How to Read a European Contractor Licence, Country by Country
A practical reference for verifying contractor credentials across 15 European countries, what each registry actually proves, and what it does not.
European contractor licences are not interoperable, despite what an EU citizenship card might suggest. A Polish electrician can legally relocate and work in Spain, but only after a recognition process that pulls credentials through the Spanish system. As a homeowner, your job is to read the actual document, not the framed certificate behind the desk.
What a licence actually proves
At minimum, a current licence proves: the holder passed a competence assessment relevant to the work; the holding entity carries the insurance the trade requires; and the trade body has not suspended the holder for unresolved complaints.
It does not prove the work was done well, on time, or on budget. That is what reviews and references are for.
Country-by-country reference
- Sweden, Auktoriserad VVS-installatör for plumbing, Behörig elinstallatör (B/AB) for electrical. Verify on Boverket and Elsäkerhetsverket.
- Norway, Mesterbrev (master certificate) is the gold standard. Approved company status is searchable on Brønnøysundregistrene.
- Denmark, Autoriseret VVS-installatør and Autoriseret elinstallatør, both verifiable on Sikkerhedsstyrelsen.
- Finland, Sähköpätevyys (electrical competency) levels 1-3, level matters. Tukes maintains the public list.
- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, National building registries (Ehitisregister in Estonia, BIS in Latvia, Statybų inspekcija in Lithuania).
- Austria, Gewerberegister entry is mandatory; Meisterprüfung is required for regulated trades.
- Switzerland, Eidgenössischer Fachausweis or Meisterdiplom for trades; cantonal registries vary, so confirm at the canton level.
- Italy, Camera di Commercio (REA) registration plus, for regulated trades, abilitazione under DM 37/08.
- Portugal, Alvará de construção from IMPIC, scoped by class and category. The class number matters as much as the existence.
- Spain, Registro de Empresas Acreditadas (REA) plus, for installers, the trade-specific certificate (REI for low-voltage, RITE for HVAC, etc.).
- France, Code APE/NAF code, RCS registration, plus for regulated trades the qualification (Qualibat, Qualifelec, RGE for energy work).
- Croatia, Hrvatska komora arhitekata i inženjera za inženjere u graditeljstvu, verify the engineer registration before any structural work.
- Greece, Άδεια ασκήσεως επαγγέλματος from the relevant ministry; the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) lists registered engineers.
How to actually verify
Three steps cover most of it. Get the licence number in writing, not a photograph of the certificate. Look it up on the issuing authority's public registry, which in every country listed above is free. Confirm the name on the registry matches the name on your quote, including the legal entity suffix (AB, AS, GmbH, S.r.l., S.A.).
Roughly 1 in 8 contractors who quote European homeowners present a credential that does not match in this trivial way, the certificate is in the principal's personal name, while the quote comes from a different LLC entirely. The personal certificate does not transfer.
When the licence is not enough
A licence covers competence. It does not cover whether the firm is solvent, has paid its subcontractors, or carries current liability insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance dated within the last 90 days, not a renewal letter. And if the principal will not name two recent reference clients, take it as the answer it is.
A working contractor in any of these countries has clean credentials and is happy to share them. Anyone who treats the request as suspicious has already told you what you needed to know.