If you want to apply for recognition or a statement of comparability and are on a low income, you can receive financial assistance through the recognition grant. Under certain conditions financial support for training is also available.
Answers to the following questions are provided here:
The recognition grant and the funding of training costs are two independent instruments and must be applied for separately. You can find out more under the respective section on this page:
The recognition grant is a federal government funding instrument. It is aimed at employed people whose income falls below a certain level. Costs from €100 to a maximum of €600 can be reimbursed for the Recognition procedure or a statement of comparability. Costs of skills analyses can also be funded. The recognition grant is awarded by the Research Institute for Vocational education and training (f-bb). The funding is provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Those interested in recognition should apply for financial support before they apply for recognition. Costs cannot be covered retrospectively.
Interested parties can apply for the Recognition grant if they meet the following requirements:
Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (f-bb) gGmbH
Mühlenstr. 34
09111 Chemnitz
Telefon: 0371 / 43 31 12 - 22
E-Mail: anerkennungszuschuss@f-bb.de
The recognition grant can be applied for from authorities which provide advice on recognition. These include Chambers, federations, associations, migrant organisations, IQ counselling centres and competent authorities supporting the recognition procedure. They forward the application to the central funding authority—the Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (f-bb).
The following outcomes are possible:
Those in receipt of social benefits under Book II or III of the German Social Code can apply for the recognition grant. In this case Annex B must be completed in addition to the general form. It also applies to individuals registered as unemployed or seeking work who do not receive benefits or are in marginal employment.
Financial funding from the employment agency or the job centre takes precedence over the recognition grant. This means that if the recognition procedure is already being funded by the employment agency or the job centre, then funding is not normally possible through the recognition grant.
The recognition grant is awarded independently of the residence permit. However, applicants must have been resident in Germany for at least three months on a regular and not just on a temporary basis. The most appropriate form of evidence is the certificate of registration from the Residents’ Registration Office (Einwohnermelderamt). It is not possible to apply from abroad.
The recognition grant enables costs to be funded which are directly associated with the recognition procedure or the statement of comparability. This also applies to costs incurred on an ongoing procedure such as fees incurred for a follow-up application.
In principle, financial assistance is only available for costs arising after submission of the application Costs incurred before cannot be retrospectively funded. This means, the date the application was received must be before the date on the calculation of costs. Applying for the recognition grant before the start of a recognition procedure is therefore strongly recommended.
Following the funding confirmation, the application for recognition can be submitted to the competent authority, or a statement of comparability can be applied for from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
Generally speaking, fees and costs incurred in obtaining the authorisation to practise a profession or occupation (e.g. approbation) are not eligible for funding. This includes, for example, fees for issuing the approbation certificate, fees for the aptitude test and the knowledge test, and the costs of issuing a certificate of good conduct from the police.
Costs incurred for authorisation to use a professional title, such as engineer or architect, are only eligible for funding if they are incurred during the equivalence assessment. Costs incurred in the registration of the title of the professional title are not funded.
In principle, costs for the translation and certification of school-leaving certificates are not eligible for funding. Exception: If the competent authority specifically requests these documents in a procedure for professional recognition. When applying for payment, the applicant should use one copy of the letter from the competent authority to provide evidence of this.
Since February 2020, it has also been possible to fund the costs of job training schemes which lead to full Equivalence as part of Recognition. Substantial differences compared to the German professional or Vocational qualification which can be compensated for with the help of training, must have been established beforehand in the Recognition procedure. The job training scheme should have a certification under the Accreditation and Approval for Employment Promotion (AZAV) or a comparable external confirmation of quality assurance. The maximum funding amount is €3,000 per person.
The financial support for training is being initially trialled in selected occupations, professions and vocational areas. These include electronics technician, mechanic, mechatronics technician, information technology specialist, general nurses and similar occupations such as nursery school teacher, social education worker and social worker. Training costs funding is a separate pilot project which is independent of the recognition grant for funding the costs of procedures. The training funding flyer provides further information on the requirements for financial support with job training schemes.
Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (f-bb) gGmbH
Telephone: 0371 / 43 31 12 - 20
E-Mail: anerkennungszuschuss@f-bb.de
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