laboratory technician

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Authorization for establishment in France

If you are European and have a paramedical diploma issued or recognized by a European country, you may be authorized to practice permanently in France.

You may be authorized to practice for your profession:

  • directly if your training is considered comparable to that leading to the French diploma, certificate or qualification,
  • or after an adaptation period or an aptitude test in the event of major discrepancies between your training and that leading to the French diploma, certificate or diploma.

You must apply for a license to practice with the Dreets: titleContent the place where you intend to practice.

FYI  

you cannot apply in multiple regions. If you obtain the exercise authorization, it is however valid throughout France.

Declaration for an occasional financial year in France

You can work temporarily and occasionally in France with your European diploma.

Before your 1re performance, you must file a prior declaration. It is renewable every year.

Caregiver's Assistant

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent of the Hauts-de-France region.

Paramedic

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent from the Normandy region.

Hearing aid specialist

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent of the Grand-Est region.

Childcare assistant

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent from the Pays de la Loire region.

Genetics Advisor

You should contact the Caregiving Branch - HR2 Office.

Dietitian

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent of the Grand-Est region.

Occupational therapist

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

Nurse

You have to go to the National Order of Nurses.

Who shall I contact
Manipulator in medical electroradiology

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

Physical therapist

You must contact the National Order of Massage Therapists.

Optician-eyewear

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Speech-Language Pathologist

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent from the Hauts de France region.

Orthoptist

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

Podiatrist

You must contact the Order of Pedicures-Podologists.

Pharmacy preparer and hospital pharmacy preparer

You should contact the Caregiving Branch - HR2 Office.

Prosthetists and orthotists for the fitting of handicapped persons

You should contact the Caregiving Branch - HR2 Office.

Psychomotrician

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent of the Occitanie region.

Radiophysicist

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

Medical laboratory technician

You must contact the Dreets: titleContent of the Center-Val de Loire region.

With a degree from another foreigner country

If you are a national of a foreigner country (excluding EEE: titleContent and Switzerland) and hold a paramedical diploma issued by that State, you cannot in principle practice in France with this diploma.

Professions concerned:

  • Caregiver's Assistant
  • Paramedic
  • Hearing aid specialist
  • Childcare assistant
  • Genetics Advisor
  • Dietitian
  • Occupational therapist
  • Nurse
  • Manipulator in medical electroradiology
  • Physical therapist
  • Optician-eyewear
  • Speech-Language Pathologist
  • Orthoptist
  • Podiatrist
  • Pharmacy preparer and hospital pharmacy preparer
  • Prosthetists and orthotists for the fitting of handicapped persons (orthoprosthetist, podo-orthesist, ocularist, epithetist, orthopedist-orthesist)
  • Psychomotrician
  • Radiophysicist
  • Medical laboratory technician

However, if there is a bilateral agreement with a European country on the recognition of your professional qualifications, you can check it with the authorities of your country of origin.

If this is the case, you can register with the training institute of the relevant paramedical profession to take adaptation training and obtain the corresponding diploma, certificate or title.

Regulated professions: steps to be taken according to the profession

Please note

depending on your degree and the type of paramedical profession envisaged, you may be exempted from part of the education. This exemption is not granted automatically and does not apply to all training courses.