European architects may soon be able to work in the UK without formal registration.

A proposed European law states that, as long as the architect is working in the UK on a “temporary or occasional” basis, he or she no longer needs to register with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) if they can prove EU nationality.

Brussels does not define a time limit for short-term work. The directive, which is out for consultation, would override the part of the Architects Act 2007 that created a list of approved European countries.

Under the plans, an architect’s existing qualifications would not need to be verified by the ARB, or any other professional body. The consultation document states: “The ARB will not be required, nor will it be able, to make checks on the professional qualifications of service providers. The fact that a service provider is lawfully established in another member state is all that is required to give rise to entitlement to provide services in the UK.”

An ARB spokesman said: “We will be looking at this carefully.”

Postscript

Firms have until 5 October to reply to the consultation document.