Nurses, veterinarians, midwives, and pharmacists seeking to pursue the same profession in Western Balkan states will have their qualifications recognized after completing studies and training lasting three to five years. The rules for studying and training will apply to employees, self-employed individuals, or physical persons in the receiving party.
The rules for the movement of professionals are specified in the draft law “On the ratification of the agreement on the recognition of professional qualifications of nurses, veterinarians, pharmacists, and midwives in the context of the Central European Free Trade Agreement”, which has been deposited in the Albanian Parliament for review.
The agreement was signed within the framework of the Berlin Process Summit held in Tirana last October between the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, the then-Acting Prime Minister of Montenegro, Dritan Abazović, the former Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovačevski, the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, and the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić.
The agreement stipulates that each party will allow a professional from the issuing party, with evidence of professional and formal qualifications, to pursue a regulated profession within such a party, in accordance with its rules and legislation. This recognition will comply with the minimum training requirements set out in this agreement.
The training of general care nurses will include a total of at least three years of study, which may be further expressed through equivalent ECTS credits, and will consist of at least 4,600 hours of theoretical and clinical training, with the duration of theoretical training representing at least one-third and the duration of clinical training at least half of the minimum training duration.
The training of veterinarians includes a total of at least five years of full-time theoretical and practical study, which may also be expressed through equivalent ECTS credits, at a university or higher education institution offering training recognized as an equivalent level, or under the supervision of a university covering at least the study program. Admission to veterinary training will be conditioned on possession of a diploma or certificate entitling the holder to enter, for the studies in question, universities or higher education institutions recognized as an equivalent level for the purpose of the relevant study.
Midwifery training must include at least specific full-time training as a midwife, including at least three years of full-time theoretical and practical study as a midwife with a duration of 18 months.
The agreement also stipulates that admission to a pharmacist training course depends on the possession of a qualification or certificate providing access, for the studies in question, to universities, higher education institutions of a recognized equivalent level, or an institution supervised by a university. Evidence of formal qualifications as a pharmacist demonstrates training of at least five years, which may also be expressed through equivalent ECTS credits, including at least: four years of full-time theoretical and practical training at a university or higher education institution recognized as equivalent, or an institution supervised by a university; during or at the end of theoretical and practical training, a six-month internship in a pharmacy open to the public or in a hospital under the supervision of the hospital’s pharmaceutical department.
If formal qualification evidence does not comply with the minimum training requirements as provided in this agreement, the recognition of professional qualifications will be subject to a general recognition system.
