Who needs recognition?

If you want to work in Germany with a foreign qualification, you often need to prove that it is equivalent or comparable to a German qualification. Depending on your profession and the purpose of your stay, there are different options for this, such as a Statement of Comparability or the recognition procedure.
The proof of qualification called “recognition” is an official assessment and confirmation of your qualification by the responsible authority in Germany. You submit an application for recognition of your foreign professional qualification to the responsible authority. This authority then assesses whether your qualification is equivalent to a German qualification and confirms the result in an official notice. Whether you need recognition or another type of proof of qualification depends on several factors.

Depending on your qualifications and your chosen profession, there are various ways to demonstrate the recognition or equivalence of your foreign qualifications in Germany:

• non-academic vocational qualifications (regulated and non-regulated professions) and academic degrees (regulated professions): recognition procedure or equivalence assessment.
• academic degrees (non-regulated professions): anabin information portal or individual Statement of Comparability.

The following questions will help you to find out what proof of qualification you need for entering Germany and employment and whether formal recognition is required:

1. Is your profession a regulated profession?

In regulated professions, you may only work in Germany if you hold a specific qualification. This applies, for example, to physicians, nursing professionals and teachers, as well as to many master craftspeople (“Meister” or “Meisterin” in German). For engineering professions, the profession is regulated if the professional title “engineer” (“Ingenieurin” or “Ingenieur” in German) is required for the role.

• a) If your profession is regulated, you will always need full recognition of your non-academic vocational qualification – regardless of your nationality or the type of qualification you hold – and, as a rule, professional authorisation (e.g. a licence to practise as a doctor). To achieve this, you must complete a recognition procedure.
• b) If your profession is not regulated (e.g. in the fields of IT, business or marketing), the question of recognition depends on your individual situation: please answer the next two questions to find out.

You can find an overview of regulated professions at the Federal Employment Agency (BA) (External link) . Using the “Recognition Finder” on the website of “Anerkennung in Deutschland (External link) ”, you can find out which authorities are responsible for recognition. You will also find detailed information on the recognition procedure.

Your nationality determines whether you need a visa. Proof of your qualifications is often required for the visa, for example, a recognition notice.

• Nationals of the EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland

If you are a citizen of one of these countries and wish to work in a non-regulated profession, you do not need a visa or recognition of your qualifications to work in Germany.
Nevertheless, having your qualifications recognised in Germany can bring advantages: for example, an easier entry into the labour market and better career prospects.

• Other nationalities (citizens of third countries)

If you come from outside the EU or an EFTA state, you will need a visa and, for this you will often need a qualification that is recognised in Germany or equivalent to a German one. How you prove this depends on whether you hold an academic degree or a vocational qualification (see question 3).
Please note: Nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are covered by the Western Balkans regulation under certain conditions. In these cases, employment in Germany is possible without proof of a recognised qualification. Further information is available in the information sheet on the Western Balkans regulation.

If you come from a country outside the EU or EFTA, the type of qualification (academic degree or non-academic vocational qualification) determines how you can prove the recognition or comparability of your qualification.

• I have a foreign academic degree and would like to work in a non-regulated profession.

If you hold an academic degree leading to a non-regulated profession (such as biologist or linguist), you will need the following for your visa:
a) a printout of the positive entry on the anabin information portal (External link) 
or alternatively
b) a Statement of Comparability for foreign academic degrees.

You can find detailed information on this in the “Academic qualifications” section.
 

• I have completed vocational training.

To prove the recognition of your (non-academic) vocational qualification in Germany, you must demonstrate the full equivalence of your qualification through the recognition procedure. Full equivalence is required for many visas in order to work as a skilled worker in Germany. Further information on the procedure can be found in the “Recognition procedure” section.