📋 Tender Overview
The Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for architects between the European Union (EU) and Canada entered into force on January 19, 2026. It is the first bilateral agreement on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications concluded by the EU.The MRA will make it easier for architects from the EU to have their professional qualifications recognized to work in Canada and vice versa. This will remove one of the main obstacles faced by architects from the EU when they want to provide their services in Canada. The agreement will also give European companies access to a new pool of Canadian professionals who want to provide their services in the EU.
The MRA is otherwise achieved on the basis of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada (CETA), which has been provisionally applied since September 21, 2017. CETA already facilitates the provision of architectural services to EU professionals, as it provides guarantees regarding the conditions under which they can temporarily go to Canada and provide their services there or establish a company. The MRA will supplement these guarantees with a simple process for obtaining a Canadian license for architects from the EU, subject to compliance with the terms of the agreement.
Specifically, architects with at least twelve years of combined education, training and practice (including four years of practical experience) will be able to apply online for recognition of their professional qualifications by the authorities of the jurisdiction in which they wish to practice. Architects from the EU will also have to complete a one-time ten-hour online course. Both EU and Canadian architects will need to register with the relevant local authorities to obtain a work permit.
