Anyone who wishes to practice a profession in Germany often must have their professional qualifications, acquired abroad, assessed and recognized. The Recognition Act governs how this is done. The Recognition Act includes the federal “Professional Qualifications Assessment Act” (BQFG) as well as additional provisions on the recognition of professional qualifications contained in approximately 60 federal laws and regulations governing regulated professions. These include the healthcare professions, governed by the Federal Medical Code and the Nursing Act, as well as all master craftsmen and women, governed by the Crafts and Trades Code. The individual federal states also have their own laws governing the recognition of professions under their jurisdiction, including teachers, engineers, architects, and social work professionals.
To obtain recognition, applicants must generally have the certificates and documents they submit translated and certified. The authority responsible for the respective professional qualification determines which documents must be submitted. Applications for recognition of regulated professions and non-regulated professions governed by federal law may be submitted electronically and using (simple) copies (Sections 5(2), sentence , and 12(2), sentence 1, of the Federal Qualifications Recognition Act (BQFG)).
Under the Skilled Workers Immigration Act, the Central Service Office for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) was established by the Federal Employment Agency and is responsible for the entire federal territory. It is located at the Central Agency for Foreign and Specialized Placement (ZAV) in Bonn, where it serves as a central point of contact to advise applicants from abroad and guide them through the process.
Advice and support are available to help initiate the recognition process. The counseling centers of the IQ Network Saxony-Anhalt inform those interested in recognition about the process, assist with the application, and guide them through the next steps. If additional qualifications are still required for full recognition, they provide advice on suitable continuing education programs. For immigrant professionals, the IQ Network offers career qualification counseling in northern and southern Saxony-Anhalt.
If the qualifications obtained abroad are equivalent to the German qualifications required to practice the respective profession, applicants will receive authorization and may practice the profession in Germany.
There is a fee for the recognition examination of foreign professional qualifications. Low-income individuals can also apply for a cost subsidy to cover the recognition process. All costs incurred in connection with the application are eligible for funding—primarily fees and translation costs, up to a maximum of 600 euros per person. The application process and the recognition examination can take several months.
If the recognition process does not establish equivalence with the German reference occupation—that is, if the professional qualification is not fully recognized—these gaps can be bridged through “adaptation or compensatory measures.” To this end, the individual may initially enter Germany for 18 months, up to a maximum of 24 months, provided their language proficiency meets at least the A2 level. In addition, the individual is entitled to engage in employment unrelated to the qualification program for up to ten hours per week. Under placement agreements between the Federal Employment Agency and the employment services of the country of origin, entry may be possible even before the recognition process begins. This primarily applies to the health and nursing sectors, but also to other professions, and allows for a stay of up to three years. The Immigration Unit within the “Integration through Qualification (IQ)” support program has produced the guide “Key Changes Resulting from the Skilled Workers Immigration Act/Tolerance Act,” which covers all amendments to the Skilled Workers Immigration Act, including these topics.
Recognition of Non-Regulated Professions
For non-regulated professions, recognition—and thus professional licensing—is not required to work in that profession. With a foreign qualification for a non-regulated profession, you can apply directly for jobs on the German labor market or become self-employed. In Germany, for example, all professions with a dual vocational training program are unregulated. Nevertheless, even in an unregulated profession, you have a legal right to a recognition procedure. This is because an evaluation of your foreign qualifications can be beneficial in improving your chances with employers.