You can only work in regulated professions in Germany if you have certain qualifications. This applies to many professions in the fields of health care, legal advice, teaching in state schools and engineering. There are also regulations for certain master craftworkers who run a business. If you want to work in one of these regulated professions in full capacity, your professional qualification will generally need to be recognised, regardless of your country of origin. In the case of regulated professions, a decision on recognition is usually taken as part of the procedure for granting authorisation to practise a profession.
Info box
Immigration from the EU/EEA/Switzerland
If you want to work in a regulated profession in Germany, in almost all cases, you will need to get your foreign professional qualification recognised. If you have settled in another EU country, you can work occasionally in Germany without requiring recognition. However, you must first inform the competent authority in Germany that you are a resident in another EU country.
To find out whether your profession is regulated, use the “Recognition Finder” on the “Anerkennung in Deutschland” portal.
Some non-regulated professions may also require recognition
Most professions in Germany are non-regulated. These include occupations requiring qualifications earned in the dual system of vocational training and many professions requiring a higher education degree. For example, to work in Germany as a business economist, computer scientist or baker, you do not need to have your foreign qualifications recognised.
In some cases, the recognition of foreign professional qualifications or the comparability of a higher education degree may be a condition for granting a visa to third-country nationals. This is the case, for example, with the EU Blue Card and the visa for qualified professionals. Countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland are considered third countries.
There is no recognition procedure for higher education qualifications that do not lead to a regulated profession, such as biologist, physicist or linguist, as there is for regulated professions or the skilled trades and crafts. In order to obtain a residence title, third-country nationals with such qualifications must prove that their foreign higher education qualification is recognised as comparable to a higher education qualification in Germany. For more information, see the anabin database of the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). See our “Academic qualifications” section for more information.
Info box
Even where recognition is not compulsory, it can be useful. Recognised qualifications can be advantageous when applying for a job, changing jobs or negotiating salaries. Recognition notices written in German enable employers to recognise the skills and knowledge of skilled foreign workers immediately. For more information, visit the “Anerkennung in Deutschland” portal.
Please beware
The equivalence assessment (recognition) procedure should not be confused with the digital information procedure for professional qualifications at the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). The latter only serves to check whether your foreign qualification is recognised by the state in the country where you obtained it. For more information visit the ZAB website.
Let us advise you on your opportunities to work and live in Germany. Our experts will support you with questions regarding job search, visa, recognition and learning German.
You can find out more about the various contact options by clicking on one of the icons in the bar below.
Professional qualifications are the intellectual and social skills required to exercise a given profession.
Regulated professions
German: reglementierte Berufe
In Germany, there are regulated professions. This means that Germans and non-Germans are only allowed to work in these professions if they have obtained a very specific qualification. This applies, for example, to nurses, doctors, teachers and lawyers. It also applies to certain master craftsmen and craftswomen, if they work as self-employed entrepreneurs. People with a foreign qualification who wish to work in a regulated profession in Germany require recognition of their foreign qualification or a professional licence.
A residence title entitles people from abroad to enter and reside in Germany. Residence titels may be granted in the form of a visa, residence permit, an EU Blue Card, a settlement permit, or a permanent EU residence permit.
anabin is a database that provides information on the assessment of foreign educational qualifications. With the help of this database, authorities, companies and private individuals can classify a foreign qualification in the German education system.
Recognition procedure
During the recognition procedure (also called “equivalence assessment”), the competent recognition authority assesses, whether the foreign professional qualification is equivalent to a German reference occupation. In general, the assessment takes three to four months. Once the procedure is finished, a notice indicating the assessment’s results (“full recognition”, “partial recognition”, or “no recognition”) will be issued.
Visa
A visa entitles the holder to enter or travel through another country. In Germany, third-country nationals require this kind of residence permit. There are exceptions for EU nationals and nationals of some selected countries. Depending on the purpose and duration of the stay, there are different visa types. The German missions abroad are responsible for issuing visas.
