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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.

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.

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.

Medical electroradiology manipulator

You should contact the Dreets New Aquitaine region.

Masseur-kinesitherapist

You should contact the National Order of Physiotherapists.

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.

Pharmacy and hospital pharmacy preparer

You should contact the Care Delivery Branch - HR2 Office.

Prosthetists and orthetists for the handicapped

You should contact the Care Delivery Branch - HR2 Office.

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.

Go to online service

  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.

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