Applying for recognition of vocational and technical school qualifications with a foreign professional qualification

You submit an application for recognition to the competent authority. You can send the application by post, send it electronically or submit it in person. You can also submit the application from abroad.

The competent body receives the application. After a maximum of one month, it will confirm that the application has been received. Once the competent office has received all the documents from you, it will process your application. The competent authority will then check: Is your professional qualification equivalent to a specific professional qualification in the selected federal state? The competent body will compare the qualifications using certain criteria. Important criteria are the content and duration of the training. The competent body will also take your professional experience, your other certificates of competence and qualifications into account when assessing equivalence.

You will receive a notification with the result of the procedure. You will receive recognition if your professional qualification and the German professional qualification are equivalent.

Sometimes there are significant differences between the professional qualifications. The differences are listed in your notification. You can use this decision to gain further qualifications and later submit a new application for equivalence assessment.

If your professional qualification is not equivalent at all, you will not receive recognition.

• There are many advisory services. You can find these on the Recognition in Germany portal.
• Seek personal advice on this procedure and your qualifications. The advisors will also help you with your documents before you submit your application. The advice is free of charge.
• You can also call the hotline of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The hotline will answer your questions on the subject of "Working and living in Germany". Telephone number: +49 30 1815-1111; Office hours: Monday to Friday 08:00 - 18:00 (CET)
• If you are abroad: You can also contact the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) via the hotline. This offers you in-depth advice and support in the recognition procedure and provides location advice.

• You have a state-recognized professional qualification from abroad.
• Your professional qualification must match a vocational school qualification or technical college qualification in your federal state.

• Application form from the competent authority
• If there is no application form: an informal and signed application
• Proof of identity (passport or identity card)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae with details of school and occupation
• Proof of your professional qualifications (e.g. certificates, diplomas, professional certificate)
• Proof of the content and duration of your education, e.g. list of subjects and grades
• Proof of your professional experience
• Information about an application for recognition that you may have already submitted. Then state the body to which you have submitted the application.
• Are you from a third country and do not yet live or work in the EU, EEA or Switzerland? Then you must provide proof: You want to work in the selected federal state (e.g. applications, entry visa for gainful employment, personal declaration).

The responsible office will tell you which documents you must present in the original or submit as a copy. Some copies must be officially certified. We recommend that you do not send originals by post.

You must submit your documents in German. The translations must be done by publicly appointed or authorized translators.

The competent authority may request additional documents during the recognition procedure if necessary. These include, for example, documents relating to the content and duration of your training (e.g. framework curriculum) or documents relating to other professional qualifications.

You may have to pay money for the procedure. The responsible office will inform you of the exact costs.

Additional costs may also be incurred, e.g. for translations or notarizations. These costs vary from person to person.

None.

Sometimes documents are still missing from the procedure. The responsible office will then inform you by when you must submit the documents.

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (e.g. lodge an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first speak to the responsible office before taking legal action against the decision.

• Recognition finder

11.02.2022