Can a Person from outside the EU work in UK with an accountant degree gained in thier country?
A friend of mine wants to know if they can apply for work-jobs here in the UK as an accountant, they are living here legally, however he is getting various different advice. Some people say No, you need another UK degree in the subject a foreign degree is worth nothing, other people say just a conversion course and others that you simply apply to ACCA- CIMA etc for a certificate, they translate your degree and tell you what the equivalent is. Can a person work now with a foreign accountants degree in the UK without being a member of a professional accountants body? Whats the right process? Btw, does anyone know the government body that makes official equivalent- translations of foreign degrees? Thanks in advance, Jim
United Kingdom - 2 Answers
People Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
Typically, to work as an accountant in the UK you must be registered with one of the professional societies such as ACCA or CIMA. Registration as an accountant with one of those bodies proves your status and will be required by employers. The societies themselves will decide if your friend's education is enough to grant exemptions for the professional exams. Just leaving university with an accounting degree isn't enough, you may have more professional exams to do. The best thing to do would be to ask the prospective employer. If he applies to join a company they may well choose to support him in getting fully qualified to work in the UK and to help with professional fees. Your friend also needs to get in touch with the ICAEW, if he's in England or Wales, or the Scottish or Irish equivalents, and ask them. One caveat is this: if he studied outside of the EU *and* is not already a member of his country's accounting society, he may well be required to sit the professional exams before he can practise. This is because the societies can't always adequately judge the quality of his education if he studies outside the EU. Best thing to do? Phone and ask.
Answer 2 :
An accounting degree does not make you an accountant. Only passing institute exams and becoming a member of an institute will do that. If your friend is allowed to work in the UK he can work at whatever he wants, but unless he is a member of the accountancy profession he cannot call himself an accountant. That doesn't mean he can't set himself up as a book-keeper and do everything an accountant does. He can do that, but just can't call himself an accountant. If he wants to work with an existing firm he can work under their umbrella. In that case it is up to whoever wants to employ him what qualifications (if any) they want.
Read more other entries :
