The recognition of foreign professional qualifications in Germany is not only of great importance for people who come from a country outside Germany or the European Union, but also for employers and the German economy. International professional qualifications are becoming increasingly important against the backdrop of advancing globalisation and the increasing mobility of skilled workers.
For many migrants who come to Germany to live and work, the recognition of their professional qualifications acquired abroad is therefore a crucial step in entering the country, staying here, gaining a professional foothold and ultimately integrating. At the same time, the recognition of foreign qualifications is a valuable opportunity to remedy the shortage of skilled workers in Germany and to strengthen the diversity and potential of foreign workers.
The recognition procedure or the equivalence test is characterised by legal regulations and institutional procedures. In some cases, this results in considerable challenges, which are of particular relevance for applicants as well as for the responsible authorities and potential employers. This article aims to present the basic aspects, significance and current challenges of the recognition of foreign professional qualifications in Germany.
Would you like to practice your profession in Germany as soon as possible?
In order to find a qualified job on the German labour market, the recognition of your foreign professional qualifications is essential. We will inform you quickly and, as specialist lawyers for migration law, we will assist you in the recognition procedure. Contact us at any time for an initial consultation!
What does recognition mean in Germany?
Anyone who comes to Germany from abroad and wants to work here often needs recognition of their foreign professional qualification in addition to the corresponding residence permit with permission to carry out an additionalactivity.
In the recognition procedure or in the equivalence test, it can or must be checked whether a professional qualification or a professional qualification obtained abroad corresponds to the corresponding German professional qualification or what content is missing. In some professions, such an examination of the professional qualification is mandatory, in others the recognition of a foreign professional qualification can also take place without a recognition procedure.
The legal basis for the recognition procedure is the Federal Recognition Act, which came into force on 01.04.2012. The Recognition Act consists of the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG), which regulates the general procedure for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. With the amendments made by the Recognition Act, numerous professional law laws (e.g. Crafts Code, Trade Code, etc.) recognition schemes.
Advantages of recognition in Germany
If your profession does not require formal recognition in Germany, you can still apply for one. Since the recognition of a foreign profession is always compared to a German profession and equivalence is assessed accordingly, foreign professional qualifications with German recognition are fully equivalent to German professional qualifications.
This formal equality with a person who has completed their vocational training in Germany can also be an advantage when looking for a job if you want to prevail over German applicants as a foreign applicant. In addition, recognition allows a domestic employer to easily determine whether their skills and qualifications correspond to what is required to carry out the profession or job.
After going through the recognition procedure, the full or partial equivalence of one’s own professional qualification with a German reference occupation (the profession corresponding to the foreign profession) is determined. Such a decision is important for the assessment of one’s own professional qualification and its equivalence with that of a German employee. If one’s own professional qualification does not fully correspond to the German reference occupation and its qualification, it is possible to compensate for missing qualifications or professional knowledge by means of an adaptation qualification (APQ) and to achieve full equivalence.
Example of recognition in Germany
Here’s an example: You learned the profession of roofer abroad. The profession of roofer is also regarded as a German reference occupation. Formal recognition is not required in this profession, but you can still apply for recognition. If you live in Cologne and the surrounding area, the Cologne Chamber of Crafts is responsible for recognition and the recognition procedure. In other cities and regions, other bodies are responsible. Upon written application, the Chamber of Crafts will check whether the profession you learned abroad and your qualification correspond to the German professional qualification as a roofer.
The Chamber of Crafts now has two options to decide: If the qualification is equivalent, you will receive full recognition by decision and are treated in the same way as a roofer who learned his trade in Germany. If you lack professional knowledge and the professional qualification is therefore not equivalent, you will only receive partial equivalence. The lack of knowledge, whether practical or theoretical, is usually listed in the notice (so-called “deficit notice”).
If recognition was not mandatory and you have been granted partial equivalence, you can still work in the profession of roofer (so-called “non-regulated profession”). However, with partial equivalence of your profession, you have worse chances of finding a job, as you will probably not be able to be employed for all activities in this profession because you lack the qualifications.
In order to be able to compensate for differences, an adaptation qualification can be completed. In the case of the adaptation qualification, a lack of theoretical or practical knowledge can be addressed individually. The missing knowledge is made up so that the full equivalence of the profession can be achieved. After the adaptation qualification, a new application for full equivalence can be submitted to the competent authority, e.g. the Cologne Chamber of Crafts.
If you are a master roofer , have learned your profession abroad and would like to work in this profession in Germany, the situation is somewhat different. Without an equivalence test, you cannot work as a master roofer in Germany, as an equivalence test is mandatory for the profession of master roofer. If your qualification is equivalent, you can work as a master roofer in Germany. If your qualification is not fully equivalent to the German reference occupation, but only partially equivalent, you must complete an adaptation qualification. In this case, you are entitled to work as a master roofer in Germany only afterwards.
For which professions is a recognition or equivalence test required?
When it comes to the recognition of foreign professional qualifications, a distinction is made between two cases and professional groups: regulated professions and non-regulated professions. In the case of regulated professions, there are legal regulations on the practice of the profession and access to the profession. If you want to work in a regulated profession, you must go through the recognition procedure or the equivalence test of the foreign professional qualification. You are not allowed to work in this profession without recognition.
Examples of regulated professions are:
- Doctor, pharmacist
- Educator
- Teacher
- Master Roofer
- Master bricklayer and concrete builder
- Pharmaceutical technical assistant (e.g. in a pharmacy)
- Nurse, Nurse
In non-regulated professions, the recognition of foreign professional qualifications is not mandatory. Although they are allowed to practice this profession without recognition, an equal treatment procedure is still possible and usually advantageous.
Examples of non-regulated professions are:
- Hairdresser
- Roofer
- Office Management Assistant
- Electronics technician (electrician)
- Plant mechanic for sanitary, heating and air conditioning technology (plumber)
- Medical assistant (medical assistant)
- Veterinary Assistant (Veterinary Assistant)
- Bricklayer
- Automotive Mechatronics Technician
Can anyone apply for recognition?
The recognition procedure is independent of the residence status. You can also apply for recognition if you have not yet entered Germany or have not yet received a visa. As a refugee, you can also apply for recognition of your professional qualification while the asylum application is still pending.
In some cases, the recognition of the foreign professional qualification is also a prerequisite for the issuance of a visa or residence permit, regardless of whether employment in a regulated or non-regulated profession is sought. A visa to enter Germany can be granted, for example, for the recognition of a foreign professional qualification.
If the foreign professional qualification does not correspond to the German reference occupation and an adaptation qualification is required, an application can be made for a recognition partnership as a visa/residence permit, for example. The aim of the recognition partnership is to go through the recognition procedure and to achieve full recognition after a maximum of 3 years through qualification measures.
How long does the recognition procedure take in Germany?
As a rule, the recognition procedure should not take longer than 3 to 4 months. Since different bodies are responsible for recognition depending on the profession and region, it may take longer in individual cases.
Does the recognition procedure have a future?
While the recognition procedure relies very much on the recognition of knowledge and training content “on paper”, the changes in the right of residence from 1 March 2024, in particular the changes in Section 6 of the Employment Ordinance, could lead to the recognition procedure becoming less important and instead to the issuance of a residence permit for the purpose of exercising qualified employment (cf. Section 19c (2) of the Residence Act). We welcome this step towards more liberal labour migration.
Do you need support? We will help you fill out the applications or answer any open questions about the legal situation. Contact us by e-mail: kontakt@ra-maibaum.de or by phone: +49 (0) 221 598 13 595
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