Mandatory Training for Architects | The Guide

As an architect, continuing education is a core ethical obligation of your regulated profession. Recognized as serving the public interest, the profession is governed by a strict code of ethics that emphasizes the continuous updating of skills. Ongoing professional training enables you to maintain and expand your knowledge throughout your career, ensuring the quality of your services in the face of ever-evolving techniques, regulations, and architectural practices. OOTI breaks down the essentials to help you understand and optimize your continuing education journey.

How to Comply with Your Three-Year Training Obligation

You must complete 20 hours of training per year, or 60 hours over a three-year period (three consecutive years). This flexibility allows you to adapt your training path to your professional constraints.

GOOD TO KNOW
Training hours that exceed the annual 20-hour requirement can be carried over to the following year or even the next three-year period, offering flexible management of your continuing education.

Which Trainings Count?

To fulfill your training obligation, two categories of activities are accepted:

Structured Trainings

These are programs delivered by certified organizations or recognized by the profession. They form the core of your training path and include:

• Traditional professional courses
• Certified MOOCs
• Courses you teach yourself (up to 7 hours per year)
• Speaking engagements as a trainer or lecturer (up to 7 hours per year)
• Professional publications you author (up to 7 hours per year, minimum 10,000 characters)
• Trainings taken abroad and recognized by the Order

You can find the official list of recognized training providers on the government website.

Complementary Trainings

These enhance your architectural culture and include:

• Conferences and symposiums (in-person or online)
• Architectural study trips
• Museum, exhibition, or monument visits
• Professional events organized by the Order

⚠️ These complementary trainings are limited to 6 hours per year and 18 hours over the three-year period. Out of the 60 required hours, at least 42 must be structured trainings.

How to Justify and Declare Your Hours

Documentation requirements vary by training type:

• Structured trainings require a certificate, diploma, or official document stating the number of validated hours and educational content.
• Complementary trainings require tangible proof: attendance certificates, detailed programs, invoices, or event registration confirmations.

Declarations must be made exclusively online via your personal account on the Order of Architects website. You must upload documentation for each training session. A gauge in your account lets you monitor your compliance in real time.

For trainings taken abroad, a special form called “Foreign Training Providers” is available in your architect portal for declarations.

When Are You Exempt?

You may be exempt from your training requirement for a given calendar year under these conditions:

• First year of registration with the Order (automatic exemption)
• Sick leave longer than 28 consecutive days
• Maternity leave
• Paternity leave
• Parental leave

To claim these exemptions (except first-year registration), log into your personal account on the Order’s website and upload the necessary documentation.

How to Finance Your Architectural Training

Understandably, the cost of training can be a concern. Fortunately, several funding options are available:

• FIF PL (Training Insurance Fund for Freelance Professions) for self-employed architects — this uses the professional training contribution (CFP) already paid to URSSAF
• Actalians for some salaried workers in the sector
• Training tax credit for businesses under a real tax regime
• OPCO EP to finance training for employees in architecture firms (a good way to empower project managers)

These options significantly reduce the actual cost of training, making the investment in your skills even more worthwhile. Be sure to explore these options before registering for a course.

What Are the Risks of Non-Compliance?

Continuing education is a mandatory ethical requirement of the architecture profession. Non-compliance may be reported by the regional council of the Order, potentially leading to disciplinary action, as it is tied to the profession’s code of ethics. This obligation, along with others (qualification, professional insurance), is also linked to the preservation of the profession’s legal monopoly, as guaranteed by the Architecture Act.

So make sure to carefully track and document your training hours to avoid any professional setbacks. If you're missing hours, you can retroactively declare past training sessions or make up the shortfall in the current period.

While you focus on meeting your training obligations, let OOTI handle the other administrative aspects of your architecture practice. Our integrated solution simplifies invoicing, project tracking, and team management.
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