Service Finder

back

Recognizing foreign professional qualifications

Service Description

Have you acquired your professional qualification abroad and want to work in Germany in the profession you have learned? Depending on your profession, you can or must have your foreign qualification recognized.

Process flow

For recognition, the competent body will check on the basis of your certificates whether and to what extent your foreign qualification corresponds to a German qualification for the profession you intend to pursue. This review is based on defined formal criteria, such as the content and duration of the training. Your relevant professional experience is also taken into account, as are other relevant qualifications. For academic qualifications, you can apply for an assessment by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) at the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs.
Further information on German professions, recognition procedures and the relevant authorities can also be found on the "Recognition in Germany" portal. This internet portal provides quick and easy answers to questions about recognition, for example

  • Do I have to have my professional qualification recognized?
  • Is recognition worthwhile for me?
  • Can I submit the application? Do I have a formal right to it?
  • Which authority do I need to contact?
  • What does the procedure look like?
  • What documents are required? What form must the documents take?
  • How long does the procedure take?
  • What does the procedure cost?
  • Which laws are relevant to my case?

In professions that require a state permit, the recognition procedure can also be carried out via the technical systems of the Point of Single Contact from January 18, 2016.

Who should I contact?

Please contact the office responsible for the respective profession.

Which documents are required?

As a rule, you will need the following documents

  • a table listing the training courses you have completed and the jobs you have held
  • Details of your current place of residence
  • Proof of identity
  • Proof of training acquired abroad
  • Proof of relevant professional experience or other certificates of qualification, if these are required to determine equivalence
  • Declaration as to whether and to which body you have already submitted an application for determination of equivalence
  • If applicable, notification of the determination of equivalence

Depending on the respective profession, further documents may be required. Please contact the responsible office. As a rule, you must submit all documents in the original or as a certified copy. As a rule, all documents must be submitted in German. If the documents are written in another language, you may also need a translation by a publicly appointed translator. Please contact the relevant office.

What are the fees?

At least EUR 75.00 up to a maximum of EUR 600.00.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

none

Processing duration

You will be notified of a decision on the determination of the equivalence of your training certificate within three months of submitting the complete documents. The deadline may be extended once if this is justified due to the particularities of the matter. The deadline will be extended by a maximum of one month if you have obtained your training certificate in an EU member state or a signatory state to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or in a country treated as such by agreement.

Legal basis

Applications / forms

You have the right to appeal against the decision of the competent authority on your application or against a decision that was not made on time in accordance with the Administrative Court Code (objection procedure, if necessary legal action).

Appeal

The Thuringian application system for administrative services (ThAVEL) provides you with the necessary application document on a virtual desk. You can also submit your application in writing to the competent authority.

What else should I know?

The recognition and qualification advice centers of the "Integration through Qualification" network (IQ network) will be happy to advise and support you before, during and after the recognition procedure.

Supporting institutions

Telephone advice on recognition in German and English can be found on the "Working and living in Germany" hotline
Phone: +49 30 1815-1111
Availability: Monday to Friday from 09:00 - 15:00

Author

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Technically approved by

Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society

Professionally released on

07.07.2016

Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6Plus)

No competent authority found