Recognizing foreign professional qualifications

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

Please contact the office responsible for the respective profession. You can also use the "Recognition Finder" to find the office responsible for recognizing your qualification with just a few clicks.

Applications and forms can be found on the website of the responsible office.

The federal or state law governing the practice of the respective profession applies. You can also find information on this in the "Recognition in Germany" portal.

Depending on the profession, other laws may also apply. Please contact the competent authority.

For recognition purposes, the competent body will use your certificates to check whether and to what extent your foreign qualification corresponds to a German qualification for your chosen profession. This check 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).

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 for which a permit is required, the recognition procedure can also be carried out via the single point of contact (currently within the scope of the EU Services Directive, from 18.01.2016 also within the full scope of the EU Professional Qualifications Directive). NOTE: The deadline for submitting the application begins when the competent authority confirms that the required documents are complete.

No deadlines need to be observed. The deadline for submitting the application begins when the responsible office confirms that the required documents are complete.

The Hessian state network "Integration through Qualification" (IQ) advises and qualifies people who have acquired a vocational or higher education qualification abroad and who would like to work in their learned profession in Germany and have their qualification recognized. IQ offers free recognition and qualification advice throughout Hesse at the offices of the employment agencies.

Further information, contact details and an online appointment request for all locations in Hesse can be found under the links below.

Telephone advice on recognition in German and English is available from the "Working and living in Germany" hotline.