Recognition of foreign qualifications

Recognition of foreign qualifications

If you have a foreign school or vocational qualification, you can have it recognized in Germany. In the recognition procedure, your qualification will be compared with a similar German qualification. If your qualification is recognized as equivalent, you will receive a corresponding notification. This will give you better chances on the job market.

All people with a foreign qualification have a right to this recognition procedure. Neither your residence status nor your nationality play a role here.

What do I need to know?

Do I need to have my foreign qualification recognized?

In many cases, it is not necessary to have your qualification recognized. However, there are some professions for which you need recognition. These are, for example, doctors, lawyers, nurses or engineers. These professions are called "regulated professions". If you would like to work in a regulated profession, you must have your qualification recognized.

If you would like to become self-employed in a so-called "craft requiring authorization", you must also have your professional qualification recognized. You can find a list of all trades requiring a license in the Crafts Code.

If your profession is not regulated, you do not need to have your qualification recognized. However, recognition will improve your chances on the German job market.

You can check whether your qualification is one of the regulated professions on the employment agency 's website. At ec.europa.eu you can also check in English whether your qualification is one of the regulated professions.

Please note: If you would like to come to Germany with a visa to look for work or a visa for employment, you must always have your qualification recognized in advance.

Where can I get advice on the recognition procedure?

It is worth getting advice in advance. The staff at the advice centers can explain to you exactly which office is responsible for recognizing your qualification, what the next steps are and how you can finance the recognition procedure.

You can get advice on the recognition procedure at the IQ network's advice centers. The staff there will help you with all steps of the recognition procedure. You can find an advice center near you at netzwerk-iq.de, sorted by federal state at the top left under the turquoise menu button.

You can also call the "Working and living in Germany" hotline for advice. You can also use the hotline if you are still abroad. The staff speak German and English and can be reached on +49 30 1815 1111. The advice is free of charge, but you will have to pay the usual telephone charges for the call. You can also send a message via the hotline contact form.

Where can I have my qualification recognized?

Depending on whether it is a school, academic or vocational qualification, different offices are responsible for recognition.

• School certificates are recognized by the certificate recognition offices of the individual federal states. You can find the responsible office in the anabin database. If you would like to have your school certificate recognized because you would like to study in Germany, you can also contact the university of your choice.
• Academic degrees can be recognized by the "Central Office for Foreign Education" (ZAB). The ZAB maintains a database(anabin) in which you can check whether your degree is recognized. You can apply for recognition directly to the ZAB. You can find more information on the website "Zeugnisbewertung".
• For professional qualifications, you can use the "Recognition Finder" to find out which body is responsible for recognizing this profession. There you can either enter your job title directly or select it under the heading "Select your profession from the A-Z list". In the second step, enter the name of your city. The recognition office responsible for you will then be displayed.

If you are not sure what your profession is called in German, you can search for the exact name in German or English on the BQ-Portal website.

Please note: If you are still abroad, the above-mentioned offices are also responsible for you. In this case, apply for recognition of your qualification at an office in the place where you would like to live in Germany later.

How do I submit the application?

Once you have found the right recognition office, you can submit an application for recognition of your qualification there. However, you should do two things first:

1. Clarify the financing of the recognition procedure. You can find out more about this in the section "Where can I get financial support?"
2. Collect all certificates and documents that prove your foreign qualification. As a rule, you must submit the originals as well as certified copies. In most cases, you will need to have your documents translated by state-recognized translators. Ask the recognition office or an advice center which documents you need to have translated. The staff can also give you the addresses of state-recognized translators. If you do not have any documents relating to your degree, seek advice from an advice center.

After your degree has been checked, you will receive a notification. This notification will state whether your qualification has been recognized or not.

If your degree has been recognized, you will receive a so-called "certificate of equivalence". This means that you have the same professional status as a person with a German degree.

What can I do if my qualification is not / only partially recognized?

If your qualification is not recognized, your application will be rejected. In this case, however, you can use a test onmyskills.de, for example, to find out which profession your skills and knowledge match. Talk to the staff at the job center or employment agency about myskills. Your test results can help them find a suitable job offer or provide you with further qualifications. You can take an initial small test for yourself in advance at www.meine-berufserfahrung.de. You can take these two tests in different languages.

If your qualification has only been partially recognized, you can, under certain conditions, take further training or an examination to achieve full recognition. The IQ Network advice centers can advise you on these qualification measures. You can find an advice center near you at netzwerk-iq.de, sorted by federal state at the top left under the turquoise menu button.

How long does the recognition procedure take?

The procedure should not normally take longer than three months. This period begins as soon as the competent authority has received all the necessary documents. If the recognition procedure is very difficult, this period may be extended once.

What does the recognition procedure cost?

The costs for the recognition procedure vary greatly. In addition to the fees for the procedure itself (approx. 100 to 600 euros), you will also have to pay for the translation and certification of your certificates.

Where can I get financial support for the recognition procedure?

If you are registered with the job center or employment agency, you can ask your case worker for financial support. The job centers and employment agencies can cover the costs for the recognition procedure and also for further training. If the job center or employment agency rejects your application, make sure you get the rejection in writing.

If the job center or employment agency does not support you, you can apply for a so-called "recognition grant". People who have very little money can receive the recognition grant. You must submit your application to an IQ Network advice center. You can get advice in advance by phone or email. You can reach the staff in German on +49 371 4 33 11 222 or [email protected].

For people who live in Berlin or Hamburg, there is also another option for financial support for the recognition procedure. You can find more information on the Berlin Hardship Fund for Professional Recognition at berlin.de. Information on the Hamburg scholarship program can be found at diakonie-hamburg.de.

Please note: You must apply for all of these financial support options before submitting your application for recognition. If you only apply for financial support afterwards, you will no longer be able to receive financial support.

Important

A professional license is required for regulated professions. You must therefore apply for recognition. It is forbidden to work in these professions without a permit.

If your foreign qualification is equivalent to a regulated profession in Germany, such as being a doctor, lawyer, nurse, or engineer, you must have it recognized to legally work in that field. This is because certain professions are considered "regulated," and you cannot practice them without recognition. Furthermore, obtaining recognition for your foreign qualification can improve your chances of securing employment on the German job market, even if it's not a regulated profession.

Source: handbookgermany.de