Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications

The skills shortage is one of our major challenges. We compete with many other countries in the global race for skilled labour. Our goal is to enable foreign professionals to apply their skills in the German labour market more easily, faster and sustainably.

Opportunities

The recognition of foreign professional qualifications offers true equality of career opportunities.
Recognition makes professional qualifications visible for both employers and employees.
The recognition of your professional qualifications may provide the basis for your residence permit as a foreign skilled worker.
Recognition provides certainty: nine out of ten skilled workers with foreign professional qualifications find gainful employment after the successful recognition of their qualifications.

People who have gained professional qualifications abroad have the right to have their qualifications compared with the corresponding German qualifications. The outcome of such an equivalence assessment can determine whether a person is allowed to practise their learned profession in Germany. The right to the assessment of individual qualifications is granted irrespective of a person’s nationality and residence status or the country in which they gained the qualifications. This is enshrined in the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act, or Recognition Act for short. The Recognition Act encompasses:

the Act concerning the Assessment of Equivalence of Professional Qualifications (BQFG) and

amendments to the regulations concerning the recognition of qualifications contained in various specialist laws that regulate professions at the federal level (e.g. nurse, doctor).
In parallel, the Länder adopted laws regulating the recognition of qualifications for professions that fall within the remit of the Länder (e.g. teacher, engineer, architect, social professions).

Recognition for professional purposes means that professional qualifications gained abroad are compared individually to their German reference qualification. The aim is to achieve three goals:

To facilitate access to the labour market for people living in Germany with professional qualifications gained abroad.

To ensure true equality of opportunities in order to make Germany more attractive for the foreign skilled professionals that we so urgently need.
To provide employers with transparency concerning the qualifications presented by professionals from other countries.

In so doing, the Recognition Act increases the chances for foreign skilled professionals to take up work that actually reflects their qualifications and to be paid accordingly. In addition, the Federal Government reformed the Skilled Immigration Act in 2023 and 2024 to further facilitate immigration and access to the German labour market.

Coming to Germany and taking up work

For the professions known as regulated professions, it is absolutely mandatory to successfully complete the recognition of qualifications in order to be able to practise the relevant profession in Germany indefinitely. This applies to professions for which there are laws that define subject-specific prerequisites also for German nationals, for example doctors, nurses and teachers.

The recognition of foreign qualifications is a major prerequisite for skilled professionals from abroad to be granted the right of residence. However, if an employer and a foreign professional form what is called a recognition partnership, the skilled professional can come to Germany and take up work even before the recognition procedure has been completed. The minimum requirements for a recognition partnership are two years of vocational training or a university degree as well as German language skills of at least proficiency level A2.

Find out whether you work in a Anerkennungsfinder (auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de). Read more about Visum zur Anerkennungspartnerschaft (auf www.make-it-in-germany.com).

Those working in a non-regulated profession, for example in the craft and skilled trades at journeyman/journeywoman level, have the opportunity to come to Germany and take up work without having to complete a recognition procedure. All that is needed is evidence of professional or university qualifications that meets specific requirements. Employers, in turn, must provide a concrete job offer and a certain minimum level of pay. Further information is available on the website Wer benötigt ein Visum? (auf www.make-it-in-germany.com).

What is the role of the BMBF with regard to the recognition of qualifications?

Recognition is a matter that concerns all professions. Various different authorities in the Länder are responsible for the practical recognition of qualifications depending on the profession. This inevitably leads to certain peculiarities and differing administrative procedures. In order to further enhance the simplicity, standardization, digitalization and transparency of the processes, the BMBF as lead government agency coordinates matters relating to recognition. To this end, the BMBF upholds a continuous dialogue with the bodies responsible for implementing the recognition procedures and drafting the relevant legislation. The BMBF promotes knowledge sharing among the competent bodies. It has also launched a pilot measure for trialling financial support for applicants who undertake qualification measures as well as the ProRecognition (Projekt zur Anerkennungsberatung im Ausland; auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de) that pilots counselling for skilled professionals in their countries of origin through the Service Center for Professional Recognition at the Federal Employment Agency (BA) or the Chambers of Commerce Abroad.

recognition of foreign qualifications in numbers

54,261
recognitions were granted in the year 2022
16,635
applications for recognition as Registered General Nurse or Registered Nurse were submitted in 2022
79 %
of the applications submitted in 2022 sought the recognition of professional qualifications gained in third countries (i.e. non-EU/EEA or Switzerland)
26%
more applications in 2023 compared to the previous year.

The Anerkennungsfinder (auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de) online tool on the web portal Informationsportal der Bundesregerung zu Anerkennung in Deutschland shows those who are interested the right path towards the competent recognition body and offers information on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications in the following languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian.

Just a few clicks using the Beratungssuche (auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de) tool generates suitable counselling opportunities. By the way, the Recognition Finder includes the “recognition application service” tool which enables applicants to file an online application for recognition of foreign qualifications in a growing number of professions (an overview of the relevant bodies and professions can be found Digitale Antragstellung (auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de)).

© | BMBF Sie haben eine Berufsqualifikation aus dem Ausland erworben und möchten in Deutschland leben und arbeiten? In unserem Erklärvideo beantworten wir Ihnen folgende Fragen: Benötigen Sie eine Anerkennung? Wie erhalten Sie eine Anerkennung? Welche Hilfs- und Serviceangbeote gibt es für Sie?

FAQ

Do I need to have my professional qualifications recognized?

If you want to practise a regulated profession in Germany, you need to have your foreign qualifications recognized. Regulated profession means that there are laws that determine who is allowed to practise the profession (e.g. teachers, doctors, nurses). In these cases, the mandatory provision of evidence of professional qualifications means to ensure the safe and proper practice of said professions. For non-regulated professions, recognition of qualifications is optional, i.e. not mandatory, for those who want to practise the profession in Germany. However, the recognition of professional qualifications may still be required for the residence procedure. Find out whether the profession you practise is regulated or not using the Anerkennungsfinder (auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de).

Benefit from (free) counselling!

What do I need the recognition of my foreign professional qualifications for?

Recognition can play a role with regard to your entry to Germany and your residence status, particularly if you come from a third country (outside the EU/EEA). If your professional qualifications have been fully recognized and you have already secured employment in Germany, you can use your skilled immigration visa to come to Germany without delay. If your qualifications have been partly recognized, you can come to Germany to take part in either a compensatory measure (for regulated professions) or an adaptation measure (for non-regulated professions).

However, you generally have more than one option when you come from a third country to take up work in Germany, for example a recognition partnership. More information on entering Germany is available at the Federal Government’s web portal Visum & Aufenthalt (auf www.make-it-in-germany.com) (“Make it in Germany") and at Einwanderung (auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de).

Please bear in mind that recognition is strictly mandatory if you want to practise a regulated profession (see question 1).

Get counselling now! Counselling opportunities that are free-of-charge can be found via the “ Beratungssuche (auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de)” tool.

Where can I find more information on the recognition of foreign qualifications?

The German government operates a multilingual information portal at www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de. This online portal provides skilled professionals from other countries and employers in Germany with the most relevant information about the recognition of foreign professional qualifications.

Where can I get more in-depth counselling?

It takes only a few clicks using the “ Beratungssuche (auf www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de)” tool on the Recognition Portal to find suitable counselling opportunities. The competent bodies and the hotline “Working and Living in Germany” at +49 30 1815 1111 also provide further assistance.

How much does it cost to get my professional qualifications recognized?

The recognition procedure can cost several hundred euros. Sometimes it costs less, sometimes more. Additional costs for translations, certifications, compensatory measures or adaptation measures are possible.

Can I get financial support?

Yes. There are a number of ways to get financial support for your recognition procedure, including through the job centres of the Federal Employment Agency or through a recognition grant. Make use of free counselling! What is important to know is that you have to apply for financial assistance before you start the recognition procedure.

How long does it take to get my qualifications recognized?

The recognition procedure usually takes no longer than three months once all relevant documents have been received, and up to four months for regulated professions. Employers can apply to use a fast-track procedure for skilled professionals from third countries under certain conditions.

Editorial deadline for this text: 01.11.2024

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