Foreign professional qualifications; advice on recognition

In order to be optimally prepared for a recognition procedure at a recognition body, it is strongly recommended that you seek advice from a recognition counseling center beforehand.

In Bavaria, it is possible to have professional qualifications acquired abroad recognized in an official procedure. The recognition procedure is based on defined formal criteria, such as the content and duration of the training. In a recognition procedure, the recognition body carries out an equivalence assessment. The foreign professional qualification is compared with the corresponding German or Bavarian qualification (reference occupation). An application for professional recognition can only be submitted if a professional qualification acquired abroad is available. Unskilled or semi-skilled persons without a formal professional qualification cannot apply for recognition.

Regulated and non-regulated professions

Whether a recognition procedure is mandatory for taking up or practising a profession in Bavaria depends on whether the relevant reference profession is regulated. A regulated profession is a professional activity or a group of professional activities in which the taking up or pursuit or one of the types of pursuit is directly or indirectly linked by legal and administrative provisions to the possession of certain professional qualifications; one type of pursuit is in particular the use of a professional title that is restricted by legal or administrative provisions to persons who have a certain professional qualification.

Therefore, if the reference profession according to the above definition is a regulated profession, recognition of the foreign qualification is mandatory in order to be able to work in the corresponding profession in Bavaria. Regulated professions exist both in the area of professional qualifications (e.g. nursing specialist) and in the area of academic qualifications (e.g. doctor, architect, social pedagogue, engineer).

If the reference profession is not regulated, it is not mandatory to undergo a recognition procedure in order to take up or practice the corresponding profession. With a foreign qualification in a non-regulated profession, you can also apply and be hired directly on the labor market. Professional qualifications that are not regulated are, for example, all dual training occupations, in particular occupations in the area of the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK) (e.g. bank clerk, industrial clerk) and in the area of the Chambers of Crafts (HwK) (e.g. baker, hairdresser). However, the recognition procedure makes sense in this case so that the foreign qualification is transparent and easier for the employer to assess. In some cases, the employer also explicitly requests recognition of the qualification.

No recognition procedure can be applied for academic qualifications that are not regulated. Instead, the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) in Bonn can assess the completed academic qualification (university certificate). The ZAB does not issue an assessment for school certificates.

Recognition offices

The diversity of vocational qualifications means that different recognition offices are responsible for recognition. Which recognition office is responsible depends on the relevant reference occupation and the planned place of work. You can find out which recognition office is responsible in the Recognition Finder on the"Recognition in Germany" portal.

Examples of recognition offices in Bavaria:

• Academic healthcare professions (e.g. doctor, pharmacist): Government of Upper Bavaria
• Nursing specialist: Bavarian State Office for Nursing
• Craft trades: Chambers of Crafts
• Industrial-technical professions: IHK FOSA (Foreign Skills Approval)
• Social and childhood educators: Zentrum Bayern Familie und Soziales (ZBFS), Government of Lower Franconia

Advice centers for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications

In order to be optimally prepared for a recognition procedure at a recognition office, it is strongly recommended that you seek advice from a recognition counseling center beforehand. With the help of the recognition advisors, the reference profession can be determined, which is decisive for which recognition body is responsible. In addition, the necessary documents can be checked for completeness at the recognition advice centers, funding options can be found and qualification opportunities can be identified.

Recognition advice centers can be found in Bavaria in

• Munich, Nuremberg and Augsburg: Counseling centers of the Integration through Qualification (IQ) project of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and
• in Landshut, Ingolstadt, Regensburg, Bamberg and Würzburg: advice centers of the Berufliche Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bfz), which are funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Affairs

All of the aforementioned advice centers offer advice for both those seeking recognition and companies.

In addition, the Coordination and Advice Center for Professional Recognition (KuBB) at the Government of Middle Franconia in Nuremberg offers advice on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. KuBB advises the following target groups:

• Companies that want to recruit skilled workers from third countries as part of an accelerated skilled worker procedure (more information on this below under "Skilled Workers Immigration Act").
• Recognition seekers who work in Bavaria and wish to have their professional qualifications in the healthcare professions recognized.

Further information on KuBB and the relevant contact details can be found on their website (see "Related links").

In addition to recognition advice, it is also possible to obtain advice on qualification and adaptation measures from the aforementioned advice centers. All advice centers provide advice free of charge and can answer all questions about professional recognition electronically, by (video) telephone or in person.

If you have any questions about the recognition procedure, please contact a recognition advice center of the Berufliche Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bfz), a recognition advice center of the Integration through Qualification (IQ) project or the Koordinierungs- und Beratungsstelle Berufsanerkennung (KuBB).

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Accelerated skilled worker procedure (§ 81 a Residence Act)

Companies that already have contacts with skilled workers in third countries can bring them to Germany more easily and quickly in order to employ them in their company. Processing times for authorities are shortened in the accelerated skilled worker procedure (e.g. from three to two months in the recognition procedure).

If you are a company interested in carrying out an accelerated skilled worker procedure and would like to find out more about the procedure, you can contact the Central Office for the Immigration of Skilled Workers (ZSEF). If your questions relate specifically to the recognition of foreign professional qualifications, you can contact the KuBB .