Recognition of foreign qualifications

Employers must be able to assess foreign qualifications and skills. Chambers and public bodies can help evaluate credentials such as university or professional degrees and compare them with German standards.

Which laws apply to which professions?
According to the Federal Recognition Act, every foreign skilled worker has the legal right to a recognition procedure if they have a foreign qualification and intend to work in Germany.
If the German reference profession is regulated by federal law, recognition is processed under the Federal Act. This applies to both regulated and non-regulated professions.
Many regulated professions (e.g., doctors, pharmacists) have their own professional laws, including provisions for EU/EEA citizens. More information is available on the “Recognition in Germany” portal.
For professions under state jurisdiction (e.g., architects, teachers, educators), state laws apply. More information is available via the same portal.

Resources for Employers

The “Unternehmen Berufsanerkennung” project offers companies concrete support as well as communication and networking opportunities related to the topic of professional recognition. The contact point for craft businesses is the project office of the Central Agency for Continuing Vocational Education in Crafts (ZWH) in Düsseldorf. For companies in industry and commerce, the contact point is the project office of DIHK Service GmbH in Berlin. You can find the contact details here.

Academic Degrees
For academic degrees in non-regulated professions (e.g., economists, IT professionals), other laws apply. The Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) is responsible for evaluating foreign university degrees.
More information is available on the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education (KMK) website.
The BQ-Portal provides country and profession profiles for better assessment of foreign qualifications.

Benefits of Recognition for Employers
Recognition of foreign qualifications is only required for regulated professions. A list of regulated professions can be found in the BerufeNet database of the Federal Employment Agency.
For non-regulated professions (which include most of the 328 dual vocational training occupations), recognition is optional but enhances transparency and helps assess if further training is needed.
Try to assess the applicant not only based on their formal qualifications, but also through other skills, gained from their life or work experience, for example ..

Note:
For third-country nationals, full equivalency of the foreign qualification is a visa requirement – regardless of whether the profession is regulated or not.