Regulated professions in Switzerland: is yours one?

Published on 01/08/2026 · Sources last reviewed: 29/08/2026 · Our method

The good news: most professions are unregulated

If you are moving to Switzerland or crossing the border every morning to work, here is the first thing to know: the great majority of professions require no prior authorisation. Developer, accountant, designer, project manager, sales representative, employed cook — you can start work as soon as your residence or work permit is in order. The Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) between Switzerland and the EU/EFTA, signed on 21 June 1999 and in force since 1 June 2002, makes that mobility easier still for EU nationals.

But there are exceptions — and confusing them can be costly. Some sectors are governed by law, either because they touch on personal safety or because they carry a particular professional responsibility. The key point: a regulation may be federal (valid throughout Switzerland) or cantonal (specific to one or more cantons). That is neither the same procedure nor the same authority to contact.

Federal or cantonal: what it changes for you

Federal level: a recognition or authorisation issued by a federal authority (MEBEKO, the Swiss Red Cross, SERI, the EDK…) is valid in all twenty-six cantons. You go through the process once.

Cantonal level: a cantonal authorisation — a restaurant licence, a taxi licence, authorisation to practise medicine in a given canton — is valid only on the territory of the canton that issued it. If you move canton, you may have to go through the process again.

In several sectors the two levels stack: you must first obtain federal recognition of your diploma, then apply for cantonal authorisation to practise.

The main families of regulated professions

Health — two separate authorities, do not confuse them

This is where people are misdirected most often.

MEBEKO (Medical Professions Commission, attached to the FOPH): competent only for the five university medical professions — human medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy and chiropractic. If your foreign diploma falls into one of those five, you file with MEBEKO. Legal basis: Federal Act on the University Medical Professions (MedPA).

Swiss Red Cross (SRC): since the Federal Act on Health Professions (HPA, SR 811.21) came into force on 1 February 2020, the SRC is the competent authority for recognising foreign diplomas in the following professions — nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, midwife, dietitian, optometrist and osteopath. It also keeps the national register of those professionals.

A France–Switzerland false friend worth knowing: in France the title is «kinésithérapeute»; in Switzerland the corresponding profession is called «physiotherapist». It is indeed the SRC — not MEBEKO — that handles recognition applications for that title. Turning up at MEBEKO with a physiotherapy diploma from France costs you time.

Once recognition is obtained, a cantonal authorisation to practise is generally required to open a practice or work on a self-employed basis.

Teaching

Recognition of teaching diplomas falls to the EDK (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education). The EDK operates an intercantonal recognition system: a diploma it recognises is in principle valid in the cantons party to the corresponding agreements. Conditions vary by teaching level (primary, lower secondary, upper secondary) and by subject.

Building technology — the French–Swiss false friend of the surveyor

A second important false friend: in France, the «géomètre-expert» is a regulated liberal professional who carries out official land surveys. In Switzerland the corresponding profession is that of patented surveyor — regulated at federal level, and access to independent practice requires a specific federal patent. A French géomètre-expert cannot directly carry out official survey acts in Switzerland without prior recognition. For the other building professions (architect, civil engineer…), professional associations and cantons may require specific registrations or recognitions depending on the type of assignment.

Finance

Financial professions are supervised by FINMA (the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority). Subject to authorisation or registration are, among others: independent asset managers, investment advisers and securities dealers. The conditions for obtaining and keeping authorisation are set by the Financial Institutions Act (FinIA) and the Financial Services Act (FinSA). If your work touches asset management or investment advice, check your position with FINMA.

Transport

Transport professions, whether of persons or goods, are regulated, but the rules vary by type of activity and by canton. The professional transport of persons for remuneration (taxi, and ride-hailing in some cantons) requires a cantonal licence. For the road transport of goods, federal and European authorisations apply. Check with the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) or the competent cantonal service.

Childcare

Professional childcare (day nursery, host family, out-of-school care) is regulated at cantonal level. The conditions for accreditation — required training, staff-to-child ratios, premises — are set by each canton. If you work or wish to work in that sector, contact the cantonal service responsible for child protection or early childhood.

Cantonal licences: a note for employees

A point often misunderstood: the operating licence applies to the operator, not to the employee. In most Swiss cantons, opening or running a catering establishment requires a cantonal licence. But a cook, a waiter or a bartender employed in that establishment does not need to hold it personally.

The distinction is decisive: as an employee, you are free to practise your trade as soon as you hold the right residence or work permit. If you plan to open or take over an establishment, the rules change radically — and they vary from canton to canton. The same logic applies to other sectors governed at cantonal level only: private security (through intercantonal concordats), real estate brokerage in Ticino, and others.

Federal contact points to remember

Health (university professions): MEBEKO — bag.admin.ch
Health (HPA professions): Swiss Red Cross — redcross.ch
Teaching: EDK — edk.ch
Professional titles with no sectoral authority of their own: SERI (federal contact point) — sbfi.admin.ch
Finance: FINMA — finma.ch
Notaries: there is no federal notariat in Switzerland. Federal law defines which acts must take the form of a public deed (art. 55 of the Final Title of the Swiss Civil Code), but the organisation of the notariat is entirely a cantonal matter. Some cantons have a free notariat (independent notaries), others an official notariat (cantonal civil servants).

Before you start: three reflexes

First establish whether your profession is regulated — at federal level, cantonal level, or both. This guide gives you the framework; our tool below refines the answer for your situation.
Do not assume your French or European title is automatically recognised: even within the EU, training systems differ, and Switzerland applies its own criteria.
Allow for the delays: a recognition procedure can take several months depending on the authority and how complete your file is. If you have a start date in view, begin as early as possible.

To know exactly where you stand, use the dedicated Relokea tool: it reviews your sector, your canton and your situation to tell you whether a step is required — and whom to turn to first.

Frequently asked questions

Is my French physiotherapy diploma automatically recognised in Switzerland? No, there is no automatic recognition. In Switzerland the corresponding title is «physiotherapist». Recognition of your foreign diploma is handled by the Swiss Red Cross (SRC), which carries out that task under the HPA (in force since 1 February 2020). The SRC checks the equivalence of your training and keeps the register of recognised professionals. It is the SRC you contact first, not the MEBEKO, which handles only the five university medical professions (human medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, chiropractic).

I am a cross-border commuter: must I wait for recognition before starting work? It depends on the profession. For an unregulated profession (accountant, developer, designer…), no prior recognition is required: your Swiss employer can hire you as soon as the G permit is in place. For a regulated profession subject to authorisation (nurse, doctor, teacher, taxi driver…), you must in principle hold the authorisation before practising. The recognition procedure can take several months depending on the authority: plan for that delay before your start date.

Is the restaurant licence compulsory even if I am an employee? No. The operating licence for a catering establishment — required in most cantons — applies to the operator (the manager or licence holder), not to employees. A cook or a waiter employed in a restaurant does not need to hold it personally. If, on the other hand, you plan to open or manage an establishment, check with the competent cantonal authority: the conditions vary from canton to canton.

What is the difference between federal recognition and cantonal authorisation? Federal recognition (by MEBEKO, the Swiss Red Cross, SERI or the EDK depending on the sector) establishes that your foreign diploma is equivalent to the corresponding Swiss title: it is valid throughout Switzerland. Cantonal authorisation (a restaurant licence, a taxi licence, authorisation to practise medicine in a given canton) is issued by the canton and is valid only on its territory. In some sectors you need both: first federal recognition, then cantonal authorisation to practise.

Check the status of your profession Our tool reviews your sector, your canton and your situation to tell you whether an authorisation is required — and whom to contact.

Check my profession

Official sources

Swiss Red Cross — Recognition of foreign diplomas (HPA professions) (accessed on 01/08/2026)
SERI — Federal contact point for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications (accessed on 01/08/2026)
EDK — Recognition of foreign teaching diplomas (accessed on 01/08/2026)
SEM — Free movement of persons Switzerland–EU/EFTA (AFMP of 21 June 1999, in force since 1 June 2002) (accessed on 01/08/2026)
Federal Act on Health Professions (HPA), SR 811.21, in force since 1 February 2020 (accessed on 01/08/2026)
Swiss Civil Code — Final Title art. 55 (public deeds) (accessed on 01/08/2026)

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