Competent Authorities inside Europe
Most of the 37 EFPA Member Associations have legal recognition of the title psychologist, and many countries also have legal protection of the profession.
This means that the legal authority has defined requirements which entitle the person to use the title psychologist. The legal entity with the powers to define and legislate over the title and the entitlement to work as a psychologist is called the ‘competent authority'. This is usually either a government Ministry or a professional organisation with legal powers and responsibilities. Competent authorities are responsible to take a decision when a professional from another member state wants to practise this regulated profession. In case of provision of service, the declaration must be sent to this authority prior to the provisioning of services. (source: EU Single Market - Regulated professions database)
Below you find the list of the actual 25 countries that are delivering the EuroPsy Certificate and the legal situation for psychologists.
| Country | Recognition of title | Competent Authority |
| Austria |
'Psychologist' is a legally recognised and protected |
Info: Bundesministerium für Gesundheit und Frauen/ |
| For work & organisational psychologists there is recognition of the title 'psychologist' in the Psychologist Act § 4. | ||
| Bulgaria | ||
| Croatia | 'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for all areas of practice |
Info: Hrvatska psiholoska komora/Croatian Psychological Chamber |
| Cyprus | 'Professional psychologist' is a legally recognised and protected title | Info: Council of Registered Professional Psychologists |
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Czech Republic |
'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for the health sector (“registered clinical psychologist”), the education sector (“school counseling”), the traffic area ("traffic psychologist"), private practice in area of "Diagnostic and Counseling Psychology", |
Info: Ministerstvo zdravotnictví/
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| Denmark | The title psychologist is a protected title. Only persons who hold the degree Cand.psych.or its equivalent are entitled to use the title. The title ‘authorised psychologist’ is also a protected title. Authorisation is not mandatory for the practice of psychology in Denmark, but it is requested within certain areas of work. |
Info: Psykolognævnet/ Danish Supervisory Board of Psychological Practice |
| Estonia |
'Psychologist' is a legally recognized title for some areas of practice. |
Council of Health Care and Social Work of Estonian Chamber of Professions |
| Finland | 'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for all areas of practice through the Act on Health Care Professionals (559/1994) (Finlex) and the Decree on Health Care Professionals (564/1994) (Finlex) |
Info: Valvira - National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health |
| France | 'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for all areas of practice by Law 85-772 of 25 (July 1985) and specifically Article 44 in force Amended by Ordinance n ° 2016-1809 of 22 (December 2016) - Article 12. |
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| Germany | The professional title ‘psychologist’ is not legally recognised but has been protected by a case decision of the federal Court of Germany (1985). There is no requirement for a license to practise. |
Info: Bundesministerium für Gesundheit |
| Greece |
'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for all areas of practice |
Info: Regional Health Departments , Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Center (Hellenic NARIC) |
| Hungary | 'Psychologist' is not a legally recognized and protected title | Info: Állami Egészségügyi Ellátó Központ/National Healthcare Service Center |
| Italy | 'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for all areas of practice | Info: Ministero della Salute |
| Latvia | ||
| Lithuania |
'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for some areas of practice. Psychologists working in the health system are licensed under the Ministry of Health |
Info: Lietuvos Respublikos švietimo ir mokslo ministerija/Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania |
| Netherlands |
'Psychologist' is not a legally recognized and protected title However, requirements for the Health Care psychologists are defined by the Dutch government through the Health Care Professionals Act (Wet Beroepen in de Gezondheidszorg or BIG) which administers the BIG Register on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport The NIP (national professional organization for psychologists) determines the requirements for Youth and Child Psychologists and Work and Organisation psychologists through its 'Registerpsycholoog' programs and administers the NIP Register |
Info: Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport / Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport |
| Norway | 'Psychologist' is a legally recognised and protected title for all areas of practice | Info:Helsedirektoratet/The Norwegian Directorate of Health |
| Poland | The title Psychologist is legally recognised and partialy protected. Although there is the Act on the Profession of Psychologist and Psychologists’ Professional Corporation (signed in 2001) no Psychologists’ Professional Corporation was established, which means that no body awarding the right to work as psychologist exists. The legislative’s work on the Act are resumed from 2019. | Info: www.mrpips.gov.pl |
| Portugal | 'Psychologist' is a legally recognised and protected title for all areas of practice. More info here |
Info: Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses The Order of Portuguese Psychologists |
| Slovenia |
'Psychologist' is not legally protected. |
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| Spain | 'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for some areas of practice like e.g. General Health Psychologist (Psicologo general sanitario) | |
| Sweden | The title of 'psychologist' is legally recognised and protected, to obtain this title one must receive a licence from the National Board of Health and Welfare NBHW | Info:www.socialstyrelsen.se |
| Turkey | 'Psychologist' is a legally recognized and protected title for some areas of practice. The title of clinical psychologist is regulated by the Ministry of Health through the so-called “bag law” (Omnibus Bill no. 6770 of 2017) |
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| Ukraine | Title 'Psychologist' is not legally protected. |
Info: National Agency of Quality Assurance in Higher Education |
| UK |
In the UK, nine professional titles are legally regulated and protected. These are:
The single title ‘Psychologist’ is not legally regulated or protected. |
Info: HCPC - Health & Care professions council |