By Bas Wegewijs and Jenneke Lokhoff. In order to facilitate student mobility, faster and more transparent procedures for the recognition of foreign qualifications are needed. A recently emerged concept is ‘automatic recognition’ of comparable degrees. The ‘Focus on Automatic Institutional Recognition’ (FAIR) project explores the practical implementation of the concept, formulating concrete recommendations on how to implement it within Europe. More...

If you have gained professional or vocational qualifications abroad and would like to work in Germany, you have the option of having your foreign qualification recognised and in some cases will need to do so. You will find all the information relevant to the recognition procedure here.
In the recognition procedure, the relevant competent authority will check whether your foreign professional or vocational qualification is equivalent to a German qualification. The equivalence check takes place on the basis of stipulated formal criteria such as content and duration of training. Any relevant occupational experience you may have is also taken into account.

Preconditions for a recognition procedure
You must be able to show that you have completed a professional or vocational qualification which was not obtained in Germany. You must also intend to work in Germany. More...

The Federal Recognition Act does not cover, among other things, school qualifications, higher education entrance qualifications, academic achievements and academic qualifications that lead to non-regulated professions. The following shows what other procedures there are for recognizing these qualifications.

Evaluating University Degrees
Recognition is not required for foreign university degrees which do not lead to a regulated profession. However, you may have your degree evaluated in order to improve your chances of employment. More...

Anyone seeking to have their professional or vocational qualifications recognised must begin by finding the correct competent authority for the recognition procedure. The “Recognition in Germany” portal will point them in the right direction.
Pursuant to the Vocational Qualifications Assessment Law (BQFG), the Chambers are usually responsible for the assessment of equivalence in training occupations in the dual system. In the case of regulated occupations, i.e. professions such as doctor or nurse, responsibility depends on respective vocational and professional law and the provisions of the federal states.
You can use the Recognition Finder  to identify your competent authority. More...

Federal Government’s Recognition Act
The Recognition Act for the procedure to assess professional qualifications came into effect on 1 April 2012. The following tells you what has changed with the law.
More on the Recognition Act

Länder Regulations
Not all occupations in Germany are regulated at federal level. Here you will find up-to-date information on the amendments to Länder legislation.
Further informations on the Länder Regulations

EU Recognition Directive
Do you come from an EU Member State? Here you can find out more about the EU Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications (2005/36/EC).
More on the EU Recognition Directive

The contact points of the "Integration through Qualification (IQ)" funding programme provide information about the procedures of professional recognition and direct persons interested in recognition to the relevant authorities.
Note to persons from abroad who are interested in recognition:
Please contact a counselling service in the federal state where you are planning to work, regardless of whether or not you already live in Germany. More...