Future Building Qualifications

Professional qualifications are a set of requirements that a person needs to have by law, in order to work in a regulated profession. These requirements change across different professions.

If your profession is regulated in Ireland, you must register with the Competent Authority for that profession before you can start work. A ‘Competent Authority’ refers to any regulatory or professional body that can validate professional qualifications that you received outside of Ireland.

You can find more information online on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications.

To have your Professional Qualifications recognised in Ireland you must:

Check if your Profession is Regulated in Ireland

You must first check if your profession is regulated in Ireland. You can do this by searching the Regulated Professions and Competent Authorities database available here.

Contact the Competent Authority for your Profession

Once you find the relevant competent authority for your profession, you must apply to them for your professional qualifications to be recognised in Ireland.

Professions that are not Regulated in Ireland

If your profession is not regulated in Ireland, you do not need to have your qualification recognised.

Further information

For more information on regulated professions, please read:

• The gov.ie publication: Recognition of professional qualifications.

• User Guide on Directive 2005/36/EC, which explains everything you need to know about the recognition of professional qualifications in the EU.

• Further queries can be directed to the National Assistance Centre in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science at qualifications@dfheris.gov.ie 

From 1 January 2021, the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) between the EU (including Ireland) and the UK no longer applies.  Regarding regulated professions, those who got their professional qualification in the UK need to get that qualification recognised in Ireland or in any other EU member state where they plan to work.

Comparing Irish/UK Qualifications

To compare qualifications received in the UK and Ireland, go to the Qualifications can Cross Boundaries guide by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). If you have a query about your UK qualification being recognised in Ireland post-Brexit, you should contact the relevant competent authority for your profession.

You can also check online for updates on professional qualifications recognition.

NARIC Ireland provides advice on the academic recognition of foreign qualifications by comparing them, where they can, to an Irish qualification of a similar major award type and level on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). 

They provide a Comparability Statement for each qualification listed, which you can download from their website. They also provide a helpful Guide to Using the Foreign Qualifications Database.

If you need more help on the recognition of academic qualifications or if your qualification is NOT listed in the database, please send your query to NARIC.

Find courses in the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), Quarries Skills Certification Scheme (QSCS) or Safe Pass. Find out more about these courses managed by SOLAS.

If you have a query about the Safe Pass, CSCS or QSCS courses please email CSUInfo@solas.ie

Address: SOLAS, Block 1, Castleforbes House, Castleforbes Road, Dublin 1.

Phone: 00 353 1 533 2500

Website: www.solas.ie

SOLAS, through its Construction Services Unit (Operations Section) has a system in place for the recognition of qualifications of citizens of EU member states wishing to operate in the construction sector in the Republic of Ireland. Enquiries should be directed to rpq@solas.ie

If you are looking to have your professional qualifications in construction recognised, and are from outside the EU, you must submit the below to SOLAS:

• A detailed CV

• Reference(s) from previous employers confirming your work experience

• A copy of your valid operator’s card/licence 

• Associated certification

As the competent authority, SOLAS will review all Non-EU/3rd Country qualification recognition applications on an individual basis. Details such as the applicant’s standard of training, certification, and work experience will impact subsequent review decisions.

Please contact rpq@solas.ie for more information.

Further construction industry professionals and relevant competent authorities are listed below:

• Architects

The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, 8 Merrion Square, Dublin 2

Phone: 00 353 1 676 1703

Website: www.riai.ie

Email: info@riai.ie

• Engineers (Chartered Engineering)

Institute of Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 2

Phone: 00 353 1 665 1300

Website: www.engineersireland.ie

Email: info@engineersireland.ie

• Building Energy Rating (BER) Assessor

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, 3 Park Place, Hatch Street Upper, Dublin 2

Phone: 00 353 1 808 2100

Website: www.seai.ie

Email: info@seai.ie

• Building/Quantity Surveyors

Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, 38 Merrion Square, Dublin 2

Phone: 00 353 1 644 5500

Website: www.scsi.ie

Email: info@scsi.ie

• Registered Electrical Contractors Registered Gas Installers

Commission for Regulation of Utilities, The Grain House, The Exchange Belgard Square North, Tallaght, Dublin 24

Phone: 00 353 1 4000 800

Website: www.cru.ie

Email: ssbteam@cru.ie

If you are a non-EEA National (from outside of the European Union and European Economic Area) you must hold a valid employment permit in order to work in Ireland (unless exempted).

An Employment Permit is dependent on the applicant receiving a job offer from an Irish employer who has made every effort to employ an Irish or EEA national for the job first.

Applications must be submitted in line with the General Employment Permits checklist and must comply with the Labour Markets Needs Test.

Further details can be found at the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS) and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s Employment Permits website.

The Employment Permits system is run by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Applications are reviewed under the Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006, which set out the criteria in relation to the application, grant, and refusal of Employment Permits.

If you have any comments or issues, you can contact the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment by email epos@enterprise.gov.ie

All new recruits need a PPS Number to work in Ireland. The PPS Number (Personal Public Service Number) is a unique reference number that helps you access social welfare benefits, public services, and work in Ireland.

If you are living outside of Ireland, and need a PPS Number, you can apply online.

For any queries about PPS Numbers, please email CIS@welfare.ie

Statutory minimum rates of pay and other conditions (such as sick pay and pension entitlements) are set by the Sectoral Employment Order for those employed in the Construction Sector. They apply to all workers in Construction and are enforceable by the Workplace Relations Commission.

The latest information on the Sectoral Employment Orders for the Construction Sector can be found on the Workplace Relations Commission’s website.

The Mechanical Engineering Sector and the Electrical Contracting Sector also have Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs) in place, details of which can also be found on the Workplace Relations Commission’s website.

If you need employment supports or income supports and services, find your local Intreo Centre or Branch office.