Easy to Read
For German
research institutions

Index
Easy to Read
For German
research institutions
Easy to Read
For German
research institutions
Easy to Read
For German
research institutions
Easy to Read
For German
research institutions
Easy to Read
For German
research institutions

Recognition of professional qualifications

The recognition of foreign professional qualifications is independent from your country of origin or resident status. The recognition is needed if you want to work in a so-called regulated profession, e.g. nursing, health and education sectors. For other professions, including ones that need higher education qualifications, recognition is voluntary. However, you may need a statement of comparability (“Zeugnisbewertung”) which is offered by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) and compares foreign degree qualifications with German ones.

A young woman is sitting with a laptop on a couch and is looking at documents.

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The recognition procedure can cost up to 600 euros. These costs do not include translations, certifications, compensation measures, refresher trainings or travel costs that in individual cases need to be covered, too. Financial assistance is, among others, offered by the Federal Employment Agency or via the Federal Government recognition grant. Whether you are eligible to receive such financial assistance depends on your individual situation and should be checked in advance.

Resources

The following platforms provide more detailed information regarding the recognition of professional qualifications in Germany. Some of them also offer personal consultation.

Anerkennung in Deutschland (“Recognition in Germany”) is the central information portal for the recognition of foreign professional and vocational qualifications, initiated by the German Federal Government. The information is offered in 12 languages. 

Make it in Germany is another government portal which compiles information about all issues concerning migration to Germany. Among other things, you can find descriptions of job application processes and the recognition procedure for professional qualifications, including video explainers. The website is available in various languages.

With the anabin database (as of date only available in German), you can obtain initial information about whether and how your academic or professional degree will be recognised in Germany. You can filter the results by country of origin and your individual profession and/or degree. Moreover, the website offers links to recognition authorities and consultation offices, sorted by the German federal states.

 

The ProRecognition project provides local recognition counselling for skilled workers in 10 countries: Algeria, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, India, Iran, Italy, Colombia, Poland and Vietnam. The counselling is offered at the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad and Delegations of German Industry and Commerce (AHK).

Good to know

For PhD candidates, both the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) and the Higher Education Compass (a service of the German Rectors’ Conference HRK) offer concise summaries of the most important information regarding recognition for postgraduate and doctorate programmes.

Professional recognition is also possible in case of missing documents, for example by providing practical proof. Find more information on the Anerkennung in Deutschland website and at the ZAB.

More information