Anerkennung für berufsfachschulische und fachschulische Abschlüsse mit einer ausländischen Berufsqualifikation beantragen

Do you have a professional qualification from abroad and would like to work in Germany? You can apply to the competent authority for recognition of your professional qualification.

You apply for recognition at the competent authority in the federal state in which you wish to work. The procedure for recognition is called: Equivalency assessment (BQFG Land). Please note: Your qualification must be state-recognized in the state in which you trained. Informal or non-formal qualifications cannot be officially recognized in Germany.

There are around 200 vocational and technical school qualifications in Germany. To apply for an equivalence assessment, you must identify a German training qualification or further education qualification. This German qualification must match your professional qualification. We therefore recommend that you do this: Seek advice before submitting your application!

During the equivalence assessment, the competent authority will compare your professional qualification with a specific German professional qualification in the federal state in which you wish to work. Important criteria for the comparison are the content and duration of the training.

You will receive a decision on the outcome of the procedure. The decision will state your existing professional qualifications and any missing professional qualifications. The decision enables employers to better assess your professional qualifications. This can make it easier for you to find a job. For skilled workers abroad outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, a recognition procedure is usually a prerequisite for obtaining a visa.

You can obtain initial advice on the application, procedure, costs, duration and possibilities for financial support, for example, from the advice centers of the IQ network ("Integration through Qualification").

You can also apply for equivalence assessment from abroad.

• Application form from the competent authority
• If there is no application form: an informal and signed application
• Proof of identity (passport or identity card)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae with details of school and occupation
• Proof of your professional qualifications (e.g. certificates, diplomas, professional certificate)
• Proof of the content and duration of your education, e.g. list of subjects and grades
• Proof of your professional experience
• Information about an application for recognition that you may have already submitted. Then state the body to which you have submitted the application.
• Are you from a third country and do not yet live or work in the EU, EEA or Switzerland? Then you must provide proof: You want to work in the selected federal state (e.g. applications, entry visa for gainful employment, personal declaration).

The responsible office will tell you which documents you must present in the original or submit as a copy. Some copies must be officially certified. We recommend that you do not send originals by post.

You must submit your documents in German. The translations must be done by publicly appointed or authorized translators.

The competent authority may request additional documents during the recognition procedure if necessary. These include, for example, documents relating to the content and duration of your training (e.g. framework curriculum) or documents relating to other professional qualifications.

• You have a state-recognized professional qualification from abroad.
• Your professional qualification must match a vocational school qualification or technical college qualification in your federal state.

You may have to pay money for the procedure. The responsible office will inform you of the exact costs.

Additional costs may also be incurred, e.g. for translations or notarizations. These costs vary from person to person.

You submit an application for recognition to the competent authority. You can send the application by post, send it electronically or submit it in person. You can also submit the application from abroad.

The competent body receives the application. After a maximum of one month, it will confirm that the application has been received. Once the competent office has received all the documents from you, it will process your application. The competent authority will then check: Is your professional qualification equivalent to a specific professional qualification in the selected federal state? The competent body will compare the qualifications using certain criteria. Important criteria are the content and duration of the training. The competent body will also take your professional experience, your other certificates of competence and qualifications into account when assessing equivalence.

You will receive a notification with the result of the procedure. You will receive recognition if your professional qualification and the German professional qualification are equivalent.

Sometimes there are significant differences between the professional qualifications. The differences are listed in your notification. You can use this decision to gain further qualifications and later submit a new application for equivalence assessment.

If your professional qualification is not equivalent at all, you will not receive recognition.

None.

Sometimes documents are still missing from the procedure. The responsible office will then inform you by when you must submit the documents.

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (e.g. lodge an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first speak to the responsible office before taking legal action against the decision.

• Applying for recognition of vocational and technical school qualifications with a foreign professional qualification
• Foreign professional qualifications can be officially recognized via the equivalence assessment according to the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG) of the chosen federal state.
• An application is not dependent on nationality, place of residence or residence status. The application can also be submitted from abroad.