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 | 2024 | 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 Correct. | knowledge, skills, competences | NQF law (adopted in 2010, revised in 2018) (in Albanian) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2021 | Website | The National Catalogue of VET qualifications |
| Belgium-DE | 2024 | The NQF includes 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) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
No. |
||
| Belgium-FR | 2024 | 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) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2013 |
Website | Qualifications register |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 2024 | 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) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
No. |
Website | |
| Bulgaria | 2024 | The NQF includes qualifications from all levels and subsystems of formal education and training: pre-primary, primary and secondary general education, VET and higher education. | Eight plus a preparatory level (0), covering pre-school education | knowledge (theoretical and factual), skills (cognitive and practical), competences (personal and professional) | Decision No 96 of the CoM on the NQF (2012) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2013 | ||
Georgia |
2024 | Comprehensive of all types of qualifications from general education, initial VET, higher education, and qualifications awarded as the result of completion of short-term vocational training/retraining programmes - CVET qualification |
Eight | Knowledge and Understanding, Skills, and Responsibility and Autonomy (3 descriptors). | A first version was established by the Law on Development of Quality of Education, N49, approved by the Georgian Parliament in 2010. A revised NQF, in use now, was authorised in law by a Ministerial Order in 2019. Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
No. | Website | |
| Greece | 2024 | The NQF includes qualifications from all sectors of formal education and training (general and vocational education, post-secondary vocational training and higher education). | Eight |
knowledge (factual and theoretical), skills (cognitive and practical), competence (autonomy and responsibility) |
Law on development of lifelong learning and other provisions (3879/2010) Law 4763/2020 on the National system of VET and LLL Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2015 |
Website | Greek qualifications register |
| Hungary | 2024 | 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. | Eight | knowledge, skills, attitudes, autonomy and responsibility | Government Decision 1229/2012 on the Hungarian qualifications framework Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2015 | Website | HuQF qualifications database |
| Iceland | 2024 | The NQF covers formal qualifications from general, vocational and higher education. Adult education programmes, offered by upper secondary schools, leading to formal qualifications are placed on level 2 and mainly on level 3. No qualification linked to EQF level 1. | Seven, with sublevels at NQF levels 5, 6 and 7 | 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). Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2013 | Website | |
| Italy | 2024 | The NQF covers formal qualifications from education and training (primary, secondary and tertiary education), VET (regional training systems and apprenticeships), adult education, 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) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2013, 2022 update |
The ATLAS of WORK and QUALIFICATIONSThe web portal of the Ministry of University and Research UniversItaly | |
| Kosovo | 2024 | 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 (in English) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2016 | MASHT | |
| Liechtenstein | 2024 | 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) Qualifications framework for higher education (2013) and included in the Higher Education Act and in the Higher Education Ordinance Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2016 |
Website | Supplements (with NQF/EQF levels) |
| Luxembourg | 2024 | The NQF includes all levels and types of qualifications from formal education (VET, general education, higher education). Qualifications awarded through adult education and training and validation of non-formal and informal learning are the same as those obtained in initial education and training. | Eight |
knowledge, aptitudes, attitudes |
Law on the recognition of professional qualifications (2016) Regulation on the recognition of professional qualifications (2017) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2012 |
Website | Information on secondary education programmesRegister of higher education diplomas |
| North Macedonia | 2024 | 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 and in 2025 ) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2016 |
Website | National qualifications register |
| Slovakia | 2024 | The NQF includes all subsystems of formal education (VET, general and higher education), as well as regulated training and qualifications awarded outside formal education (occupational qualifications at SKKR levels 2 to 7). | Eight |
knowledge (general and vocational/professional), skills (cognitive and practical) and competence (responsibility, autonomy and social competences) |
Act on Lifelong Learning (2009) and amendments to certain acts (2012) Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2017 |
Website | National qualifications register |
| Spain | 2024 | The NQF includes formal qualifications from general education, VET (microcrendentials, professional certificates, intermediate and higher tertiary programmes), artistic education, sports education and university education . | Eight |
knowledge, skills and abilities, competence |
Royal Decree 272/2022 on the Spanish qualifications framework for lifelong learning Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
2024 |
Website | Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT)The National repertoire of professional certificates |
| Ukraine | 2024 | The NQF includes qualifications awarded in the formal education system and in the labour market. There are two categories of qualifications: educational and professional; professional (vocational) qualifications can be full and partial. | Eight |
knowledge, skills, communication, and responsibility and autonomy. |
NQF Decree 2011 Activation stage In this stage the implementation structures and the criteria and procedures for allocation of qualifications to levels have been set, and the main instruments are being put in place (e.g. databases, quality assurance arrangements); awareness of end-users is gradually growing. |
not yet but comparison in 2023 |
WebsiteWebsiteWebsite | Professional qualificationsGeneral education standardsVET standards |