Recognition procedure
The competent German authority carries out a recognition procedure to establish whether your foreign professional qualification * is in practice identical to a German one and whether there are differences. This procedure is also known as an “equivalence assessment” and normally takes three to four months once all the required documents have been submitted in full. Note that the recognition of foreign professional qualifications is voluntary, unless a regulated profession or dual vocational training is involved.
* A professional qualification represents the technical and social competencies expected in order to practise a particular profession.
Please note that this section contains general information. If you are a nurse placed by CareLend GmbH, then these and other services are free of charge to you. Employer Pays Principle. Please see our terms and conditions for details.
The outcome of the recognition procedure
Recognition of your foreign professional qualification depends on how comparable it is to the German qualification. Where there are substantial differences between the two, what happens next depends on the profession:
In non-regulated professions the foreign qualification is recognised in part, where some elements of the training are equivalent and others are not. The essential point is that the German reference profession represents a German professional qualification. In the recognition procedure the foreign qualification is compared with the German reference profession and assessed for equivalence. Determining the reference profession applies to regulated and non-regulated professions alike, and is communicated in a formal notice. Where the differences are considerable you can, as a rule, obtain a compensating qualification through an adaptation qualification. You can then submit a further application in order to obtain full recognition.
In regulated professions the competent authority decides on a compensation measure to make good the principal differences. If you complete the compensation measure, however, proportionality is not yet fully established and further standards for professional authorisation are examined. The outcome of the recognition procedure is communicated in a recognition notice. (Skilled professionals who did not obtain their qualification in Germany frequently have to go through a recognition procedure before they are allowed to work in Germany.) The recognition procedure examines whether the foreign qualification meets the conditions for admission to the German labour market. After the assessment, candidates receive a recognition notice showing whether the foreign professional qualification is fully equivalent to a German reference profession.
To work in a regulated profession in Germany, your professional qualification should be regarded as equivalent. To work in a non-regulated profession you must come from one of the 33 third countries and bring a professional qualification with you. You also need “full” recognition before you can obtain a corresponding residence permit as a skilled worker.
If you come from a non-EU country and your equivalence assessment finds considerable differences, you can obtain a residence permit for the purpose of having your professional qualifications recognised. This applies whether or not the profession is regulated. The residence permit allows you to travel to Germany in order to complete a compensation measure or an adaptation qualification.
You will find more on this in our section “Visa for the recognition of professional qualifications”.
The cost of the recognition procedure
The recognition procedure can cost up to €600 (in some cases the cost may be higher). Additional expenses may arise for obtaining documents, translations and certificates, for travel, and where applicable for compensation measures or adaptation qualifications. There may, however, be funding available to cover these costs.
CareLend is at your side
CareLend is glad to be your competent partner on every question surrounding the recognition procedure. Simply get in touch with us. We will find a competent solution quickly and without complication.
We work closely with the competent authorities (Agentur für Arbeit, Bundesamt für Migration, Zentrale Servicestelle für berufliche Anerkennung ZSBA). With us you will find your way through the thicket of officialdom.