Foreign professional qualification as educator Recognition

Do you have a foreign professional qualification as an educator? In order to be able to work in the profession in Germany, you need the recognition of your professional qualification.

The profession of educator is regulated in Germany. This means that in order for you to be able to work in the profession without restrictions, you must prove a specific qualification.

For proof of a foreign qualification, you can apply for recognition of your professional qualification. You can also apply for the recognition procedure from abroad.

In the recognition procedure, the competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the professional qualification in the selected federal state. The procedure is called: equivalence determination.

You will receive a notification of the result of the equivalence determination. The notification states your professional qualifications. If you lack professional qualifications for recognition, the notification also mentions the main differences.

In addition to the equivalence of professional qualifications, you must meet other requirements for working as an educator. You often have to prove these requirements at a later date:

• Knowledge of German at the necessary level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
• Personal suitability
• Health suitability

The responsibility lies with the State Education Office for the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg and the city of Darmstadt.

The competent authority will tell you which documents you need to submit. Important documents are in general:

• Application form from the competent body
• Proof of identity (e.g. passport or identity card)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of your professional qualification (e.g. certificates, professional certificate)
• Proof of content and duration of your education (e.g. Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records)
• Proof of your professional experience as an educator (e.g. employment references)
• Information about an application for recognition that has already been submitted. Then indicate to which body you have submitted the application.
• Proof of the content and duration of your training (e.g. list of subjects and grades, study book, Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records)
• You come from a third country and do not yet live or work in the EU, EEA or Switzerland? Then you must prove that you want to work in the profession in the selected federal state (e.g. applications, entry visa for gainful employment, personal declaration).
• Maybe: Your birth certificate
• Perhaps: Proof of your general school leaving certificate
• Perhaps proof of your German language skills: Language certificate
• Perhaps: proof that you are allowed to work as an educator in your country of training.
• Perhaps: Proof of your personal suitability: Certificate of good conduct (e.g. extract from the criminal record, Certificate of Good Standing)
• Perhaps: proof of your medical fitness: medical certificate
   

Some documents must be handed in officially certified copies. The competent authority will inform you which documents you must submit as a simple copy, as a certified copy or in the original.

• You have a completed professional qualification as an educator from abroad.
• You want to work as an educator in your chosen federal state.

You may also need to meet the following requirements:

• You have German language skills at the necessary language level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The competent authority will inform you about the necessary language level.
• Health suitability: You are healthy.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable for working as an educator and have no criminal record.

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

You can submit the application with the documents to the competent authority or send it by post. Sometimes you can also send the application electronically. The competent authority will inform you.

The competent authority receives the application. It will confirm to you after one month at the latest that the application has been received. Once the competent body has received all the documents from you, it will process your application.

The competent authority then checks: Is your professional qualification equivalent to the professional qualification in your federal state? For comparison, for example, the content of the training and the duration of the training are important. The competent body shall also take into account your professional experience, other qualifications and qualifications.

To work as an educator, you must meet other requirements. These include, for example: Your personal suitability, your health suitability and your knowledge of German. The competent body often examines the other conditions after equivalence has been established. Sometimes the further prerequisites are only important at the time of hiring. You may need to submit additional documents for this. The competent authority will inform you.

If your qualification is equivalent and you meet all other requirements, you will receive state recognition. You may use the professional title of state-approved educator. Then you have the same professional rights as a person with the German professional qualification. Your professional qualification will be recognised.

Are there any significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? Then your professional qualification will not be recognised.

In most cases, you can then make a compensatory measure. This allows you to compensate for the essential differences.

There are several compensatory measures:

• Adaptation period: You work as an educator and do additional training at a technical school.
• Fitness test: The aptitude test examines only those areas in which significant differences have been identified. The aptitude test is a practical test. Perhaps written and oral work is also necessary.

Often you can choose between an adaptation period or an aptitude test.

If you successfully complete the compensatory measure, you will receive the recognition.

None.

Sometimes documents are still missing in the procedure. The competent authority will then inform you by when you must submit the documents.

The competent authority will inform you about the costs. The costs generally depend on the effort for processing.

In addition, additional costs may arise (e.g. for translations or certifications of your documents or compensatory measures). These costs vary from person to person.

Funding via the recognition grant may be possible.

Freedom to provide services

Would you like to offer services in Germany only occasionally and for a short time? Then you usually don't need recognition. You must meet these requirements:

• You must be established in another EU, EEA or Swiss country.
• You must provide proof of your professional qualifications.
• You must report or register your activity in writing to the competent authority.
• You may need to prove: At least one year of professional experience in the profession in the last 10 years.
   

Working as a pedagogical specialist

You may be able to work as a so-called pedagogical specialist without recognition as an educator. You can then work in a day-care centre, for example. The competent authority or your employer will inform you about this possibility.

The WELCOMECENTER Hessen is the central point of contact, service and advice for international workers, specialists and managers as well as companies, companies and administrations in Hesse with an interest in recruiting, employing and integrating international personnel. It answers questions about the start and living, learning and working in Hesse. Depending on your needs and conditions, it provides advice in person, via video, telephone and e-mail free of charge in German, English, Spanish and Kiswahili. It is a joint initiative of the Hessian Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration, the Chamber of Crafts Frankfurt-Rhine-Main as well as the Regional Directorate Hesse and the Employment Agency Frankfurt am Main of the Federal Employment Agency.