# Moving to France from America



## Baptiste98

Hello, my name is Baptiste and I have a couple of questions please:
I am a French citizens and currently studying in the USA. However, my fiancé is from America and has a bachelor in Psychology and currently getting her master. We are planning on moving to France June 2022 and I was wondering if she could use her degree to be a psychologist in France or Switzerland ?


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## Bevdeforges

There seem to be quite a few psychologists from the States looking to move to France. It's not the easiest of paths to take, as her credentials will have to be formally approved as being equivalent to the psychology degrees and diplomas in France. (I strongly suspect that the same is true in Switzerland.)

She may want to start by checking the professional qualifications information on the EU website (europa.eu). You could also check the various French websites that discuss the professions and the qualifications required in France. The following are the types of sites you should check:








Psychologue


Le psychologue observe les comportements humains et ses pratiques et méthodes d'investigation sont multiples. Elles varient suivant les secteurs dans lesquels il exerce et quelquefois au sein du même secteur. Le titre de psychologue est réglementé.




www.cidj.com












Comment devenir psychologue ?


Vous souhaitez en savoir plus sur le métier de psychologue ? Formation, missions, rémunérations... on vous explique tout !




www.letudiant.fr












psychologue


Qu'il s'agisse d'accompagner des malades, de dépister des troubles du comportement ou de recruter du personnel..., le psychologue écoute, observe, évalue et conseille.




www.onisep.fr





It can depend on what type of psychologist she wants to become - and there may be some level of additional training required due to the differences in the systems and regulations between the US and France, but see what you find in this initial search.

One thing to consider is that if she will be on a spouse visa when coming to France, she will have to go through the various classes and meetings as part of her "contrat d'integration" and one of those sessions is a meeting with someone from Pole Emploi who is supposed to assess her educational and training background in order to help her in finding a job. It might also help to identify whatever professional associations there are that regulate the profession (especially the specific type of psychology she is interested in). The associations or other bodies may be mentioned in the articles on becoming a psychologist referenced above.


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## 255

@Baptiste98 -- The short answer is yes. The minimum education level for a Psychologist in France is a Masters degree -- so she's well on the way. As is normal when moving to a different country, and for most professions, she will have to have her credentials certified in France and she will have to meet the minimum qualifications for her profession. If she has gaps, she may need additional training and/or testing. She'll also need to speak French. Fortunately, once she gets licensed as a psychologist, there are no "continuing education" requirements, as there are with other professions.

In the recent past, there have been at least two threads seeking the same information -- you might want do do a search.

Another option would be to complete her Psychology PhD, in France, and take advantage of the school's staff in assisting her in licensing. Welcome home with your new bride! Cheers, 255


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## Bevdeforges

Oops, I see I neglected to give you the europa.eu link for professional certification: EU - Professional qualifications - Your Europe


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## Baptiste98

Bevdeforges said:


> There seem to be quite a few psychologists from the States looking to move to France. It's not the easiest of paths to take, as her credentials will have to be formally approved as being equivalent to the psychology degrees and diplomas in France. (I strongly suspect that the same is true in Switzerland.)
> 
> She may want to start by checking the professional qualifications information on the EU website (europa.eu). You could also check the various French websites that discuss the professions and the qualifications required in France. The following are the types of sites you should check:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Psychologue
> 
> 
> Le psychologue observe les comportements humains et ses pratiques et méthodes d'investigation sont multiples. Elles varient suivant les secteurs dans lesquels il exerce et quelquefois au sein du même secteur. Le titre de psychologue est réglementé.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.cidj.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Comment devenir psychologue ?
> 
> 
> Vous souhaitez en savoir plus sur le métier de psychologue ? Formation, missions, rémunérations... on vous explique tout !
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.letudiant.fr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> psychologue
> 
> 
> Qu'il s'agisse d'accompagner des malades, de dépister des troubles du comportement ou de recruter du personnel..., le psychologue écoute, observe, évalue et conseille.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.onisep.fr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It can depend on what type of psychologist she wants to become - and there may be some level of additional training required due to the differences in the systems and regulations between the US and France, but see what you find in this initial search.
> 
> One thing to consider is that if she will be on a spouse visa when coming to France, she will have to go through the various classes and meetings as part of her "contrat d'integration" and one of those sessions is a meeting with someone from Pole Emploi who is supposed to assess her educational and training background in order to help her in finding a job. It might also help to identify whatever professional associations there are that regulate the profession (especially the specific type of psychology she is interested in). The associations or other bodies may be mentioned in the articles on becoming a psychologist referenced above.


Thank you so much !


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## Baptiste98

255 said:


> @Baptiste98 -- The short answer is yes. The minimum education level for a Psychologist in France is a Masters degree -- so she's well on the way. As is normal when moving to a different country, and for most professions, she will have to have her credentials certified in France and she will have to meet the minimum qualifications for her profession. If she has gaps, she may need additional training and/or testing. She'll also need to speak French. Fortunately, once she gets licensed as a psychologist, there are no "continuing education" requirements, as there are with other professions.
> 
> In the recent past, there have been at least two threads seeking the same information -- you might want do do a search.
> 
> Another option would be to complete her Psychology PhD, in France, and take advantage of the school's staff in assisting her in licensing. Welcome home with your new bride! Cheers, 255


Thank you very much !


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