How can my professional qualification be recognised?

Your professional qualifications determine whether you can work in Germany. Therefore, you must have them officially recognised for certain professions. Find out for which professions this is necessary and what you need to do.

Recognition of professional qualifications: What is this?

In Germany, there are certain regulations for professions. These regulate, for example, the tasks, responsibilities and expertise associated with certain professions.

In many cases, you will need to have this officially confirmed. This process is called "recognition".

For people who do not come from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, recognition is also required for a visa in many cases.

Recognition is not free of charge. The procedure itself and the preparation incur costs.

When a profession needs to be recognised

Recognition is mandatory for certain professions. You are not allowed to work in these professions without recognition. These are "regulated professions".

Regulated professions are for example:

  • Doctor
  • Nurse specialist
  • Educator
  • Architect
  • Teacher

For more information on whether your profession is regulated, search on the following website: Anerkennung in Deutschland: Do you need your profession to be recognised?

What applies to non-regulated professions

Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland who want to work in a non-regulated profession do not need to have their profession recognised.

If you come from a country outside the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you will need recognition for many professions in order to obtain a visa:

  1. If you are a skilled worker without a university degree, you need to have your profession recognised.
  2. If you are a university graduate, you generally need a statement of comparability for your foreign university degree. You can find more information in the Anabin database (only in German). For more information on what you need to do, refer to the following instructions: How to check whether a foreign university or a degree obtained in another country is recognised in Germany

It is also possible to obtain a visa based on your work experience. For more information and the exact requirements, visit the website Make it in Germany: Visa for professionally experienced workers.

We support you

The Federal Employment Agency will help you with the recognition process. As an official agency, we offer you help – comprehensively and free of charge.

Contact us if you would like to know …

  • whether you need to have your profession recognised to work in Germany,
  • which office is responsible for recognising your professional qualifications,
  • how to find a job in Germany.

For this purpose, prepare the following documents:

  • positiv:Current curriculum vitae
  • positiv:Documents proving your professional expertise (e.g. certificates, certifications)
  • positiv:Proof of your German language skills
  • positiv:If you studied at a university: Your graduation certificate

Contact

Recognition: Key steps

Check whether you need to have your profession recognised

In many cases, skilled workers from countries outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland require recognition of a foreign professional qualification in both regulated and non-regulated professions.

Citizens from the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland only require recognition if they want to work in a regulated profession.

You can find out whether your profession is regulated on the following website:

Search of Anerkennung in Deutschland

Find the office responsible for the recognition of your profession

Which office is responsible for recognising your profession also depends on where you want to work in Germany.

To find out which office is responsible, visit the website Search of Anerkennung in Deutschland.

Compile your documents

Each profession requires different documents. The Federal Employment Agency will help you with this.

Wichtig:Important: Certain documents must be translated and officially authenticated. This may incur costs.

Submit your documents and wait for the decision

Submit all required documents and evidence to the responsible office. This office will check all your documents. You will receive a letter with the result.

The result can be one of the following:

  • Your professional qualification is recognised.
  • Your professional qualification is not recognised.
  • Only part of your professional qualification is recognised.

Answers to frequently asked questions

If your professional qualification is not recognised, there may be other options.

The Federal Employment Agency can help you with this. Contact us if you are looking for a route to Germany that matches your professional qualifications. More information: Advice and support

You might also consider undergoing a vocational training programme in Germany. With such a programme, you learn a specific profession. The advantage: A vocational training programme completed in Germany is recognised throughout Germany. For more information, visit the website Undergoing a vocational training programme in Germany.

The letter with your results will indicate which expertise and skills you are still lacking. In most cases, you can compensate for these in Germany.

You can take special tests or practical measures. These often incur costs.

Once you have submitted all the necessary documents, a decision should usually be made within 3 months. In difficult cases, this period can be extended once.

Wichtig:Important: The Federal Employment Agency can help you with the recognition process, for example when it comes to preparing the documents. However, it has no influence on how long the procedure takes. Nor can it speed it up.

For the recognition process, you must have certain documents translated or officially authenticated. The recognition process itself is also subject to a fee. You usually have to pay for this yourself.

As an EU citizen, you may receive financial assistance under certain conditions. For more information, visit the website EURES: Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS).

If you want to undergo vocational training, you must have your school-leaving certificate recognised by the school. In this case, the federal state in which you undergo vocational training is responsible.

For more information on what you need to do: Instructions for finding the institution responsible for recognising school certificates in Germany

More information: Anerkennung in Deutschland: School-leaving certificates

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