Overview
Use the table and the filters below to gain an overview of NQF developments in Europe. It is possible to compare countries based on reporting year, stage of development and whether the NQF has been linked to EQF.
| Country | Reporting year | Scope of the framework | Number of levels | Level descriptors | Legal basis/stage of development | NQF linked to EQF | NQF/EQF website | Qualifications register/database |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 2022 | Comprehensive NQF including all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training and lifelong learning qualifications for adults and people undertaking specialised courses for professional development. | Eight | knowledge, skills, competences | NQF law (adopted in 2010, revised in 2018) (in Albanian) |
2021 | Website | The National Catalogue of VET qualifications |
| Belgium-DE | 2022 | Comprehensive NQF for lifelong learning including all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training. |
Eight |
occupational competence (knowledge and skills), personal competence (social competence and autonomy) |
Decree on establishing a qualifications framework for the German-speaking Community (2013) |
|||
| Belgium-FR | 2022 | The framework includes educational and professional qualifications awarded by the public sector and skills certificates awarded through the validation of non-formal and informal learning. |
Eight |
knowledge / skills, context / autonomy / responsibility |
Decree on cooperation agreement between the three francophone governments on the creation and management of CFC (2015) |
2013 |
Website | Qualifications register |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 2022 | Designed as a comprehensive NQF for lifelong learning including all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training. Open to those awarded outside formal education and training. |
Eight |
knowledge, skills, competence |
Decision of the CoM on the adoption of the baseline qualifications framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2011) (in Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian) |
Website | ||
| Bulgaria | 2022 | The NQF includes all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training. | Eight plus a preparatory level, covering pre-school education | knowledge, skills, competences (personal and professional) | Decision No 96 of the CoM on the NQF (2012) |
2013 | ||
| Greece | 2022 | The NQF includes all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training. |
Eight |
knowledge, skills, competence |
Law on development of lifelong learning and other provisions (3879/2010) |
2015 |
Website | Greek qualifications register |
| Hungary | 2022 | The NQF includes state-recognised qualifications acquired in general and higher education, vocational qualifications included in the national register of vocational qualifications and certain state-recognised adult education and training qualifications. Adult training qualifications can also be awarded outside formal education and training. |
Eight |
knowledge, skills, attitudes, autonomy and responsibility |
Government Decision 1229/2012 on the Hungarian qualifications framework |
2015 |
Website | HuQF qualifications database |
| Iceland | 2022 | The NQF includes all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training, including certified adult learning. No qualification linked to EQF level 1. | Seven, with sublevels at NQF levels 5 and 6 | integrated level descriptors include knowledge, skills and competence | No overarching legal basis for the ISQF (its role and mandate are stated in a series of acts and decrees). |
2013 | Website | |
| Italy | 2022 | The NQF covers formal qualifications from general, technical and vocational education, higher education, adult education, VET qualifications administered at regional level and qualifications of regulated professions. |
Eight |
knowledge, skills, autonomy and responsibility |
Interministerial decree of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and of the Ministry of Education, University and Research on the establishment of the NQF (2018) |
2013, 2022 update |
SkillON website | The portal of the education ministry (La scuola in chiaro)The web portal of the Ministry of University and Research UniversItalyNational repository of education, training and vocational qualifications |
| Kosovo | 2022 | Comprehensive NQF including all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training and non-formal and informal learning. |
Eight |
knowledge, skills, competences |
Republic of Kosovo (2008). Law 03/L-060 on national qualifications |
2016 |
Website | |
| Liechtenstein | 2022 | NQF for vocational and professional qualifications (NQF-VPQ) and NQF for higher education. |
Eight |
Level descriptors of the NQF-VPQ:, knowledge, skills, competences (professional and personal) |
Ordinance on the national qualifications framework of the Principality of Liechtenstein for VET qualifications (2017) |
2016 |
Website | Supplements (with NQF/EQF levels) |
| Luxembourg | 2022 | The NQF includes all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training. |
Eight |
knowledge, aptitudes, attitudes |
Law on the recognition of professional qualifications (2016) |
2012 |
Website | Information on secondary education programmesRegister of higher education diplomas |
| North Macedonia | 2022 | Comprehensive NQF including all levels and types of qualification from formal education and training, and vocational qualifications. |
Eight, with sublevels at levels 5, 6, 7 |
knowledge and understanding, skills, competence |
Law on the NQF (2013, updated in 2016) |
2016 |
Website | |
| Slovakia | 2022 | The NQF includes all levels and types of qualifications from formal education and training, and a sub-framework of occupational qualifications awarded outside the formal education system. |
Eight |
knowledge, skills, competences |
Act on Lifelong Learning (2009) and amendments to certain acts (2012) |
2017 |
Website | National qualifications register |
Ukraine |
2022 | The NQF includes qualifications awarded in the formal education system and in the labour market. There are two categories of qualifications: educational and professional, which can be full and partial. |
Eight |
knowledge, skills, communication, responsibility and autonomy |
NQF Decree 2011 |
not yet but comparison in 2023 |
WebsiteWebsiteWebsite | Professional qualificationsGeneral education standardsVET standards |