FAQS

What is Europass?

Europass is a portfolio of documents set up by the Decision n. º 2241/2004/EC of the European Parliament and the Council.
Concept Single Community framework to reach qualifications and skills transparency through the adoption of a personal and coordinated portfolio of documents, which citizens can use on a voluntary basis to better communicate and present their qualifications and skills throughout Europe. Objectives Improve the transparency of qualifications and skills in order to:

• Facilitate mobility carried out within lifelong learning;
• Facilitate mobility in a professional environment among countries and several activity sectors.

How much the Europass documents cost?

The Europass documents are free.

Can I add photos to the Europass documents?

Yes, it is possible to add your photo to all the documents using your computer.

Is there any relation between the Europass and other European initiatives?

Yes, there is a relation between Europass and other national and European initiatives (e.g. Eures network, Enic network, Euroguidance, Cedefop a.s.o).

How can I contact the NEC of other EU countries?

The contacts of other CNE are on Contacts page.

Who can apply for this initiative?

Any citizen can apply.

Where can I find the document Europass Curriculum Vitae?

Fulfill your ECV online through here. All the information requested in the ECV must be inserted/completed by you. Your ECV must be kept updated.

Can I create my personalised Europass Curriculum Vitae?

The ECV is available for download in PDF and Word formats. Only the Word version may be changed, however, you should keep the structure of the document.

What are Digital Credentials?

The European Commission is developing the Europass Digital Credentials Infrastructure (EDCI) to support efficiency and security in how credentials such as qualifications and other learning achievements can be recognised across Europe.

Work is ongoing on the development of the Europass Digital Credentials Infrastructure (EDCI). The EDCI will support authentication services for any digital documents or representations of information on skills and qualifications as outlined in Article 4 (6) of the Europass Decision.

A credential is a documented statement containing claims about a person issued by an educational organisation following a learning experience.

Europass Digital Credentials describe a learning achievement. They can describe:

• activities (e.g. classes attended),

• assessments (e.g. projects),

• achievements (e.g. skills developed),
• professional entitlements (e.g. registration as a medical doctor),
• qualifications.

What are the benefits?

As a digital file, credentials can include a wide range of valuable information that help can help the recognition and understanding of the credential by employers and other institutions. Europass Digital Credentials have a host of benefits over paper-based certificates: they can reduce administration work for students and graduate as well as education and training providers and businesses. Europass Digital Credentials can also decrease the impact of credential-fraud and contribute towards paperless workflows.

• Europass Digital Credentials support instant verification; recipients can automatically verify information such as the identity of the awarding body or the quality assurance of a qualification.
• Europass Digital Credentials are signed with an e-Seal, meaning they enjoy a legal presumption of authenticity across the EU as well as equivalence to paper-based credentials containing the same information.

Who can apply for Europass Mobility?

Organizations, such as schools, higher education institutions, associations and all organizations that allow mobility of individuals abroad. Individual applications are not accepted.

Can a foreign organization apply for Europass Mobility through the Portuguese Europass database?

No. The EM has to be requested to the National Europass Centre of the sending institution’s country.

To get the EM, in which countries can the mobility be carried out?

The mobility can be carried out in all the EU countries and EFTA countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey).

How can I apply to the Europass Mobility?

The mobility beneficiary, before leaving, must contact its home institution and express interest in getting this document.

The institution must complete the document (s) on the Europass Platform, before the mobility takes place. Before starting to fill in the EM document (s) you should read the user manual.

The Europass National Center needs to approve the application on the platform.

The Europass document is only complete after it has been completely filled out (by the sending institution and the host institution). The original of the document must be handed over to the beneficiary to attach to your Europass CV.

Can I apply for the Europass Mobility while developing an Erasmus+ project?

Yes, the sending institution, when applying for an Erasmus+ grant should express its intention of requesting the EM document for those participants involved in mobility activities (see Application Forms for Erasmus+ KA1 (Learning Mobility of Individuals), Section F.1 – Learning Outcomes and KA2 (Strategic Partnerships), Section G.1 Learning/Teaching/Training Activities). After approval of the project, the sending institution involved in the Erasmus+ project should send the application for the EM document to the National Europass Centre of its home country. For more information please contact the NEC of your own country.

Can I insert mobility periods spent as an au pair or in language courses in the Europass Mobility?

Yes, the EM records any learning period occurred abroad. The EM can be requested by schools, vocational schools, training centres, human resource companies, higher education institutions, provided they allow mobility abroad.

Can actions that took place in the past be inserted in the Europass Mobility?

Yes, the EM covers mobilities that have elapsed since the 1st January 2005. The mobilities that have occurred before this date cannot be considered.

In the applications the Europass Mobility can be inserted actions which occurred in the home country of the candidate?

Yes. The EM records learning activities taken place in the country of origin. On the Europass platform, select the procedure D - Domestic Mobility (see user manual).

Once completed, the Europass Mobility needs to be approved by the NEC?

No. After the approval of the application form and the issuance of the document by the National Europass Centre (NEC), no further approval is needed. The application form should be filled in by both the sending and the host institutions and delivered to the mobility participant. The NEC only requires a copy of the final document.

Can I include more than one stay abroad in the Europass Mobility?

No. You need to fill in an application for each mobility activity. There is no maximum number of applications per institution.

Is there a simplified procedure in case of a large number of applications?

Yes. The Europass platform allows you to copy information from one field to the other. There is no maximum number of applications per institution.

How can Europass Mobility be filled in other (s) language (s)? Is there any support available for translation?

The EM may be issued in Portuguese or in English. For such you only need to request it in the Europass platform.

Is there any support available for the translation?

No. It is the involved institutions that complete the document.

How and where can I get the Europass Diploma Supplement?

The EDS is issued, by request, by higher education institutions together with the degree or diploma of an attending student. The EDS aims to ensure that higher education qualifications are more easily understood, especially outside the country where one graduated.

Is the Europass Diploma Supplement compatible with the diplomas of the Portuguese academic bachelor and master?

The EDS is neither a replacement of the original degree nor diploma or an automatic system that guarantees recognition.

Is the Europass Diploma Supplement document available?

No. This document should be requested to the higher education institution one has attended. You may find an EDS model for consultation on the National Europass Centre webpage, in the DOCUMENTS menu.

What is the Europass Certificate Supplement and whom does it concern?

The ECS is intended to people who hold a vocational education and training certificate. This tool complements follows the certificate and adds by adding additional information to the one already stated in the official certificate, making it easier to understand, especially by employers or agencies of other countries. The information included in the ECS is provided by the competent certification authority.

Who provides the Europass Certificate Supplement?

The ECS is issued by the instituton that have assigned the official certificate. If you need to know where you can get the ECS you can contact the Technical Assistance Center for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications. However, the ESC is not a substitute for the original certificate or a system of automatic recognition of qualifications.

Can the Europass Certificate Supplement be helpful when looking for employment in countries outside the European Union?

Yes, it may be helpful because it registers the skills acquired during this training period.