Recognition of foreign qualifications

The information portal is a quick and easy way of finding out the German equivalent of your foreign college/university certificate or professional qualification and where you can get this recognised, if required.

(website only available in German)

The Website of ENIC: European Network of Information Centres in the European Region provides information on current issues in international academic and professional mobility, and on procedures for the recognition of foreign qualifications.

The "advisory service for the recognition of qualifications" (Anerkennungsberatung) is part of the Hessian "Integration with qualifications" (IQ) network.

(website only available in German)

The Hessen Info Service provides a detailed description of how foreign professional qualifications in the health sector are recognised in Germany.

(website only available in German)

Darmstadt Regional Council is responsible for the official recognition of foreign qualifications in the health sector. The applicant must be able to prove that his or her principal residence is in Hesse.

(website only available in German)

The Chambers of Trades and Crafts are responsible for the recognition of all foreign professional qualifications, provided that these are related to craft and trade professions, or professions associated with these, as outlined in the Crafts and Trade Code (Handwerksordnung). The Chamber of Trades and Crafts website provides a range of facts sheets and informative posts.

(website only available in German)

The Centre for Foreign Education is responsible for assessing foreign qualifications in Germany. These include school, professional and university qualifications. The Centre for Foreign Education (ZAB) provides services to education establishments, public authorities and private individuals.

(website only available in German)

The IHK FOSA (Foreign Skills Approval) is the national competence centre of the German chambers of industry and commerce for the evaluation and recognition of foreign vocational qualifications. IHK FOSA accepts applications for recognition and examines them in order to determine to what extent the foreign qualifications can be considered equivalent to corresponding German qualifications.

This hotline, run by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge – BAMF) answers your questions about recognition of professional qualifications. The service is provided in German and English. The BAMF hotline is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following number: +49 30 1815-1111. Calls are charged at the standard German landline tariff.
Please note: The BAMF is unable to assess the equivalence of a certificate over the phone. This can only be carried out by the office in charge of checking the certificate.

The info portal for foreign professional qualifications, BQ portal, provides detailed information about foreign vocational training systems and professional certificates, e.g., descriptions of learning objectives and curricula, legal information and a range of other documents.

The Integration with Qualifications (IQ) Network that operates throughout Germany helps the integration of people from immigrant families in the German labour market. There are a total of 16 regional IQ networks, which cover all federal states. The offices provide an advisory service for those seeking information about the recognition of qualifications. The website lists the details of people to contact and provides further information about the recognition of professional qualifications in Germany, as well as integration in the labour market.

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung – BIBB) provides detailed information about professional training and development. This site provides a list of all the officially recognised vocational professions in Germany, as well as information about job titles, the legal system, apprenticeship pay, statistics, and much, much more.

The German Employment Agency's info portal about all officially recognised vocational professions in Germany. It contains a wealth of information, including short job descriptions and job scopes, common job titles, basic legal principals and further reading.

(website only available in German)

The EUR-Lex website – the gateway to EU law – provides information about guidelines issued by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU concerning professional qualifications and their endorsement.