Professional recognition

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German: Meisterin oder Meister
Also: Meisterqualifikation

Master craftsperson training is the name of German advanced vocational education and training.

Master craftspersons undertake advanced vocational training for specific tasks. They learn, for example, how to run a company. Master craftspersons exist in a range of different areas. For example:

• Trades and crafts sector
• Industry
• Agriculture

Advanced training as a master craftsperson exists in a range of occupations. In most cases individuals require completed vocational education and training.

This advanced vocational training also exists for individuals without vocational education and training, but with professional experience. This advanced vocational training also exists for individuals with a university degree. Participation in advanced vocational training of this type depends on the regulations of the respective profession.

In the crafts and trades which require a licence only one individual with a master craftspersons qualification is permitted to run a company and train trainees.

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German: Erwerbstätigkeit

Employment is work which is regulated by contract. Employed persons include:

• Employees
• Salaried employee
• Self-employed people
• Freelancers
• Persons in a mini job

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German: Profi-Filter

The Profi-Filter is a specific tool on the website of www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de. The Profi-Filter provides particular search functions for these individuals:  

• Experts
• Specialist advisers

This enables these individuals to search specifically for important information. For example:

• Competent authorities
• Professions subject to statutory regulation
• Professions subject to specific regulations
• Occupation groups (based on the standardized national classification of occupations 2010 (KLDB 2010) of the Federal Employment Agency and the Federal Statistical Office.

Many people want use the website to find out about recognition of their professional qualification. For these individuals, the Recognition Finder is better suited for this purpose.

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German: duale Berufsausbildung
Also: duales System

see vocational education and training
 

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German:  Ausbildungsberuf

An occupation for which training is provided via regulated vocational education and training. There are 2 types of training occupations

• dual training occupations
• school-based training occupations

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German: Fortbildungsabschluss

An advanced training qualification is a professional qualification. Individuals who have successfully completed advanced training receive the advanced training qualification.

Advanced training qualifications exist which are comparable in terms of level with higher education or university degrees. For example, to a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Advanced training includes:

• Master craftsperson
• Consultant
• Specialist
• Management specialist
• Business economist

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German: Berufsbezeichnung
Also: Berufsbezeichnung führen

The professional title is the name of a profession. Some professional title may only be used with state authorisation for use of the professional title. These professions include for example:

• Engineer
• Physiotherapist
• and other professions in the healthcare sector.

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German: Zeugnisbewertung

Auch: Statement of comparability

An statement of comparability for foreign higher education qualifications is a document from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). The document describes a higher-education qualification from abroad.

The recognition procedures are only for higher-education qualifications which lead to a regulated profession. For those higher-education qualifications which lead to a non-regulated profession there is the statement of comparability. An statement of comparability compares the foreign qualifications with the German qualification following a degree. The assessment of higher education certificates gives information about the vocational and academic opportunities provided by the qualification.

The statement of comparability is requested from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).

Further information on the statement of comparability

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German: Drittstaat

A description of a country which does not belong to one of the following:

• European Union (EU)
• European Economic Area (EEA)
• Switzerland

For entry to Germany, skilled workers from third countries need a visa.

Immigration

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German: Anerkennungsbescheid
Also: Gleichwertigkeitsbescheid, Bescheid über Gleichwertigkeit, Bescheid zur Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellung, Anerkennungsurkunde

A recognition notice is a document from the competent authority relating to an application for recognition. It contains the result of the recognition procedure. A recognition notice is legally binding.

In the case of full recognition, authorisation to practice a professional activity may be combined with the recognition notice, for example:

• Approbation (licence to practise medicine in Germany)
• Authorisation to practise a profession
• Authorisation to use the designation of occupation
• Certificate of state recognition

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German: nicht reglementierte Berufe

There are no state regulations in terms of authorisation to practice for non-regulated professions. This means that individuals are permitted to work in these professions without authorisation to practice. These professions include for example all professions in dual vocational education and training. People with a foreign professional qualification can work in non-regulated professions without recognition.

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German: EU-Berufsanerkennungsrichtlinie
Also: Berufsanerkennungsrichtlinie, Anerkennungsrichtlinie

The official name for the EU Recognition Directive is: Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications. The directive regulates the recognition of professional qualifications between countries of the European Union (EU) with respect to regulated professions.

The most important rules are:

• The foreign professional qualification must be equivalent to the German professional qualification.
• The competent authority must take into account professional experience in the recognition procedure.
• Professional experience may compensate for substantial differences between the foreign professional qualification and the German reference occupation.
• Individuals with insufficient professional experience are also able to compensate for substantial differences via compensation measures.

The directive entered into force on 15 October 2005 and was reformed by Directive 2013/55/EU.

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German: Dienstleistungsfreiheit

The freedom to provide services permits individuals who are independently providing services in a country of the European Union (EU) to also provide these in every other country of the EU. However, this only applies to independent activities. These are independent commercial, skilled craft or freelance activities which are offered to others. The freedom to provide services applies only to temporary and occasional activities. It is not a permanent option and does not apply to salaried employees. This is governed by the freedom of establishment.

The activity only needs to be reported beforehand in writing to the competent authority in Germany for regulated professions such as medical practitioner.

Those wishing to work independently in Germany must go through recognition of their professional qualification in Germany. This also applies to salaried individuals.
 

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German:  EU/EWR/Schweiz

EU/EEA/Switzerland is the abbreviation for: European Union/European Economic Area/Switzerland.

The member states of the European Union (EU) include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The European Economic Area (EEA) includes: All EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway.

Switzerland has entered into a treaty with the European Union. This states that Switzerland participates in the European system of professional recognition.

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German version: Fachkraft

The following persons are regarded as skilled workers under the Skilled Immigration Act:

• Persons with completed vocational education and training which is equivalent to at least a two-year vocational education and training course in Germany. Foreign vocational education and training over a short period can be equivalent to qualified vocational education and training in Germany if the training shows no substantial differences or if these can be compensated for.
• Persons with a higher education qualification which is comparable to a higher education qualification in Germany.

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German: Berufsqualifikationsfeststellungsgesetz (BQFG)

The Professional Qualifications Assessment Act is an important element of the Recognition Act. The Professional Qualifications Assessment Act exists in Germany at federal level and in the 16 federal states. It is always Article 1 of the Recognition Act for the Recognition of Professional qualifications. It regulates the recognition procedure.

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German: Anerkennung
Also: Anerkennung der Berufsqualifikation, Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellung, Gleichwertigkeit

In this case recognition means that a foreign professional qualification is legally equivalent to a German professional qualification. This means that the foreign professional qualification is recognised in Germany. The equivalence is valid for a specific German reference occupation.

There are different types of recognition:

Full recognition

A foreign professional qualification is legally equivalent to the German reference occupation.

Partial recognition

A foreign professional qualification is only partially equivalent to the German reference occupation. The reason for this is that there are substantial differences between the foreign professional qualification and the German professional qualification.

In this case, there are two options in order to still achieve full recognition:

• Successful participation in refresher training
• Successful participation in a compensation measure

No recognition

A foreign professional qualification is not equivalent to the German reference occupation. The reason for this is that the differences between the foreign professional qualification and the German reference occupation are too great.

Recognition must be requested by means of an application for recognition. This then begins the recognition procedure.
 

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German: Anerkennungsverfahren
Also: Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellungsverfahren, Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellung, Gleichwertigkeitsprüfung

The competent authority in Germany checks the professional qualification in the recognition procedure. The competent authority checks whether the foreign professional qualification is equivalent to the German reference occupation.

For the recognition procedure, the competent authority requires certificates and other documents relating to the content and duration of the professional qualification. Certificates and other documents relating to professional experience are also important.
 

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German: Berufszulassung

Authorisation to practice a profession is permission from one of the official competent authorities to work in a profession. Or authorisation from an official competent authority permitting use of a specific designation of occupation.

Authorisation to practice must be applied for from the competent authority. The individual is only permitted to work in the profession if they have been granted the authorisation to practice.

An authorisation to practice a profession includes for example:

• Approbation or authorisation to practice a profession. For example: Medical practitioner
• Use of a designation of occupation. For example: Registered general nurse
• Entry into the Register of Craftsmen

This applies to professions in the trades or crafts which require a license. Only then is the individual permitted to refer to themselves as a master craftsperson or to start to trade or establish a business themselves.

The competent authority provides information regarding professions within their area of jurisdiction involving authorisation to practice.

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German: reglementierte Berufe

There are statutory provisions relating to regulated professions. These professions include for example:

• Medical professions
• Teachers

Individuals in a regulated profession need recognition of their foreign professional qualification. They are then permitted to work in Germany in this profession. The Recognition Finder helps when searching for regulated professions.

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German:  Professional qualification

Professional qualifications are qualifications for which evidence of training is provided by means of evidence of formal qualifications or qualification certificates These lead to a clearly defined profession. Evidence of a professional qualification may also be provided by professional experience gained in Germany or abroad.

These are examples of professional qualifications:

• Vocational qualification
• Advanced vocational education and training
• Approbation or authorisation to practise a profession
• Authorisation to use the designation of occupation

The recognition procedure exists for professional qualifications from abroad. This checks the equivalence of the vocational qualification.
Recognition procedures for higher education qualifications exist only for higher education qualifications leading to a regulated profession. For example: Dentist
There is no recognition procedure for higher education qualifications which do not lead to a regulated profession. The statement of comparability exists for these higher education qualifications. This is the case, for example, for geologists.