Recognition of your qualification
Regulated professions and Non-regulated professions
If you have professional qualification such as degree or vocational training and you wish to work in Germany, recognition of your qualification is one of the important steps for your future career.
Who needs recognition?
There are regulated professions and non-regulated professions.
Regulated professions - healthcare, legal advice, teaching in state schools, engineering and certain master craft workers. Regulated professions always need the certificate of official recognition regardless of your country of origin.
Non regulated professions - professions not included in regulated professions. Citizens of third countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland always need the recognition of qualification.
Please kindly check here whether your profession needs recognition.
Initial advice can be obtained by calling the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees – BAMF. The hotline number is +49 30-1815-1111 and the service is available from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.
You can also contact Service Center for Professional Recognition - ZSBA directly by sending an e-mail to the following address: recognition@arbeitsagentur.de. The consultation is free of charge and non-binding.
How does the recognition procedure work?
Once your documents have been fully submitted, the competent German authority will examine them and it can take three to four months.
The recognition procedure can cost up to €600.00, or more, depending on the specific case.
If your professional qualification is recognized, the certificate will be sent to you.
In case your documents is not in acceptable situation according to German standard:
Non- regulated professions - An assessment notice will be issued and you can gain the necessary qualification through training courses. Then, you can submit a follow-up application to obtain full recognition.
Regulated professions - The authority in charge will decide what adaptation programme you will need to follow. Successful completion of the adaptation programme will lead to full recognition.
You can apply for visa for the recognition of professional qualification in order to join adaptation programme or taking a refresher training course in Germany. Further information can be found in our “Visa for the recognition of professional qualifications” section.
Tips
The Pro-Recognition project has set up free and non-binding contact and advice centers at ten Chambers of Commerce abroad (in Egypt, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, India, Iran, Italy, Colombia, Poland, and Vietnam) to provide in-depth advice on site. The counselors will answer questions about the recognition procedure or questions about language requirements, visas and job searches. In addition to German and English, the respective national language is spoken fluently at Pro-Recognition.
Please always have a look at Quick-Check, to know your status regarding living and working in Germany.
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Next week, I will come back with new law for immigration.
Happy Saturday!