The Recognition Procedure
Since the Recognition Act came into force in 2012, any person with a foreign professional qualification has a legal right to a recognition procedure regarding his or her foreign qualifications. The procedure is open to everyone, regardless of citizenship or residency status - and is thus also open to asylum seekers and "tolerated" persons (refugees who are granted a suspension of deportation).
If you wish to apply for the recognition of your credentials from outside Germany, it is advisable to gather information on living and working in Germany before arrival, for example at www.make-it-in-germany.com or via the hotline "Living and Working in Germany" (+49 30 1815 1111). If you already know where in Germany you will live you can also directly contact a local IQ counselling office. Contact details can be found on our partner website www.recognition-in-germany.de
Procedure
A recognition procedure is possible for school, academic and vocational qualifications. The procedure starts with a formal request to examine the equivalence of a foreign professional qualification. The formal request submitted to the authority competent for the respective profession. Depending on the federal state and profession, different authorities are responsible for the equivalence examination. If the German reference profession is known, the competent authority can be identified through the recognition finder of the portal "Recognition in Germany". Personal support is available at the IQ counselling offices. The IQ counsellors provide information and offer step-by-step support during the recognition procedure.
The competent authority compares the foreign professional qualification with a German reference profession, for example in terms of the length of training. Several results are possible:
1. There are no major differences between the German and the foreign professional qualification, therefore the foreign qualification is "fully equivalent". Applicants receive a Certificate of Equivalence. Legally, their credentials are considered equal to those of people with a German professional qualification.
2. There is no equivalence between the foreign and the German qualification or the matter cannot be clarified. The application is rejected.
3. There are major differences between the foreign and German professional qualification. The competent authority then carries out an individual examination in order to analyze whether the differences can be compensated for by work experience or other trainig Certificates. If this is the case, a Certificate of Equivalence is issued. If work experience cannot compensate for the differences, but the foreign qualification and the German one are partially comparable, applicants in regulated professions are required to participate in a compensation measure. After completing the compensation measure, applicants will receive a Certificate of Equivalence . In non-regulated professions, applicants receive a notification of "partial equivalence". This can be used to apply directly for a job. Anyone who wants to, can complete a bridgetraining and then apply for full equivalence again. The Network IQ offers compensation measures, bridgetraining and other training schemes for many professions.
Regulated Professions
In regulated professions, the recognition of foreign professional credentials is required for practicing profession or for using a certain job title. A law or a legal or administrative regulation specifies which qualifications need to be proved. There are 81 professions that are regulated by federal law (Bundesrecht), for example, doctor, nurse and various skilled trades and master trades. There are also 18 professions regulated by state law (Landesrecht), such as teacher or educator. A list of all regulated professions can be found on the website "Recognition in Germany".
Non-Regulated Professions
"Non-regulated" means that access to and practice of the profession are not tied to certain legal requirements. The profession can therefore be practiced without government approval. At federal level this refers to around 330 dual training occupations in the federal dual system and around 180 further training qualifications under the Vocational Training Act and the Skilled Trades Code.
Professions Governed by Federal Law
In professions governed by federal law (Bundesrecht), federal laws or regulations govern professional training and further training. These can be specialist laws, such as the Federal Medical Code or, for example, further training ordinances for master trades. There are regulated and non-regulated professions that come under federal law.
Professions Governed by State Law
In professions governed by state law (Landesrecht), laws or regulations at the level of the federal states govern professional training and further training. There are regulated and non-regulated professions that come under state law.
Duration and Costs
Legally, the procedure must not take more than three months from submission of the complete documentation. Applicants must cover a processing fee. The amount of the fee depends on the fee regulations of the competent authorities and on the complexity of the individual case. Advance payment of the fee is usually required. Clients of employment agencies and job centres can get their fees and the cost of compensatory trainings covered under certain circumstances. This is an individual, case-by-case decision of the employment agency or job centre. The Network IQ offers bridgetraining schemes free of charge.
