FAQs: UK recognition for international engineers

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 Licensed Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs) to award registration. Most Licensed PEIs have a global membership and may be able to arrange for assessment to take place in your home country or region.

The Engineering Council is a Council of Licensed PEIs. It does not register individuals directly, but works with its Licensed PEIs to set and maintain registration standards and procedures. They 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.

Yes. From 1 January 2021, the EU Directive on the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications no longer applies to the UK. UK professionals seeking recognition in EU/EEA countries are now treated as third country nationals and recognition is based on the applicable rules of each individual EU/EEA country.

For full details please see our European Recognition page.

No, programmes on the European Engineering Education Database (EEED) are not recognised under the Accords unless they are accredited by one of the Accord signatories that is also a member of ENGINEERS EUROPE (currently Engineering Council, Engineers Ireland). However, Accord signatories may, at their own discretion, recognise degrees on the EEED as equivalent academic qualifications. Please contact the signatory in whose jurisdiction you are seeking recognition for advice.

Programmes listed on the EEED are recognised by the Engineering Council for the purpose of registration as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).

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 (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).

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.

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.

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.

Registration is renewable annually on payment of a fee, provided there has been no violation of codes of professional conduct. Fees are collected by your registering Licensed PEI, usually alongside their annual membership subscription. The registering Licensed PEI 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.

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.