French Public Health Code
In forceThe competent authority may, after obtaining the opinion of a committee composed in particular of professionals, individually authorise nationals of a Member State of the European Union or of another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, who hold :
1° Evidence of formal qualifications as a nurse responsible for general care issued by one of these States which does not meet the conditions laid down in article L. 4311-3 but which allows the profession of nurse responsible for general care to be legally practised in that State ;
2° Or evidence of formal qualifications as a nurse responsible for general care issued by a third country and recognised in a Member State or Party other than France, enabling the profession to be legally practised there. The person concerned must provide proof of having practised the profession for three years full-time or part-time for a total equivalent period in that Member State or Party.
In such cases, where examination of the professional qualifications attested by all the evidence of initial training, relevant professional experience and lifelong training validated by a competent body reveals substantial differences in relation to the qualifications required for access to and practice of the profession in France, the competent authority will require the person concerned to undergo a compensatory measure.
Depending on the level of qualification required in France and that held by the person concerned, the competent authority may either offer the applicant a choice between an adaptation period or an aptitude test, or impose an adaptation period or an aptitude test, or impose an adaptation period and an aptitude test.
The nature of the compensatory measures according to the levels of qualification in France and in the other Member States or Parties is set by order of the Minister for Health.
The issue of an authorisation to practise enables the beneficiary to practise the profession of nursing under the same conditions as holders of the diploma referred to in article L. 4311-3.
When the national of a Member State or a Party holds a diploma allowing the practice of the profession of nurse anaesthetist, operating theatre nurse or nursery nurse, the competent authority may individually authorise the practice of the profession of nurse anaesthetist, operating theatre nurse or nursery nurse, after obtaining the opinion of the committee mentioned in the first paragraph and under the conditions provided for in the fourth paragraph of this article. In this case, the composition of the committee is adapted to take account of the speciality applied for.
