The Health Inspectorate shall ensure the receipt, examination, processing and further development of applications for a European Professional Card (hereinafter - EPC) in the regulated nursing profession. The EPC is an electronic document equivalent to the decision on the recognition of professional qualifications. The EPC may be applied for by EU citizens who have the right to pursue a professional activity or have obtained a professional qualification in another EU Member State. For applicants for recognition of professional qualifications to have access to information on their rights and obligations, the updated Manual “Everything to Know About Recognition of Professional Qualifications” for users of Directive 2005/36/EC, which clarifies the requirements of Directive 2005/36/EC and their application, is available. The translation of the user guide is available in all official EU languages and is available at: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/services/free-movement-professionals / Benefits of the European Professional Card: • the authorities of your country of origin will help you prepare your application and check that it is correct and complete. They will also certify the authenticity and validity of your documents. • When preparing future submissions, you will not have to load the documents up again. • if the responsible authorities of the host country do not review your application within the time limit, the qualification will be recognised automatically and you will be able to create an EPC certificate in your online account. EPC Extradition Procedure Health Inspectorate, as the competent authority of the applicant's home Member State: • upon receipt of the applicant's EPC application in the Internal Market Information System (hereinafter - IMI), acknowledge receipt of the application within one week, verify the completeness of the set of documents and, inform the applicant of the missing documents (if any) and of the payment; • within one month after receipt of all the missing documents, check the conformity of the documents submitted by the applicant with the requirements specified in the regulatory enactments of the Republic of Latvia and certify authenticity and validity, send the EPC application to the competent authority of the receiving State. The Health Inspectorate, as the competent authority of the host Member State, upon receipt of the applicant's EPC application in IMI, shall, within one week, check the completeness and compliance of the entire set of documents with the requirements specified in the regulatory enactments of the Republic of Latvia, if necessary, request the competent authority of the country in which the applicant has the right to pursue professional activities in the profession of the sister, and the applicant to submit a missing the documents and shall inform the applicant of the payment: 1) within one month, after receipt of all the missing documents, issue: • an EPC card for the provision of short-term services, • the EPC for continued professional activity, • extend the validity of the EPC to a temporary professional service; 2) within a period of two months when it is necessary to apply an adaptation period or a knowledge test. In cases where the Health Inspectorate has not taken a decision on the performance of a qualification test for a short-term service provider within a period of two months, the IMI system will automatically issue an EPC recorded by the Health Inspectorate in the IMI system as equivalent to the EPC issued by the Health Inspectorate. The EPC shall be valid for: • for an indefinite period of time, if the applicant wants to stay in the new country for a permanent life, • 12 months if the applicant provides services on a temporary basis.