Your recognition procedure as Agent in marketing communication (m/f)
in Berlin

This procedure is called: Equivalence assessment (in German: Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellung (BQFG)).

• Equivalence of your professional qualification
  

You are not required to provide evidence of knowledge of German. However, knowledge of German is important for your job applications and your work.

• One month at the latest following receipt of your application by the competent authority: The competent authority will notify you of receipt of the documents. They will inform you if documents are missing. The procedure begins when the documents are complete.
• After 3 months at the latest you will receive notice containing the result. In specific cases the competent authority may extend the procedure.

• Recognition procedure: approx €100 to €600. The competent authority will inform you of the exact costs.
• There may be additional costs, e.g. for translations, certifications or refresher trainings.

It may be possible for costs to be paid via financial support. You can apply for financial support if you live in Germany and before you submit your application.

For the online application, you need the documents as PDF files. You can scan or photograph your documents for this purpose.

• Proof of identity (e.g. passport or personal identification). The following information must be in Latin characters: Last name, first name, place of birth, date of birth.

• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed through marriage)

• Curriculum vitae in German

• Evidence of your professional qualification (e.g. certificates, certificate of entitlement)

• Evidence of the content and duration of your training (e.g. diploma supplement, transcript of records)

• Evidence of your professional experience in this profession (e.g. employment references)

• Evidence of your other qualifications (e.g. continuing vocational training, seminars)

• Intention to start work

  ×

  German: Absicht der Arbeitsaufnahme
  Also: Erwerbstätigkeitsabsicht, Arbeitsabsicht; Nachweis, Darlegung, Glaubhaftmachung der Arbeitsabsicht

  Persons seeking to work in Germany can apply for recognition of their professional qualification from abroad. Persons from third countries must provide proof of their intention to seek work in Germany.

  The competent authority may demand proof of the intention to work. A competent authority will then also know the location or federal state in which the person is seeking to work.

  The proof of the intention to work includes, for example,: 

  • The location note of the Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA)
  • Contact with an employer in Germany: e.g. contract of employment, confirmation of employment, applications, invitations to interviews
  • Business idea for self-employed work
  • Application for entry visa to work in Germany

  Exceptions: Persons from the EU/EEA/Switzerland do not need to provide proof. They simply need to declare the location in which they are seeking to work in Germany. Persons coming from a third country and who already live in the EU/EEA/Switzerland are also not required to provide proof. However, the location note can be helpful. It confirms to the competent authority that the person wants to work in the named federal state. E.g. if the person has still not found an employer in Germany.

  Documents for the application

  Service Center for Professional Recognition

  Intention to start work in German: You may have to prove that you want to work in Germany.

• Application for recognition

  ×

  German: Anerkennungsantrag
  Also: Antrag auf Anerkennung

  The application for recognition is generally made via an application form. This allows individuals to apply for recognition of their foreign professional qualification.

  The application for recognition is sent to the competent authority together with the necessary documents. Or it can be submitted in person. The application for recognition can be downloaded from the website of the competent authority.

  Occasionally, an application for recognition is not available for download. If so, the person must apply without an application form. In this case the person must write a letter to the competent authority. The person must apply for the recognition procedure in the letter. The competent authority will provide information on how this is done.
   

  Information about an application for recognition already submitted. In this case, state to which authority you applied. If you already have a notice: Upload the notice in the online application.

• Curriculum: If your curriculum is too extensive, you do not need to upload the document here
• Evidence of your practical training
  

Do you no longer have all of the necessary documents for the application? If so, you can provide evidence of your professional qualification for example by means of an oral examination or a work sample. This procedure is called skills analysis.

If a certificate is not in German or English, you need a German translation. Sworn or authorised translators must prepare the translations.

Personally created documents do not have to be translated by sworn or authorised translators. In this case, a simple translation is enough. A personally created document is e.g. your curriculum vitae.

You may also apply if you are not yet living in Germany.

• You can submit your application online. You will then leave our information page. For your application, you need to upload your documents. A tip: Collect your documents first. Then start the application.
• You can also hand in the application with the documents to the competent authority. You can also send the application to the competent authority by post. Do not send originals! In this case,use the application form. You can find the application form here.
  

Tip: Your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) will advise you before making the application. The advice is important for the procedure to be successful. Please make use of this offer! Further information can be found below at "Info and links".

The competent authority receives the application. After one month at the latest, it will confirm that the application has arrived. Once the competent authority has received all the documents from you, it processes your application.

The competent authority carries out an equivalence assessment: It compares your professional qualification with the German professional qualification. As part of this, the competent authority takes into account your professional experience, other certificates and other qualifications.

The equivalence assesment takes a maximum of 3 months. In specific cases the competent authority may extend the procedure. At the end, the competent authority sends you a notice containing the result.

Outcome: Recognition

Your professional qualification and the German professional qualification are equivalent. Your professional qualification is recognised. Professionally you have the same rights as a person with the German professional qualification.

Outcome: Partial recognition

Part of your professional qualification is equivalent. There are substantial differences in another part. You are not able to compensate for these differences with your professional experience and other knowledge of the profession. You receive a notice which describes your professional qualification and the substantial differences in detail. In most cases you are able to complete refresher training and then submit a follow-up application.

Outcome: No recognition

Your professional qualification and the German professional qualification are not equivalent in any area. The differences are too large. You do not receive recognition.

You are able to take legal action against the decision of the competent authority. Details on this procedure can be found in the legal redress advice (German: Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung) at the end of your notice. We recommend that you speak to a counselling centre first before challenging the decision or taking legal action.

Working without recognition or with partial recognition

Do you already live in Germany and are you permitted to work in Germany? If so, you are able to work in the profession even without recognition.

You are not yet living in Germany? There are opportunitites for you to work in Germany without recognition. You can find more information about this under „My other options“.

With partial recognition you are also able to complete refresher training. You are given a certificate as evidence of successful participation. You are then able to submit a follow-up application for recognition. You submit this with the certificate and your other documents to the competent authority. If the professional qualification is then equivalent, you receive recognition.

You are permitted to enter Germany for a refresher training. Please seek advice if you have questions, or find out more about entry e.g. via the hotline Working and Living in Germany

Partial recognition also has benefits: The explanatory comments in your notice enable employers to better understand your professional qualification. Partial recognition also helps you if, for example, you wish to complete further training.

Do you need recognition in order to work in Germany? You can also apply for recognition after entering the country. For this you need a recognition partnership with your future employer in Germany.

The following requirements apply to a recognition partnership: 

• You have completed training of at least two years or a degree. 
• Your qualification is recognised by the state in the country of training. The Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) will confirm this for you.
• You need German language skills at least at level A2 of the Common European Reference Framework for languages.
• You have found an employer.
  

You may also be able to work in a non-regulated profession in Germany without recognition: 

• This is possible, for example, with completed training and professional experience. What's also important is how much you earn, whether you have a contract of employment, whether you speak German and how old you are. We recommend that you complete the Quick-Check here, this will provide all the information: Make-it-in-Germany.com.
• This is possible, for example, with a higher education qualification: Find out whether it is comparable to a German higher education qualification. There are two ways of checking this. 
• anabin database: You will find universities in the database. Your university must be recognised in the database (H+). AND your higher education qualification must be assessed as equivalent. This then means that your qualification is equivalent to a German higher education qualification. Save as a PDF. This is evidence. Further information and a guide is available at Make-it-in-Germany.com.
• Statement of Comparability: What if your university or qualification are not in anabin? In this case you can apply to the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) for an individual statement of comparability. The statement of comparability is a document that confirms the equivalence of your higher education qualification with a German higher education qualification.
  

As an Ethnic German Resettler, you can select between two procedures for vocational recognition:

• You apply for the procedure described here.
• You apply for the procedure under Section 10 of the Federal Expellees Act (German: “§10 Bundesvertriebenengesetz, BVFG”).

You can decide this. Your competent authority will advise you.

• Do you have any questions? Do you need help with the application? Seek advice! You will find your councelling centre one step back under Counselling offers.
• Do you have questions regarding entry or residence? For more information see Make-it-in-Germany.com.
  

• Find your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Your local IHK helps you with your application!
  

In German:

• Berufsqualifikationsfeststellungsgesetz (BQFG)
  
• Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG)
• Verordnung über die Berufsausbildung zum Kaufmann für Marketingkommunikation/zur Kauffrau für Marketingkommunikation