Millions of Ukrainians who left the country after the start of a full-scale war found themselves in difficult conditions on the labor market of European Union countries. Even with professional education and experience, many of them could not legally work in their specialty due to the complex system of recognition of qualifications. This especially applies to regulated professions — medical, pedagogical, architectural, pharmaceutical. For refugees and temporarily displaced persons, this problem has become decisive in matters of economic integration, self-sufficiency and stability. That is why the news about the introduction of the European Professional Card (EPC) in Ukraine is an important step that will have a direct impact on the fate of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living abroad, in particular, in the status of temporary protection in EU countries.
What is the European Professional Card and how does it work?
Ministry of Economy of Ukraine reportedthat the government has approved a plan of measures to prepare for the implementation of this mechanism. It is expected that the EPC will significantly simplify the access of Ukrainian specialists to the labor market in the countries of the European Union.
The European professional card is an electronic certificate that confirms the recognition of a person’s professional qualifications in EU countries. It certifies that the specialist meets all formal requirements for providing services on a temporary or permanent basis in another EU country.
The essence of this mechanism is to create a single platform and procedure, according to which professional regulators (for example, medical boards, educational agencies, architectural chambers) check the compliance of qualifications with European requirements. In case of compliance, the specialist receives a digital card — confirmation of a recognized qualification valid within the EU.
For Ukrainian specialists who are already abroad, this card can be an official confirmation of their professional status — without additional lengthy procedures in each individual country.
Why is it important for Ukrainian refugees?
According to current EU law, access to regulated professions requires prior recognition of qualifications. During the war, when Ukrainians often left without documents, with a partially lost evidence base of education and experience, this requirement became almost insurmountable.
For example, a nurse from Kyiv, who ended up in Warsaw or Berlin, cannot work in a hospital until she provides a package of officially translated documents, passes adaptation modules or confirmation of practice. The same applies to architects, pharmacists, and primary school teachers. In many cases, the process drags on for months, and sometimes years.
The introduction of the EPC makes it possible to bring this procedure into electronic form, create a centralized system for submitting documents, unify recognition criteria and reduce the bureaucratic burden. For people in the status of temporary protection, this is a path to legal employment, and therefore to full integration in a new environment without losing professional status.
What professions are subject to the EPC
Today, more than 200 professions are regulated within the EU. Some of them have pan-European regulation, in particular:
– doctor;
– general practice nurse;
– dentist;
– pharmacist;
– obstetrician;
– veterinarian;
– an architect.
This means that a harmonized approach to recognition is already in place for these specialties. It is for them that the European professional card is provided in the first place. In the future, it is planned to gradually expand the list of professions that will be able to use this mechanism.
What does the action plan of the Ukrainian government provide
The Government of Ukraine has approved a plan of measures, which includes preparation for the harmonization of national legislation with EU legislation in the field of regulation of professions. In particular:
– development of a separate draft law on regulated professions in Ukraine;
– determination of the list of Ukrainian professions that will be subject to mutual recognition with the EU;
– adaptation of the system of higher and professional pre-higher education to European approaches to certification;
– creation of a body responsible for processing applications and issuing PPE.
The creation of a regulatory and technical infrastructure for synchronization with the European system IMI (Internal Market Information System) will be of key importance – it is a digital platform that ensures the interaction of authorities of different EU member states in matters of mobility of specialists.
Prospects for those planning to return
In addition to the obvious advantages for those who want to work legally in the EU, the introduction of the European Professional Card creates potential for the future integration of the system of recognition of qualifications in Ukraine. That is, Ukrainians who received such a certificate in the EU will be able to use it even after returning to Ukraine — in the context of employment, teaching, medical or architectural practice.
Thus, the EPC potentially works both ways—as a mobility tool and as a mechanism to support reverse occupational integration after the end of the war.
The introduction of the European Professional Card is part of a systemic response to the new reality in which hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian professionals live and work abroad. For refugees, this is an opportunity not to lose their professional identity. For the state, it is a tool for preserving intellectual potential. And for the EU, it is a step towards a truly single labor market without discrimination and barriers. Further implementation of the map requires both political will and technical preparation. But the direction is determined, and for Ukrainians abroad it can become a point of support.
