Legal foundations

Professional recognition in Germany has various legal foundations. We introduce the most important ones here.

Federal Recognition Act

The Recognition Act regulates the procedure for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. It applies to professions regulated by federal law.

Federal states recognition acts

The federal states regulate the recognition of foreign professional qualifications for professions which are the responsibility of the federal states and not the federal government.

EU Recognition Directive

The EU Recognition Directive regulates the recognition of professional qualifications in the EU and enables free access to the labour market.

Bilateral agreements on recognition

Germany has entered into bilateral agreements with Switzerland, Austria and France for the mutual recognition of vocational qualifications.

Immigration of skilled workers

This section explains how immigration of skilled workers from third countries is regulated and looks at the role of recognition.

Recognition after Brexit

What Brexit means for the recognition of British professional qualifications in Germany.