Entry in the register of craftsmen with foreign professional qualifications on the basis of an equivalence assessment

If you would like to practice a craft requiring a license on your own, you can determine the equivalence of your professional qualification acquired abroad with a domestic master craftsman qualification and then have yourself entered in the register of craftsmen.

You must be registered in the Register of Craftsmen if you wish to operate a craft requiring a license in Germany.
This also applies if

• you wish to carry out a significant part of a craft requiring a license on a self-employed basis.
• you want to carry out several trades requiring a license on a self-employed basis. In this case, you need to be entered in the register of craftsmen for each craft requiring a license.

Registration in the Register of Craftsmen is possible for

• natural or legal persons and
• partnerships with legal capacity.

In addition to the business, the management of the business is also entered in the register. The management of a skilled crafts business must meet the professional requirements for practising the skilled crafts requiring a license. Both the owner or proprietor of a skilled crafts business and employed persons are eligible as management. Proof of qualification can be a master craftsman's certificate for the respective trade, but also an equivalent domestic or foreign professional qualification. In this respect, it is possible to have the equivalence of a professional qualification acquired abroad established with a domestic master craftsman qualification:

• You will receive the determination of equivalence if you have acquired proof of training abroad which - taking into account other proof of qualification - is equivalent to the master craftsman's examination in the craft to be practiced.
• This procedure applies regardless of nationality and for all professional qualifications, regardless of where they were acquired.

Once equivalence has been determined, you must be entered in the Register of Craftsmen.

Chamber of Crafts in whose district the main commercial establishment is located

1. Sole proprietorship:

• Copy of identity card or comparable identification document
• Presentation of the notice of equivalence assessment
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen)

1. Companies under civil law (GbR):

• Copies of the identity card or comparable identification documents of the partners or authorized representatives
• Copy of the articles of association (if not concluded informally)
• Presentation of the notice of equivalence assessment
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen)

1. Commercial partnerships with legal capacity - general partnership (OHG), limited partnership (KG) and corresponding foreign company forms:

• Copies of the identity cards or comparable identification documents of the shareholders or persons authorized to represent the company
• for proof of the company's legal form if the company is based in Germany:
  • for companies entered in the commercial register: extract from the register, for OHGs additionally a copy of the articles of association
  • if no entry has been made in the register: copy of the articles of association
• for proof of the corporate legal form in the case of foreign legal forms:
  • Extract from the relevant foreign register for companies entered in registers, otherwise - copy of the articles of association
• Submission of the notice of equivalence assessment
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen)

1. Legal entities - limited liability company (GmbH), limited liability entrepreneurial company (UG), public limited company (AG), registered cooperative (eG):

• Copies of the identity cards or comparable identification documents of the persons authorized to represent the company
• for proof of the company's legal form:
• for companies based in Germany: extract from the commercial or cooperative register
• for foreign legal forms: Extract from the relevant foreign register
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted subsequently after entry in the register of craftsmen)
• Details of the company management

1. If a manager is employed, the following documents must also be submitted:

• Manager's declaration
• Proof of management activity (copy of employment contract)
• Proof of social insurance for the plant manager
• Submission of the notice of equivalence assessment

• As part of the equivalence assessment, it is checked whether the training certificate acquired abroad - taking into account other certificates of competence - is equivalent to the domestic master craftsman's examination in the desired craft.
• If necessary, the applicant's knowledge and skills can be verified by means of suitable procedures such as work samples, technical interviews and practical and theoretical examinations.
• If the proven professional qualifications are not equivalent, participation in an adaptation period or taking an aptitude test may be considered in order to compensate for the deficits identified.

You must apply for entry in the Register of Craftsmen online or in writing to the Chamber of Crafts responsible for you.
Online application:

• Various administrative portals of the federal states offer online applications.
• The chambers of skilled crafts also offer online access to their administrative procedures.

Written application:

• Go to the website of your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts and download the application forms. You are also welcome to contact your Chamber of Skilled Crafts directly and have the required documents sent to you.
• Complete the forms in full and send them together with the required documents to your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
• The Chamber of Skilled Crafts will use the certificate to check whether the focus of the qualification corresponds to the craft that is to be practiced. In cases of doubt, evidence of individual achievements (such as seminar papers or dissertations) during training as well as framework curricula or training regulations can be consulted and examined.
• After your documents have been checked, you will receive a notification of registration if the requirements are met.
• Together with the notification of registration, the company will receive the so-called craft card.
  

You can only practice a craft requiring a license if you are entered in the register of craftsmen. The determination of equivalence prior to the actual entry in the Register of Craftsmen is time-consuming and should therefore be applied for in good time.

Note for further information on the processing time:

• The competent authority must confirm receipt of the documents within 2 weeks and inform you whether any documents are missing.
• If the documents are complete, a decision on your application should be made within 2 months.
• The deadline can be extended once if this is justified due to the special nature of the matter.
• In addition, the deadline may be extended if additional information on the content and duration of the submitted training certificate is required.

The specific fee can be found in the Chamber of Crafts' schedule of fees, which is available on the Chamber's website.