You have acquired your professional or vocational qualification abroad and wish to work in Germany in your chosen profession or occupation? You have the option of having your foreign qualification recognised. In some cases, this will be mandatory. The way in which the procedure works is described below.
During the recognition procedure, the competent body in Germany investigates whether your foreign professional or vocational qualification corresponds to the German reference occupation. This means that it will check whether there are any substantial differences. This process is referred to as an equivalence assessment. For this purpose, the competent body requires certificates and documents which provide information on aspects such as the contents and duration of your qualification. Any relevant professional or occupational experience is also important.