Electrician profession data by country
Where electrician is a regulated profession, how foreign qualifications are recognised and which shortage lists name it, country by country, from official registers.
37 countries have an official record for electrician: 32 regulate it and 24 name it on a shortage list. Comparable country-level profession salaries are not published here, so a best-paying destination cannot yet be named.
- Countries
- 37
- Regulated in
- 32
- On a shortage list in
- 24
Country by country
Open a country for its full record and sources. A dash means the register has no entry for that field.
| Country | Regulation | Recognition route | Shortage list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Regulated | Apply through the Offshore Skills Assessment Program to the approved RTO for the nominated trade. A successful assessment can result in an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR); then apply for a provisional State/Territory licence, complete gap training and supervised employment, and meet full-licence requirements.Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) through an approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO) for offshore skills assessment; the State/Territory licensing authority for the subsequent licence. | Listed2025 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022) |
| Austria | Regulated | Independent regulated-trade permit; cross-border service requires prior notification and qualification evidence; safety-sensitive cases may require aptitude examination.District authority/Magistrat for local trade permission; federal route for temporary cross-border service notification. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Belgium | Not marked regulated | Ordinary employment has no general foreign-diploma recognition route identified. For specified self-employed electrotechnical businesses, provide qualifying diploma/experience or pass the regional central-jury route.No profession-recognition authority for ordinary employee jobs was identified. For specified self-employed activity, requirements are checked through an accredited enterprise counter. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Bulgaria | Not marked regulated | Employer assesses the foreign professional qualification for the generic non-regulated role. NACID academic-degree recognition may be requested separately where a foreign degree needs equivalence; it is not a professional licence.For a non-regulated profession, NACID says the employer is competent to recognise the foreign professional qualification; no profession-wide national recognition authority is identified. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Canada | Regulated | Experienced foreign-trained applicant can seek STO Trade Equivalency Assessment; if approved, schedule the certifying exam.Skilled Trades Ontario assesses Ontario trade equivalency and administers certification. | ListedCanadian Occupational Projection System — projected labour-market conditions |
| Croatia | Regulated | Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Cyprus | Regulated | Apply to EMS for a Wireman Certificate of Competency and annual Registration Certificate. Eligibility includes the relevant academic/practical experience rules, age 18 and good Greek; EMS lists examinations for other electrical grades, not as a blanket wireman exam.Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services (EMS), Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works. | — |
| Czechia | Regulated | Electrical-work competence is assessed under Decree 194/2022 by activity and competence category; it is not one generic recognition procedure for all electrician jobs. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Denmark | Regulated | The company applies for the relevant contractor authorisation and must have a technically responsible person approved by Sikkerhedsstyrelsen. The approved-person route and company conditions are separate from ordinary employee recruitment.Danish Safety Technology Authority (Sikkerhedsstyrelsen) for company authorisation and approval of the technically responsible person. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Estonia | Regulated | Foreign competence for covered electrical-installation activities is recognized by TTJA; companies also need the relevant activity declaration and a competent manager.TTJA for construction or electrical competent-person activities within its remit. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Finland | Regulated | For electrical supervisor/qualification categories, apply to SETI with the final diploma, detailed evidence of electrical work experience and relevant certificates.SETI for the relevant electrical qualification certificate; the required category depends on electrical responsibility. | — |
| France | Regulated | Applicants evidence qualification or the prescribed experience; EU/EEA activity recognition may require an aptitude test when substantial differences are identified. Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition.The Chambre de métiers et de l’artisanat (CMA) at the intended place handles EU/EEA qualification recognition for the covered regulated activity. | — |
| Germany | Regulated | Employee qualification recognition is generally optional for a non-regulated occupation. To operate the listed licensed craft independently, the business must be entered in the Handwerksrolle and meet the HwO qualification/exception route; foreign qualifications are assessed by the relevant Handwerkskammer. Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition.There is no single occupational-recognition authority for all employed electricians/plumbers. For an independent licensed craft business, the regional Handwerkskammer maintains the Handwerksrolle; the intended Land and exact trade determine the contact. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Greece | Regulated | Submit the activity-specific qualification and notification/approval application to the competent Region. Foreign certificates/qualifications and exact technician grade require separate assessment; this is not a single national licence for all adjacent tasks. General system of recognition - primary application.Ministry of Development; the locally competent Regional Development Directorate/Vocational Department handles the specified technical-activity notification. | — |
| Hungary | Regulated | Where a foreign higher-education credential needs formal recognition for work, OH-MEIK can determine qualification level and professional qualification; activity-specific legal authorisation, if any, remains a separate check. General system of recognition - primary application. Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition.For foreign higher-education credentials used for employment or professional purposes, OH-MEIK in the Educational Authority is the official diploma-recognition authority; any activity-specific practice authority remains separate. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Iceland | Regulated | Submit foreign vocational training and supporting evidence to ENIC/NARIC Iceland. After a positive assessment, the District Commissioner of East Iceland issues the professional-rights certificate; defined contractor work also requires HMS certification. Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition.ENIC/NARIC Iceland assesses foreign vocational qualifications; the District Commissioner of East Iceland issues the nationwide confirmation of professional rights. HMS separately certifies electrical contractors. | — |
| Ireland | Regulated | Electrical contractors undertaking covered domestic work apply for REC registration through Safe Electric/ESSB and follow the scheme criteria; this is distinct from recognition of every electrician qualification.Safe Electric / the Electrical Safety Supervisory Body for electrical-contractor registration; CRU oversees the scheme. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Italy | Regulated | For the technical-responsible person of a firm performing covered electrical installation work, MIMIT's foreign-qualification route and any prescribed compensatory measure apply. This is an activity/business route, not the recognition procedure for every employed electrician.MIMIT publishes the recognition references for covered building electrical-installation activity; company registration and a qualified technical responsible person are part of the activity framework. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Latvia | Not marked regulated | — | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Lithuania | Not marked regulated | For a non-regulated occupation, the general regulated-profession recognition process is not required; an applicant can apply directly to an employer.No professional-qualification recognition authority is assigned to the broad title as a non-regulated profession; the prospective employer sets job requirements. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Luxembourg | Regulated | The List A craft-business manager must obtain a permit and meet activity-specific qualification requirements; recognised master's craft, bachelor's or qualifying vocational diploma plus experience are listed routes. Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition.The Ministry of the Economy's General Directorate for SME and craft permits handles the List A electrician craft-business permit. | — |
| Malta | Regulated | — | — |
| Netherlands | Not marked regulated | No profession-wide foreign-professional recognition application is required for the title where the Dutch RegProf catalogue does not list it. Optional IDW diploma valuation compares an academic credential but is not a practice licence.No profession-specific recognition authority applies to the broad title when it is not listed as regulated; an optional academic credential evaluation can be requested through IDW/Nuffic/SBB. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| New Zealand | Regulated | Overseas-trained applicants apply to EWRB and complete the route-specific qualification and competence assessment; registration and practising licence are distinct steps.Electrical Workers Registration Board assesses overseas-trained applicants for electrical registration and licences. | — |
| Norway | Regulated | Foreign electrical professionals apply to DSB for approval to practise; choose the route matching EU/EEA or non-EU/EEA qualification origin. Temporary service uses prior notification/verification. Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition.Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) handles approval for foreign electrical professionals. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Poland | Regulated | For specified energy work, obtain the required certificate from an authorized qualification committee; for covered EU/EFTA/Swiss qualifications, use URE's separate recognition procedure.Qualification committees issue specified energy-work certificates; URE handles a distinct recognition procedure for certain EU/EFTA/Swiss electrical qualifications. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Portugal | Regulated | For specified private electrical-installation scopes, obtain the required DGEG recognition/registration and activity qualification under the applicable electrical-installation rules; not all electrician employment is covered.DGEG handles specified private electrical-installation technician recognition; scope depends on activity and qualification. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Romania | Regulated | Not applicable. For covered electrical-installation design/execution activities, applicants submit qualification evidence and apply for ANRE authorization under the person-authorization regulation; this is not the route for every electrician job.ANRE for authorization of persons doing specified design/execution work on technological electrical installations; other electrician roles may not use this route. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Saudi Arabia | Regulated | For occupations included in HRSD Professional Verification, expatriates complete credential/skill verification and any required theoretical/practical assessment in the programme scope. This is not stated as a universal electrician licensing path.HRSD Skills Verification/Professional Verification for expatriate occupations covered by its programme; this is not a universal profession board. | — |
| Slovakia | Regulated | For the listed Elektrotechnik activity, formal education is recognized through CRD and professional qualification through the National Labour Inspectorate; accepted qualification routes depend on electrical education/training and equipment scope.Ministry of Education / CRD for formal-education recognition and National Labour Inspectorate for professional qualification in the listed electrical-work activity. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Slovenia | Regulated | For self-employed/craft-provider electrical-installation work (F43.210), obtain the craft permit/register entry and show required professional qualification; this does not impose the same individual licence on every employee.For the craft-provider activity, the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (OZS) handles the craft permit/register; this is not a worker licence. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Spain | Regulated | For low-voltage installation activities, document the applicable installer category and competence, then apply to the relevant Autonomous Community authority for the certificate/recognition route.The competent industry/electrical-safety authority of the relevant Autonomous Community issues the installer certificate. | — |
| Sweden | Regulated | For personal elinstallatör authorisation, applicants submit education and practical-experience records; EEA/Swiss authorisations use recognition rules. Most employees instead need to be covered by the registered company self-audit scheme; authorisation level and activity matter.Elsäkerhetsverket for electrical-installer authorisation and oversight of electrical installation companies; company self-audit scheme governs many employees. | ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission |
| Switzerland | Regulated | For a regulated electrical-installation job, submit the foreign qualification for ESTI equivalence assessment against the Swiss electrician qualification; the applicant may also need the specific installation permit for the intended independent work. Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition.ESTI (Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations) assesses equivalence of foreign electrotechnical qualifications and issues the relevant installation authorisations. | — |
| United Arab Emirates | Regulated | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Regulated | — | ListedTemporary Shortage List — Appendix Skilled Worker SW 6.1A |
| United States | Regulated | — | — |
How this list is built
The list holds the 37 countries with at least one official record for electrician: a regulated-professions register entry, a recognition record or a shortage-list row. National occupation names are joined to this profession through a reviewed crosswalk, country by country; a name the crosswalk does not match is left out rather than guessed. Salaries are not shown until a profession-level salary is collected for the country.
Cite this page
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APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 25). Electrician profession data by country [ImmigrationDB compilation; version cce4179faefecf9fa655cbae02bf20ba]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/move-as/electrician/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_electrician-profession-data-by-country_ba2734b85df4,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Electrician profession data by country},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-25},
version = {cce4179faefecf9fa655cbae02bf20ba},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/move-as/electrician/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Electrician profession data by country](https://immigrationdb.com/move-as/electrician/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version cce4179faefecf9fa655cbae02bf20ba; retrieved 2026-10-25; built 2026-10-25.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- Trades Recognition Australia (TRA)
- Jobs and Skills Australia / Australian Government
- ILO
- WKO Installation and Building Technology
- European Labour Authority / EURES
- Austrian Federal Government, migration.gv.at
- FPS Economy
- Walloon Public Service, Employment and Vocational Training
- Council of Ministers / NAVET
- canada.ca