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Can you practise a paramedical profession in France with a foreigners degree?
Verified 01 avril 2021 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Social Affairs
To exercise regulated profession, you must have the corresponding diploma, certificate or title. Depending on your nationality and the country of your diploma, you may practice in France under certain conditions. You can also go back to school to get an adaptation of the foreigners degree or to get a French degree.
With a European diploma
If you European, hold a European diploma and plan to practise in France, 2 schemes exist. You must either obtain an authorisation to practise in case of installation (except for exceptions) or make a declaration in case of occasional exercise.
Affected professions:
- Caregiver
- Ambulance
- Audioprosthetic
- Childcare Auxiliary
- Genetics Advisor
- Dietician
- Occupational therapist
- Nurse
- Medical electroradiology manipulator
- Masseur-kinesitherapist
- Optician-lunetian
- Speech
- Orthoptist
- Pedicure-podologist
- Pharmacy and hospital pharmacy preparer
- Prosthetists and orthetists for the equipment of disabled people (orthoprosthetist, podo-orthetist, ocularist, epithetist, orthopaedist-orthetist)
- Psychomotrician
- Radiophysicist
- Medical Laboratory Technician
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Authorisation for establishment in France
If you are European and have a paramedic degree issued or recognised by a European country, you may be allowed to practise permanently in France.
You may be granted authorisation to practise for your profession:
- directly if your training is considered comparable to that leading to the French diploma, certificate or title,
- or after an adaptation period or an aptitude test in the event of significant differences between your training and that leading to the French diploma, certificate or title.
You must apply to the Dreets the place where you plan to practise.
Who shall I contact
For the equipment and radiophysicists professions, ask the department in charge of population protection (DDPP or DDCSPP).
FYI : you cannot apply in multiple regions. If you get the authorisation to practise, it is valid throughout France.
Reporting for a Casual Exercise in France
You can work temporarily and occasionally in France with your European diploma.
Before 1re benefit, you must file a pre-filing. It is renewable every year.
Caregiver
You should contact the Dreets the Hauts-de-France region.
Ambulance
You should contact the Dreets of the Normandy region.
Audioprosthetic
You should contact the Dreets of the Grand-Est region.
Childcare Auxiliary
You should contact the Dreets region Pays de la Loire.
Genetics Advisor
You should contact the Care Delivery Branch - HR2 Office.
Who shall I contact
Dietician
You should contact the Dreets of the Grand-Est region.
Occupational therapist
You should contact the Dreets New Aquitaine region.
Nurse
You must contact the National Nurses Association.
Who shall I contact
Medical electroradiology manipulator
You should contact the Dreets New Aquitaine region.
Masseur-kinesitherapist
You should contact the National Order of Physiotherapists.
Who shall I contact
Optician-lunetian
You should contact the Dreets the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Speech
You should contact the Dreets of the Hauts de France region.
Orthoptist
You should contact the Dreets of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
Pedicure-podologist
You must contact the Order of Pedicures-Podologists.
Who shall I contact
Pharmacy and hospital pharmacy preparer
You should contact the Care Delivery Branch - HR2 Office.
Who shall I contact
Prosthetists and orthetists for the handicapped
You should contact the Care Delivery Branch - HR2 Office.
Who shall I contact
Psychomotrician
You should contact the Dreets region Occitanie.
Radiophysicist
You should contact the Dreets New Aquitaine region.
Medical Laboratory Technician
You should contact the Dreets of the Centre-Val de Loire region.
With a diploma from another foreigner
If you are a national of a foreigner (outside EEA and Switzerland) and hold a paramedic degree issued by that State, you cannot in principle practice in France with this degree.
Affected professions:
- Caregiver
- Ambulance
- Audioprosthetic
- Childcare Auxiliary
- Genetics Advisor
- Dietician
- Occupational therapist
- Nurse
- Medical electroradiology manipulator
- Masseur-kinesitherapist
- Optician-lunetian
- Speech
- Orthoptist
- Pedicure-podologist
- Pharmacy and hospital pharmacy preparer
- Prosthetists and orthetists for the equipment of disabled people (orthoprosthetist, podo-orthetist, ocularist, epithetist, orthopaedist-orthetist)
- Psychomotrician
- Radiophysicist
- Medical Laboratory Technician
However, if there is a bilateral agreement with a European State on the recognition of your professional qualifications, you can check with the authorities of your country of origin.
If this is the case, you can register with the training institute of the paramedical profession concerned to take an adaptation training and obtain the corresponding diploma, certificate or title.
Regulated professions: approaches to be followed by the profession
France International Education
Allows you to direct a foreign person to practise a regulated profession.
Please note : depending on your degree and the type of paramedic you are looking for, you may be exempted from part of your education. This exemption is not granted automatically and does not apply to all training courses.