Qualification recognition
What it takes to have your qualification recognised and work in another country.
Chartered Accountancy in 9 countries Tap a country to see how to qualify there
3 United Kingdom Recognised, paperwork only Some demand
CA(SA)s join ICAEW or ICAS with no further exams, but UK audit rights need extra exams.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- 1-3 months for membership; 1-3 years more if you need UK audit sign-off rights
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
- Exams
- None for membership. Extra exams and supervised audit experience only if you want the UK Audit Qualification.
- Language test
- English (no test for SA graduates; the visa English requirement is normally met by a degree taught in English)
- Rough cost
- ICAEW annual membership fee GBP 499 at the 2027 full rate, or ICAS GBP 600 at the 2027 full rate (both lower on lower incomes), plus any admission fee; Skilled Worker visa from GBP 819 plus health surcharge
- Regulator
- ICAEW (and ICAS in Scotland)
Worth knowing: ICAEW or ICAS membership is not a UK audit licence. Reciprocal members cannot sign audit reports without the separate Audit Qualification.
Step by step 6 steps
- Stay a SAICA member in good standing and request a letter of good standing from SAICA.
- Apply to ICAEW online under the SAICA reciprocal membership route; ICAEW verifies with SAICA, which takes about 4-6 weeks.
- Or apply to ICAS by emailing members@icas.com with your letter of good standing - no further assessment or practical experience.
- If you will practise in the UK, request a practising certificate; your SAICA membership time counts towards the 2-year requirement.
- For UK statutory audit, sit the Audit Qualification exams and extra supervised audit experience; the FRC does not recognise SAICA for the AQ.
- Arrange a Skilled Worker visa through a licensed sponsor, or another right to work.
Evidence and sources (6)
Demand evidence: Chartered accountants (2421) are visa-eligible but not on the Immigration Salary List; only accounting technicians (3533) are on the Temporary Shortage List. (source)
5 Ireland Recognised, paperwork only High demand
Chartered Accountants Ireland recognises CA(SA); expect local Irish law and tax assessments.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- 3-9 months
What it takes: exams, language test, regulator
- Exams
- Irish company law and taxation exams are normally required of reciprocal members; there is no full re-examination.
- Language test
- English (no test for SA graduates)
- Regulator
- Chartered Accountants Ireland
Worth knowing: SAICA-specific conditions are not published in detail. Confirm the exact exam requirements with the Chartered Accountants Ireland registry before you move.
Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.
Step by step 5 steps
- Keep SAICA membership in good standing and obtain a letter of good standing.
- Apply to Chartered Accountants Ireland under its mutual recognition agreement with SAICA, through the Registry and Subscriptions team.
- Sit any Irish company law and taxation assessments set as a condition of reciprocal membership - the institute confirms the exact list case by case.
- Apply for a practising certificate if you will practise; Irish audit registration is a separate approval with its own experience rules.
- Get a Critical Skills or General Employment Permit through an employer, unless you hold an EU or Irish passport.
Evidence and sources (3)
Demand evidence: Critical Skills List: chartered/certified accountants and taxation experts (2421), but only with a named specialism such as tax, compliance or solvency. (source)
3 Netherlands Recognised, paperwork only Some demand
Finance, tax and advisory employers hire CA(SA)s as-is; only statutory audits and the RA title need an NBA competence certificate and Dutch-law exams.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- Weeks for a finance or advisory role; the NBA publishes no duration for the RA route for foreign accountants (its exams are held each semester)
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
- Exams
- The NBA's Test of Professional Competence (five exams in Dutch law, tax law and the RA code of conduct) for the RA title, after the NBA has assessed your qualifications; none for unregulated finance roles.
- Language test
- Dutch reading for the RA exams: the oral exams can be taken in Dutch or English, but the learning materials are in Dutch. English is normal in multinational finance and advisory roles.
- Rough cost
- NBA examination fee EUR 675 for each of the five exams; permit fees are separate
Worth knowing: This rating is for working as an accountant in finance, tax or advisory roles, which needs no Dutch licence. The RA title route is much harder: the NBA also asks for a master's degree, which the CTA/PGDA is not. CA(SA) brings no automatic Dutch title. The NBA decides case by case whether your qualifications match the Dutch programme; an exemption from part of the Test needs three years' work in the Dutch accountancy profession in that subject, or Dutch diplomas covering it, and still an oral assessment.
Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.
Step by step 5 steps
- For a finance, controlling, tax or advisory job you need no Dutch licence at all; employers accept the CA(SA) on its own merits. The Dutch audit law (Wta) requires an AFM licence to carry out statutory audits (wettelijke controle).
- Have your degree evaluated by Nuffic if an employer or the IND asks for a credential statement.
- Arrange a highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) permit through an IND-recognised sponsor, or an EU Blue Card.
- To sign statutory audits you must register as an RA or AA. Accountants qualified outside the EU/EEA need the NBA's Certificate of Professional Competence: the NBA checks that your education and training match the Dutch programme (master's level for RA) and, in its criteria table for applicants from outside the EU/EEA, that you are registered abroad with authority to carry out statutory audits of all types of entities without restriction. Its current procedure page also accepts studies that would let you obtain that audit authorisation again if you returned to that country, and over five years' relevant work experience in the auditing profession in place of practical studies. If the NBA's preliminary opinion is negative, the route is accountancy studies in the Netherlands; the NBA says to examine whether your qualifications and work experience exempt you from the theoretical and practical studies.
- The Certificate also needs the NBA's Test of Professional Competence: five exams in Dutch civil and company law, annual-accounts law, tax law (two exams) and the Dutch Code of Conduct for RAs. The oral exams can be taken in Dutch or English, but the learning materials are in Dutch.
Evidence and sources (6)
Demand evidence: No Dutch shortage list; accountants qualify for the salary-based IND highly skilled migrant permit. No current UWV occupation data reachable. (limited evidence for this country) (source)
- NBA - Dutch professional body for accountants
- NBA - foreign accountants interested in becoming RA (Test of Professional Competence, exam language, fees, exemptions)
- NBA - criteria for the Certificate of Professional Competence, applicants from outside the EU/EEA (PDF, p. 1)
- NBA - procedure for requesting a Certificate of Professional Competence (questions 2b and 3b)
- IND highly skilled migrant permit
- Wet toezicht accountantsorganisaties, article 5(1): statutory audits need an AFM licence
3 Germany Recognised, paperwork only Some demand
Finance, controlling and advisory employers hire CA(SA)s as-is; only statutory audits need the Wirtschaftspruefer title, through the full German exam.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- Weeks for a finance role; an estimated 3-6 years for the Wirtschaftspruefer title
What it takes: exams, language test, regulator
- Exams
- Full Wirtschaftspruefungsexamen, in German. The Eignungspruefung shortcut is not open to South African-qualified auditors.
- Language test
- German at roughly C1 for the audit exams and most client work; English is workable at some multinationals.
- Regulator
- Wirtschaftsprueferkammer (WPK)
Worth knowing: This rating is for working as an accountant in finance, controlling or advisory roles, which needs no German licence. This is the hardest of the nine for the audit profession itself. Most CA(SA)s in Germany work in corporate finance or advisory, not signing audits.
Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.
Step by step 5 steps
- For finance, controlling, transaction services or internal audit roles no German licence is needed; employers hire CA(SA)s directly. EU law reserves statutory audits for auditors approved by the Member State.
- Check your degree on the anabin database (KMK) and, if an employer asks, get a Statement of Comparability from the ZAB.
- Apply for an EU Blue Card or skilled worker visa with a qualifying job offer; a recognised degree is the entry condition.
- To become a Wirtschaftspruefer, sit the full Wirtschaftspruefungsexamen: WPK limits the shorter Eignungspruefung to auditors approved in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
- All German audit examinations are held in German only, with subjects including business law, tax law and professional statutes.
Evidence and sources (5)
Demand evidence: Accountancy is not named among Make it in Germany's professions in demand; Wirtschaftspruefer requires German examination. (source)
3 United States Recognised, paperwork only Some demand
CA(SA)s work in US finance, tax and advisory roles without a CPA licence; the CPA title and audits need the IQEX route, open only to experienced CA(SA)s.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- 6-12 months once you meet the 7-year experience rule
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
- Exams
- IQEX (International Qualification Examination) administered by NASBA, plus some states' ethics exam.
- Language test
- English (no test for SA graduates)
- Rough cost
- IQEX eligibility application USD 255 plus the exam section fee USD 660 (NASBA); state licence and any ethics exam fees vary by state
Worth knowing: This rating is for working as an accountant in finance, tax or advisory roles. Licensing is set state by state, so check the state board where you will work. Newly qualified CA(SA)s cannot use the CPA route: 7 years of post-qualification experience is mandatory. The agreement runs 27 Jan 2026 to 30 June 2031.
Step by step 7 steps
- For finance, tax, advisory or bookkeeping work no CPA licence is needed: state boards license audits, reviews, compilations and the CPA title. South Carolina's board, for example, says it has no authority over bookkeepers, tax preparers or accountants who are not CPAs.
- Work at least 7 years post-qualification after obtaining CA(SA) - the renewed 2026 mutual recognition agreement sets this threshold.
- Confirm you qualified through SAICA's own route (IAC and APC plus the SAICA Training Programme); members admitted via another body's reciprocity are excluded.
- Apply through NASBA to sit the International Qualification Examination (IQEX), a single exam covering US-specific content.
- Ask NASBA to report your IQEX score to your chosen State Board and apply there for the CPA licence, including any state ethics exam.
- Stay compliant with SAICA CPD, then meet the State Board's own CPE rules once licensed.
- Secure US work authorisation separately - H-1B lottery, L-1 intracompany transfer, or a green card; there is no accountant-specific visa.
Evidence and sources (5)
Demand evidence: BLS OOH: accountants and auditors projected to grow faster than average; not on DOL Schedule A. (source)
3 Canada Recognised, paperwork only Some demand
CA(SA)s get the Canadian CPA under a reciprocal agreement plus a 20-hour Canadian tax, law and ethics course.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- 3-6 months for membership once you are in Canada
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
- Exams
- None for membership. The CPA Reciprocity Education and Examination (CPARE) program applies only if you want a Canadian public accounting licence.
- Language test
- English, or French in Quebec; an IELTS or CELPIP score is normally needed for Express Entry points
- Rough cost
- Set by each provincial body. In Ontario: application fee CAD 125, admission to membership CAD 500 and CPARPD course CAD 895 (each plus HST), and annual membership dues CAD 820 plus tax
Worth knowing: Membership is provincial, not national. CPARPD must be finished within two years or membership lapses.
Step by step 5 steps
- Be a SAICA member in good standing who qualified through SAICA's own education and training route, not via another body's reciprocity.
- Apply to the provincial CPA body where you will live (for example CPA Ontario or CPA Alberta) under the SAICA reciprocal membership agreement in force since 1 Jan 2018.
- Complete the CPA Reciprocity Professional Development (CPARPD) course, about 20 hours online on Canadian tax, law and ethics, within 2 years of admission.
- If you want a public accounting licence, also complete the CPA Reciprocity Education and Examination (CPARE) program and meet the provincial experience requirements, which may include at least 1,250 chargeable hours in assurance, 625 of them in audit.
- Immigrate via Express Entry, a Provincial Nominee Program, or an employer-supported work permit.
Evidence and sources (5)
Demand evidence: Financial auditors and accountants are in no current Express Entry category; the occupation is still skilled-visa eligible. (source)
5 Australia Recognised, paperwork only High demand
CA ANZ admits CA(SA)s with no further exams; the visa skills assessment is the main paperwork.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- 2-6 months for membership; the visa is usually the longer step
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
- Exams
- None for CA ANZ membership. ASIC Registered Company Auditor registration is a separate process.
- Language test
- English; an IELTS or PTE score is usually required for the visa even for South African graduates
- Rough cost
- CA ANZ subscription; CA ANZ full members (which a CA(SA) becomes under the reciprocal agreement) pay no CA ANZ migration skills assessment fee. Visa fees are separate and much larger
Worth knowing: CA ANZ membership is not an audit licence. Points-tested visas are age-sensitive, so moving before your mid-thirties matters.
Step by step 5 steps
- Be a SAICA member in good standing who gained membership through SAICA's standard examination pathway (not through a third-party arrangement), and obtain a letter of good standing dated within 3 months of your application.
- Apply to CA ANZ under its reciprocal membership agreement with SAICA - no further professional education, training or examination is required.
- For migration, obtain a skills assessment for your occupation (for example Accountant (General)) from CA ANZ, CPA Australia or the IPA.
- Apply for an employer-sponsored Skills in Demand visa or a points-tested skilled visa, depending on your age and English scores.
- To sign audit reports you must separately register as a Company Auditor with ASIC, which has its own experience and competency requirements.
Evidence and sources (5)
Demand evidence: JSA Occupation Shortage List 2025: External Auditor (211231) in national shortage; Accountant (General) (211131) rated No Shortage. (source)
5 New Zealand Recognised, paperwork only High demand
Same CA ANZ reciprocal route as Australia; CA(SA)s join without exams and work across NZ finance.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- 2-6 months for membership; visa timing depends on the employer's accreditation
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
- Exams
- None for CA ANZ membership. New Zealand audit licensing is assessed separately.
- Language test
- English; an approved English test may be required for the visa depending on the pathway
- Rough cost
- CA ANZ subscription plus visa fees
Worth knowing: Only External and Internal Auditor are on the Green List; general accountant roles are not. The list is reviewed regularly and job titles are specific, so check the current version.
Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.
Step by step 5 steps
- Be a SAICA member in good standing who gained membership through SAICA's standard examination pathway (not through a third-party arrangement), and obtain a letter of good standing dated within 3 months of your application.
- Apply to CA ANZ under the SAICA reciprocal membership agreement; no further exams or practical experience are required for membership.
- Find a New Zealand employer that is an accredited employer, then apply for an Accredited Employer Work Visa.
- Immigration New Zealand's Green List places External Auditor (221213) and Internal Auditor (221214) in Tier 1 when pay is NZD 45.50 an hour or more; general accountant roles are not on the list.
- To sign statutory audits in New Zealand you must be separately licensed as an auditor under New Zealand's auditor regulation regime.
Evidence and sources (5)
Demand evidence: Green List Tier 1: External Auditor (221213) and Internal Auditor (221214), subject to pay of NZ$45.50/hour. General accountants are not listed. (source)
- SAICA reciprocity and affiliations (CAANZ listed as RMA)
- CA ANZ - Global Accounting Alliance member bodies (SAICA; criteria and documents)
- Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
- Immigration New Zealand
- Immigration New Zealand operational manual, Appendix 13 Green List (221213 External Auditor, 221214 Internal Auditor, Tier 1)
3 United Arab Emirates Recognised, paperwork only Some demand
No licence needed for accounting work; only audit sign-off needs the Ministry of Economy auditors register.
- Recognition
- 4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
- Time to practise
- 1-3 months from job offer for finance roles; 1-3 further years of UAE audit experience (and at least 5 years' post-degree audit experience in total) before you can sign onshore audits
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
- Exams
- None for CA(SA)s working in accounting or finance. The Ministry auditors register is by qualification, experience and a valid Emirates Association of Accountants and Auditors Fellowship Certificate; the Ministry page does not say whether that Fellowship involves an exam.
- Language test
- English is the working language of most finance roles; no English test for the visa
- Rough cost
- Auditor registration AED 100 application plus AED 4,500 for three years; work permit fees are paid by the employer
Worth knowing: ICAEW or SAICA membership is not an audit licence, and the auditors register also needs an Emirates Association of Accountants and Auditors Fellowship. Work visas are employer-tied and do not lead to citizenship; the Golden Visa is the long-term exception.
Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.
Step by step 5 steps
- Keep SAICA membership in good standing; many CA(SA)s also join ICAEW under the SAICA reciprocal agreement, a brand widely recognised by Gulf employers.
- Get your degree certificates attested for the UAE, then secure a job offer; the employer applies to MOHRE for your work permit and residence visa.
- Work in finance, tax, advisory or audit roles; accounting outside statutory audit is not a licensed profession in the UAE.
- To sign onshore audits, register as a practising auditor: applicants need an accounting degree and at least 5 years' audit experience after the degree; non-citizens also need 1-3 years' UAE audit experience depending on their audit experience outside the UAE (1 year if over 10 years, 2 if 5-10, 3 if 2-5); all need a valid Fellowship Certificate from the Emirates Association of Accountants and Auditors.
- In the DIFC, audit firms register with the DFSA and appoint at least one Audit Principal, who needs a Recognised Professional Qualification, membership in good standing of a Recognised Professional Body and at least 5 years of relevant post-qualification audit experience in the past 7 years, including at least one year in a managerial role supervising and finalising audits; ADGM has its own regime.
Evidence and sources (4)
Demand evidence: Not named as a Golden Visa priority profession; accountants are MOHRE level 2 professionals on an ordinary employer-sponsored work visa. (source)
General information, not immigration or legal advice. Confirm the rules with the regulator before you rely on them. Chartered Accountancy overview