International Professionals

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Helping Maintain Standards Internationally

This page features resources for engineers who were educated or who practice outside the United States and who are seeking to become licensed in the United States.

In addition, there is information on the NCEES International Registry, which is for those currently licensed in the United States who are seeking recognition to practice in another country.

P.E. License

Engineers in the United States use the P.E. designation when they are licensed by a U.S. state or territory. There is no single, nationwide license that allows engineers to practice across U.S. state lines. State licensing boards grant the P.E. license when licensure candidates meet a combination of requirements in education, experience, and exams.

State laws limit the practice of engineering to licensed professional engineers, which means that a P.E. is required for such things as:

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Stamping and Sealing Designs

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Bidding For Government Contracts

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Owning a Firm

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Consulting

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Offering Expert Witness Testimony

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Advertising Services to the Public

Requirements

While each U.S. state/jurisdiction has its own laws concerning professional licensure, the requirements for the P.E. license generally follow this outline:

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A bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering from a program accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET .

An acceptable result on the FE exam

Four years of acceptable work experience in the candidate’s engineering discipline

An acceptable result on the PE exam in the candidate’s discipline

We encourage you to contact the licensing board in the U.S. state or territory where you plan to apply for licensure to find out its specific requirements.

Because international licensure candidates typically have degrees from programs that are not accredited by EAC/ABET, most U.S. licensing boards require candidates to have their academic credentials evaluated. NCEES offers a Credentials Evaluations service that compares a candidate’s academic background to established criteria. It then provides this information to the U.S. licensing board where the candidate is applying to sit for an exam.

Exam Offerings Outside Of The United States

International Registry for Professional Engineers

The NCEES International Registry for Professional Engineers (IRPE) assists U.S.-based professional engineers who are seeking recognition in countries that are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) or the International Engineering Alliance (IEA), formerly the Engineers Mobility Forum (EMF).

The Countries Include
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Chinese Taipei
  • Hong Kong China
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Malaysia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Russia
  • Singapore
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Thailand
  • United Kingdom

Requirements

  • Be a citizen or permanent resident currently licensed as a professional engineer in a U.S. state or territory
  • Hold a record clean of disciplinary action
  • Hold a current NCEES Record
  • Have a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program, or be a graduate of an educational program(s) that meets the NCEES Engineering Education Standard
  • Have passing scores on the NCEES FE and PE examinations
  • Have at least seven years of qualifying experience, including two years in responsible charge of significant engineering work
  • Have met the applicable continuing professional competency (CPC) requirements of the jurisdiction(s) where you are licensed. If the jurisdiction does not have a CPC requirement, you must comply with the NCEES CPC Standard.

As a candidate for the International Registry, you will be required to submit a sworn statement attesting to any sanctions received for violations of applicable licensing laws.

If you did not declare an engineering discipline during the licensure process, you must declare your area(s) of expertise when applying for the International Registry.

Application Fees

The International Registry program is for engineers currently licensed in the United States, who are seeking recognition to practice in another country. To become licensed in the United States, you must meet the requirements set forth by each U.S. state where you wish to pursue licensure. There is no single, nationwide license that allows engineers to practice across U.S. state lines. You can use the NCEES Record to make it easier to apply to each individual state.