Engineering Council
Recognition and registration in the UK
We suggest anyone with questions about recognition outside the UK, or recognition in the UK for international engineers, refers to our Brexit transition webpage, which will be updated as the situation changes.
I am outside the UK. Can I apply for professional registration with the Engineering Council?
Yes, Engineering Council registration is open to anyone, anywhere, who can demonstrate that they meet the professional competence requirements.
The first step in applying for Engineering Council registration is to become a member of one of the professional engineering institutions licensed to award registration. Most institutions have a global membership and may be able to arrange for assessment to take place in your home country or region.
I am outside the UK. Why must I join a UK professional engineering institution in order to register with the Engineering Council?
The Engineering Council is a Council of Institutions. It does not register individuals directly, but works with its licensed professional engineering institutions to set and maintain registration standards and procedures. The institutions carry out the assessment procedures. They also provide mechanisms to support the professional development of their members and manage matters relating to professional conduct and discipline, which are essential to the ongoing maintenance of the register.
I have EU/EEA/Swiss professional qualifications. Can my qualifications be recognised in the UK?
Yes. For full details please see our European Recognition page.
I have a non-UK degree that is on the European Engineering Education Database (EEED, previously the FEANI INDEX). Is this recognised under the Washington Accord?
No, programmes on the European Engineering Education Database (EEED, previously the FEANI INDEX) are not recognised under the Accords unless they are accredited by one of the Accord signatories that is also a member of FEANI (currently Engineering Council, Engineers Ireland). However, Accord signatories may, at their own discretion, recognise degrees on the FEANI EEED as equivalent academic qualifications. Please contact the signatory in whose jurisdiction you are seeking recognition for advice.
Programmes listed on the FEANI EEED are recognised by the Engineering Council for the purpose of registration as an Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer.
I have a non-UK degree that has the EUR-ACE® Label. Is this recognised under the Washington Accord?
No, EUR-ACE® labelled programmes are not recognised under the Accords unless they are also accredited by/for an Accord signatory such as the Engineering Council or Engineers Ireland. However, Accord signatories may, at their own discretion, recognise EUR-ACE® labelled programmes as equivalent academic qualifications.
EUR-ACE® labelled degrees are recognised by the Engineering Council for the purposes of registration as an Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer.
I have a degree accredited by a Washington Accord signatory. Does this meet the requirements for registration in the UK?
The Engineering Council UK treats graduates of programmes accredited by Washington Accord signatories in the same way, requiring no further formal education to meet the educational requirements for entry to the profession and for registration.
I have a degree accredited by a Sydney Accord signatory. Does this meet the requirements for registration in the UK?
The Engineering Council UK treats graduates of programmes accredited by Sydney Accord signatories in the same way, requiring no further formal education to meet the educational requirements for entry to the profession and for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) registration.
I have completed an education programme accredited by a Dublin Accord signatory. Does this meet the requirement for EngTech registration in the UK?
The Engineering Council UK treats graduates of programmes accredited by Dublin Accord signatories> in the same way, requiring no further formal education to meet the educational requirements for entry to the profession and for Engineering Technician (EngTech) registration.
Is registration a one-time process or will I have to pay an annual subscription?
Registration is renewable annually on payment of a fee and provided that there has been no violation of codes of professional conduct. Fees are collected by your registering institution, usually alongside their annual membership subscription. The registering institution also monitors conduct and continuing professional development.
Provided you renew your membership annually you will only need to go through the registration process once. However, if your membership is lapsed for longer than three years you will be required to repeat the process.
If an individual completed part of a recognised (approved or accredited) programme can they still be considered to have completed a recognised programme?
Where individuals were given exemption from one or more years of a programme, their intake year is the year they would have started, if they had joined at the beginning of the programme. Eg a person who was admitted to a programme in 2000 with direct entry to the second year, their start year would be 1999 for the purposes of determining recognition status of the programme.