Practicing in France or abroad

To work in France or abroad

Below you will find all the information relating to the recognition of foreign diplomas to practice in France and French diplomas to practice abroad.

To work in France

Procedures for the recognition of foreign diplomas to practice in France

The organisation of the recognition of foreign diplomas for occupational therapy changed in 2010. From now on, the French Ministry of Health is no longer in charge of this file.

Europe

If you graduated as an occupational therapist in Europe, i.e. in a Member State of the European Union or a State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, or in Andorra or the Swiss Confederation:

You should apply to the Regional Directorates for the Economy, Employment, Labour and Solidarity (DREETS) (https://dreets.gouv.fr), in the region where you live, or in the region where you wish to work:

  • a file that you will need to complete
  • a copy of your occupational therapy diploma,
  • the curriculum vitae of your studies, specifying the number of hours of lessons per subject and per year of training, the duration and content of the clinical training courses carried out during the training.
  • a curriculum vitae specifying your professional experience and the continuing education courses you have taken.
  • a letter of motivation in which you state whether you have been trained in a WFOT-approved training institute and whether you already have a professional project (promise of employment, etc.).
  • A declaration from the competent authority of the Member State or of a State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area of establishment, dated less than one year, attesting to the absence of sanctions.

These documents must be issued and attested by a competent authority in the country that issued the diploma, together with a certified translation into French (translator approved by the French courts).

You will return this file to the DREETS, which will have 4 months from receipt of the complete file to give you a reply.

There are two possible scenarios:

  1. Either you will obtain a direct authorisation to practice
  2. Or you will have to undergo compensatory measures: training period or additional training of your choice.

As soon as you have the authorisation to practise, you must make an appointment to register with the ADELI directory of the ARS (Agence Régionale de la Santé) in your region before or at the latest within the first month of employment.

Other non-European countries

If you obtained your diploma outside Europe, outside a State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, outside Andorra or outside the Swiss Confederation:

You must apply to an Occupational Therapy School (Institut de Formation en Ergothérapie) in the region where you live, or in the region where you wish to work (or as close as possible):

  • a file according to Articles 32 and following of the decree of 5 July 2010 relating to the state diploma of occupational therapist, i.e:
  • a copy of your occupational therapist diploma,
  • a statement of the programme of studies followed, specifying the number of hours of lessons per subject and per year of training, the duration and content of the clinical training courses carried out during the training, as well as the continuous assessment file, all issued and certified by a competent authority of the country that issued the diploma,
  • a curriculum vitae specifying your professional experience and the continuing education activities you have undertaken,
  • a letter of motivation.

These documents must be translated into French in a certified manner (translator approved by the French courts). The Institut de Formation en Ergothérapie will invite you to the selection tests.

3 selection tests

  1. An eligibility test
  2. An admission test including an oral test
  3. A situational test

The admissibility test consists of an anonymous written test involving the study of a clinical case related to the professional practice of occupational therapy. This test, which lasts three hours, is marked out of 20 points. To be eligible, the candidate must obtain a mark of at least 10 out of 20 in this test.

Candidates declared eligible by the jury are authorised to take the admission tests, which consist of an oral test and a practical exercise, organised during the same session.

The oral test, which lasts a maximum of forty-five minutes, consists of an interview in French with two members designated by the director of the Occupational Therapy Training Institute from among the members of the jury mentioned in article 8 of the modified decree of 23 December 1987 (relating to admission to the schools preparing for the State Occupational Therapist Diploma).

This test allows, from the reading of the candidate’s application file, to assess the candidate’s professional background and motivations. It is marked out of 20 points.

To be admitted to an Occupational Therapy school (Institut de Formation en Ergothérapie), candidates must obtain a total score of at least 30 out of 60 in the selection tests.

At the end of the tests and in the light of the marks obtained, the president of the jury draws up a main list and a complementary list.

The director of the Institut de Formation en Ergothérapie, after consulting the pedagogical council, is authorised to exempt candidates admitted to training from certain teaching units and placements.

This decision is made on the basis of the candidates’ level of initial occupational therapy training, the results of the tests and their professional experience.

Your admission will lead to two situations:

  • You will be required to complete additional training and then take the annual state diploma exams;
  • You will not be required to complete any further training and you will take the annual state diploma exams.

As soon as you have your state diploma as an occupational therapist, you will have to make an appointment to register in the ADELI directory of the ARS (Agence Regional de la Santé) in your region before or at the latest within the first one month of employment.

You can also contact by email our COTEC delegates if you come from a European country or our WFOT delegates, if you are outside Europe.

To work abroad

Procedures for the recognition of French diplomas to practice abroad

Go to the WFOT website and select the country of your choice

You will get the contact details of the WFOT delegates of the country concerned “Country Profiles” in order to contact them directly. Exchanges are often done by email and in English. If you have difficulty with the English language, we can help you; to do this, contact our WFOT delegates at wfot@anfe.fr

You can also consult the WFOT document “Working as an Occupational Therapist in another country”, which contains information about many countries (language spoken, steps to take to practice, national association, …). For this, go to the  Resource Centre de la WFOT, category « International practice »

If you plan to work in an EU country

You can visit the COTEC website and contact our COTEC delegates at cotec@anfe.fr

You can also check your rights and see where you can get practical advice before you travel abroad on this website : ce site

If you wish to practice :

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