Foreign diplomas

French diplomas

(see below for other foreign diplomas)

We are fortunate to regularly work with educators from other countries. 
From France in particular, we have people with the CAP Accompagnement Educatif Petite Enfance or the Diplôme d'Etat d'Educateur de Jeunes Enfants. 

According to the Confederation's official website:  

"Recognition of the foreign diploma is necessary in the case of regulated professions, as legal provisions require a specific diploma to practice them. With recognition, SEFRI certifies that the foreign diploma is equivalent to the corresponding Swiss diploma." 

The following link will give you more information on the procedure and steps to be taken, as well as the documents to be prepared in order to submit an application for recognition. Please note that it is very important to enclose all the required documents with your application, as a fee of 300 chf may be charged if the decision is amended following subsequent information. Without this validation, you will not be able to work as a qualified employee in one of our day-care centers. You will, however, be able to work as an APE (Auxiliaire Petite Enfance) while awaiting recognition. 

For full details of the SERI procedure, click here.

The recognition procedure can take up to 4 months for regulated professions. The fee is 550 chf, plus any translation costs. However, the first stage is free of charge. The usual fees will be charged if the application is pursued after an overall examination.  

In the event of major differences between the French training course and its Swiss equivalent, SEFRI may require you to take compensatory measures, often in the form of additional training, in order to be able to recognize the diploma submitted.

There is no specific agreement for French training courses at present. The CAP Accompagnement Educatif Petite Enfance or the Diplôme d'Etat d'Educateur de Jeunes Enfants, for example, are subject to these rules, as are other diplomas enabling you to work in crèches and in the early childhood sector.

Other foreign qualifications

As bilingual daycares, KidsCare values diversity within our teams. We are fortunate to work with people from many different countries around the world. Please note that the training and social professions are regulated in Switzerland. Diplomas in this field are all subject to official recognition. To apply for recognition, you need to contact the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, or SERI.

You will find below a link that will give you more information on the procedure and steps involved, as well as the documents you need to prepare in order to submit an application for recognition. Please note that it is very important to enclose all the required documents with your application, as a fee of CHF 300 may be charged if the decision is modified as a result of subsequent information.  

Click here to find out more about SERI's recognition procedure.

The recognition procedure can take up to 4 months for regulated professions. The fee is 550 Swiss francs, plus any translation costs. However, the first stage is free of charge. The usual fees will be charged if you wish to continue with the application process, after an overall examination.

During this waiting period, you can already contact us if you see a vacancy for an APE (Auxiliaire Petite Enfance) position, which does not require any particular diploma. We particularly appreciate profiles from people who speak English or German. 

In the event of significant differences between foreign training and its Swiss equivalent, the SERI may require you to take compensatory measures, generally in the form of additional training, in order to be able to recognize the diploma submitted.