EU qualifications

• Entry to the Register for those with EU qualifications

Please download these additional documents:

Under the provisions of the Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36 (“the Directive”) your architectural qualification will generally be accepted in the United Kingdom provided that you meet certain requirements:

You must be a ‘Directive Rights National’ (DRN). A DRN is either an EEA national, or a non-EEA national with an enforceable Community right in this area (such as a spouse of an EEA national) – if you are a non-EEA national and have any queries about whether or not you have an enforceable Community right, you should seek your own independent legal advice.
Special provisions apply for Swiss nationals and other DRNs who hold Swiss qualifications under earlier ‘saved’ arrangements – please contact us directly for further details.
You produce evidence of formal qualifications giving access to the professional activities of an architect in your home state (which are listed in Annex V (5.7.1) of the Directive and which satisfy the minimum training conditions referred to in Article 46 or are listed in Annex VI)
The evidence of formal qualifications must be issued by the competent body in your home state and (in relation to Annex V qualifications) be accompanied (where appropriate) by the additional certificate listed in Annex V (5.7.1) of the Directive.

If you meet the requirements of the Directive you will be eligible to be included in “Part 1” of the Register of Architects (the main Register.)

To apply to become registered in reliance on the rights given by Directive 2005/36 you will need to provide the following documents and evidence to ARB:
1. Form K
  Please complete all relevant sections using block letters in blue or black ink. Please ensure that your writing is clearly legible and that your personal details are in the correct sections. We will normally contact you about your registration by email, so please provide an email address and carefully list all letters and characters of the address so we can contact you about your application as promptly as possible.
2. Registration fee
  Please enclose a cheque or bankers draft for the fee, in pounds sterling and drawn on a UK bank, payable to the Architects Registration Board. If your cheque or draft is from a company account, please endorse the rear of the cheque with your full name. Alternatively, you may complete the remittance advice section of the application form with relevant credit or debit card details.
3. Evidence of nationality.
  Please enclose a copy of your EEA passport/national identity card, or evidence of the enforceable Community right on which you rely.
4. Evidence of qualification.
  Please supply copies of your academic degree or diploma certificates. Where your country has listed secondary certificates as requirements under the Directive (for instance, membership or authorisation certificates) you must also supply copies of those documents.
  ARB requires (pursuant to Article 50 (1) of the Directive) a certificate from the competent authority of your home Member State stating that the evidence of formal qualifications is that covered by the Directive as described at paragraph (B) above. A full list of competent authorities is included as part of these application documents. If you are unsure about the document you may need to obtain, please contact the office as we may have a sample statement that we can supply on request.
  
  If you believe you comply with paragraph (B) above but you have any difficulty in producing this certificate you should contact us to discuss how that difficulty may be overcome. Whilst the certificate is usually the easiest way for you to demonstrate that your qualifications give the necessary access to the professional activities of an architect in your home member state, it may be possible to consider alternative evidence that your qualifications are those covered by the Directive giving such access. For instance, a copy of your registration card/certificate; or a letter from a professional body confirming access may be sufficient depending on the listing of qualifications in the Directive by your home member state.
  
  If we have any queries about your status we may contact your competent authority for further details.
5. Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII): statement of compliance
  Complete the relevant sections of the statement included with these application documents, including date and signature and return it together with the application documents

Further requirements
If the name under which you apply for registration is different from the name on your degree/diploma certificate, please provide evidence of the change of name, for example, your marriage certificate, deed poll or other official evidence of the change.

Translations are required of all essential documents (professional qualifications, certificate of aquired rights, certificates of professional experience) submitted in a language other than English: these will need to be made by a licensed or otherwise authorised translator or bureau in the UK or another EEA state.

Please note that the fee payable covers the application and admission process. On 1st January immediately following your registration and annually thereafter, you will be required to pay an Annual Retention Fee in order to maintain your registration as an architect in the United Kingdom.

NOTE: In the United Kingdom the title ‘architect’ is protected by statute. Under the terms of the Architects Act 1997, a person shall not practise or carry on business under any name, style or title containing the word ‘architect’ unless they are duly registered with this Board. You must not make use of that description in the United Kingdom until such a time as you are registered.

We hope that our information and documentation are of assistance, although if you have any queries or would like further information, please do let us know.

Useful links:

The General Rules
http://www.arb.org.uk/publications/rules_and_policies/general_rules.php

The Code of Conduct
http://www.arb.org.uk/professional_standards/regulating_architects/architects_code.php

The Investigation Rules
http://www.arb.org.uk/professional_standards/regulating_architects/pcc_and_investigations_committee_rules.php

The Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36/EC
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2005L0036:20071226:EN:PDF

The Architects Act 1997
http://arb.c8.com/publications/legislation/the_architects_act/default.php

PII Guidance
http://www.arb.org.uk/professional_standards/professional_indemnity_insurance/pii_guidance.php

2008 Amendments to Architects Act
http://www.arb.org.uk/registration/applying_for_registration/architects_regulations.pdf