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An offer from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training
Logo: Anerkennung in Deutschland

Information portal of the German government
for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications

Logo: Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend
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© Rostislav Sedlacek / Adobe Stock; Anerkennung in Deutschland

How do I get recognition?

If you want to have your professional qualification recognised, you must apply. For this you need to know the German reference occupation. And you need to know where you want to work in Germany.

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Anerkennung in Deutschland, 2023

Recognition of foreign professional or vocational qualifications in Germany

The current flyer describes important stages on the way to recognition and lists free sources of information and advice. Now available in 12 languages for viewing and ordering.

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Recognition, step by step

Find out the reference occupation

Recognition can only be granted for a German profession, known as the reference occupation. The Recognition Finder provides information on German professions. You can use the tool to search for and select your reference occupation. It also tells you whether the profession is regulated and whether you need recognition

In the Recognition Finder you will receive detailed information about your recognition procedure as well as the contact details of an counselling center and the competent authority.

1

Seek advice

Please seek advice before you apply for recognition.

The counselling centre provides you with all the information you need about the recognition procedure. You should also address questions related to financial support in a consultation before making the application.

The addresses and contact details of a counselling centre near you can be found via the counselling search or in the Recognition Finder.

2

Applying

You must submit your application for recognition to the competent authority. Certain documents are required for the application, e.g. evidence of your professional qualification. You can find out which documents you need to submit in the Recognition Finder.

You no longer have all the documents? In many professions, you may be able to prove your knowledge in practice with a skills analysis. In regulated professions, you may be able to take an adaptation period or a test.

Do you come from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or from Switzerland? If so, then you can apply for the European Professional Card (EPC) for certain professions on the EU website "Your Europe". You then do not need to make any other application.

3

Application being processed

The competent authority processes your application for recognition. You will be informed as to whether your documents have arrived after one month at the latest. This message will also state whether you need to submit further documents.

If the documents are complete, the competent authority will check whether your qualification is equivalent to the reference occupation. Your professional experience will also be taken into account.

You will receive a notice with the result within 3 to 4 months at the latest. If the competent authority suggests a skills analysis, it may take longer.

4

Receiving notice

The competent authority will inform you of the result of the recognition procedure in a notice. If the result is "no" or "partial" recognition, substantial differences have been identified between your qualification and the reference occupation. In most cases, you can compensate for these differences with a training measure. You can find out more about this here: What happens after the notice?

5

Apply for recognition online

For certain professions, you can apply for recognition online. This also depends on where you want to work in Germany. You can access the online application via the Recognition Finder: In the last step, ‘Your procedure’, you will find the button ‘Online application’. The following videos show you how to start and complete the online application.

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Yes, for many occupations and in many regions, you can apply online for recognition of your professional qualification. This is possible in many federal states, e.g. for the professions of doctor of medicine, teacher and nursery school teacher. Submitting applications online is also possible for 250 professions in trade and industry, such as cook and office manager. Additional professions and regions will follow.

Where can I apply online for recognition?
You can access the online application via the Recognition Finder. State your profession and your place of work here. In the final step, “Your procedure in detail”, the red online application button appears under the competent authority if an “online application” is available for this profession. 

Our tip: Three videos will show you how to start and complete the online application: 
Apply for recognition online


How can I apply online?

  1. State your reference occupation, place of work, country of training and further details in the Recognition Finder. 
  2. This information is important for determining the correct procedure for you. 
  3. In the “Your procedure in detail” summary, you will find the competent authority to which you send the application. If an online application is possible for the profession and place of work, then a red “Online application” button will appear. 
  4. On the next page you select when and how to authenticate yourself. 
    Tip: We recommend creating a BundID-account right at the start. This allows you to verify your identity online with public authorities in Germany.  All you need is a valid email address to register for this. This allows you to take a break from your application as your data is stored for 24 hours.
  5. You will then be redirected to the application service. Information is provided to help you complete the application form correctly and upload the necessary documents.
  6. Once all of the information is complete, click the “Submit” button. You now have to login using your user account if you have not already done so. 

The competent authority will inform you of the result within 3 to 4 months in the form of a notice.
How do I obtain recognition?
What happens after the notice?
What is BundID?

How does the recognition procedure work?

In most cases, the recognition procedure is as follows. The competent body uses the documents which have been submitted to compare your training with the relevant German training. This enables it to check whether your professional qualification is equivalent to what is known as the German reference occupation The competent body will also take your occupational experience and any other qualifications into account. When carrying out the equivalence assessment, the competent body may identify substantial differences. These can usually be offset by means of training or a test.

Direct knowledge test

A further route to recognition exists in the form of the direct knowledge test. In such a case, the ​​​​​competent body will not check your documents for equivalence with the German training. You will instead take a test to demonstrate the necessary professional knowledge and skills.

Who is able to take a direct knowledge test?

A direct knowledge test is a possible route for you if the following conditions are met.

  • You have completed your training in a third country.
  • In Germany, you wish to work in one of the following professions: doctor, dentist, pharmacist, midwife, general nurse, geriatric nurse, children’s nurse
  • Your training corresponds to the occupational profile and is state-recognised in the country of training.
  • You hold a certificate which proves the qualification you have achieved upon completion of training.

If you are applying for recognition in the profession of doctor, dentist or pharmacist, you will normally be required to take a direct knowledge test. You may, however, opt out of this route if you wish. If you do so, the competent body will use your documents to assess the equivalence of your training.

A choice is available to you if you are seeking recognition as a midwife or in a nursing profession. You can decide against an equivalence assessment of your documents. Two options are then open to you. You can either take a knowledge test or else complete an adaptation period which will conclude with an oral examination.

What do I need to think about?

If you decide against an equivalence assessment of your documents, you will need to make an active choice and opt for a different procedure. For this reason, you should consider the following points before arriving at a decision:

  • A direct knowledge test requires fewer documents to be submitted. You will have to provide a final certificate, but other evidence such as curricula or employment references is not necessary. This means that you will avoid having to pay for translations and will also save time.
  • The duration of the recognition procedure may be shortened if you take a direct knowledge test. The competent body will not use documents as a basis for assessing equivalence. You can attend courses to prepare for the knowledge test.
  • Because the competent body is not using documents to assess equivalence, it will not be able to take your occupational experience and any other qualifications into account.
  • You cannot reverse your decision once you have definitely opted for a knowledge test. For this reason, please note the decision deadline and make sure that you obtain guidance beforehand! The competent body can also advise you as to which procedure is better in your case.

Specific information on the procedures which apply in your profession or occupation is available in the Recognition Finder. The Counselling Search function on the website will help you to find out where you can seek advice.

What are the possible results of the recognition procedure?

The recognition procedure can produce the following results:

These are the outcomes for regulated professions:

  • Recognition: Your professional qualification is equivalent to the German reference occupation. And you meet the other requirements for authorisation to practise, e.g. in terms of your personal aptitude or your language skills.
  • No recognition: Your professional qualification is not equivalent. Substantial differences exist between your professional qualification and the German reference occupation. In many cases you might still be able to receive recognition, for example with a so-called compensation measure.
  • No recognition: Your professional qualification is equivalent. However you do not meet the other requirements for authorisation to practise.

There are the following outcomes for non-regulated professions:

  • Recognition: Your professional qualification is equivalent to the German reference occupation.
  • Partial recognition: Part of your professional qualification is equivalent. There are substantial differences in another part. If you complete so-called refresher training, you are able to receive full recognition if you participate successfully.
  • No recognition: The differences of your professional qualification compared to the German reference occupation are too large.

What happens after the notice?