Getting your foreign qualifications recognised in Germany (Anerkennung)

Before you start

• Your final certificate or diploma, and documents showing the content and length of your training (transcript, diploma supplement or curriculum)
• The German job you want to compare against (reference occupation), which the Recognition Finder helps you identify
• Ideally a counselling session before you apply, especially if you want financial support

Documents you need

• Passport or national ID card

  required

• Final certificate of your degree or vocational training

  required

• Transcript of records or other proof of the content and duration of your training

  required

• CV in tabular form

  Many authorities ask for it in German.

  required

• Proof of relevant work experience (employer references)

  Experience can make up for differences in training.

  optional

• German translations by a publicly appointed or sworn translator

  Ask the competent authority first - some do not accept translations made abroad, and some accept documents in English.

  optional

• Certified copies of your documents

  Requirements differ by authority; some accept simple copies at first and ask for originals later.

  optional

• German language certificate

  Often required for regulated health and teaching professions.

  optional

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Find your reference occupation and the competent authority

   Open the Recognition Finder (Anerkennungs-Finder), enter your profession and where you plan to work (a Berlin postcode if you live in Berlin). It tells you whether the profession is regulated, which authority is responsible, which procedure applies, which documents you need and what it typically costs. The finder is available in eleven languages, including English, Arabic, Turkish and Ukrainian.

   Responsibility is split: health professions are usually handled by a state health authority, teaching by the state education authority, IHK vocational occupations by the IHK FOSA, craft trades by the chamber of crafts (Handwerkskammer). The Finder resolves this for you.

2. 2

   Step 2: Get free advice before applying

   The portal strongly recommends counselling before you apply. Free options include:

   • The federal hotline Working and Living in Germany, run by BAMF and the Federal Employment Agency: +49 30 1815-1111, Monday to Thursday 09:00-16:00 and Friday 09:00-12:00 (German time), in German and English. It covers recognition, job search, entry and residence, and learning German.
   • Recognition counselling of the IQ network (Integration durch Qualifizierung), which in Berlin is offered in several languages by different partner organisations; the Recognition Finder lists the counselling centres for your location.
   • For non-regulated vocational occupations, the IHK Berlin offers counselling that accompanies your application.
   • For regulated professions in Berlin, the Einheitlicher Ansprechpartner Berlin (single point of contact) can guide you and pass your application to the right authority free of charge; you only pay the authority's normal fees. You can also apply to the authority directly.
3. 3

   Step 3: Check financial support before you submit anything

   Several funding options exist, and most must be requested before you apply for recognition:

   • The federal recognition grant (Anerkennungszuschuss) reimburses up to €600 of the costs of the procedure, and can also support training needed for full equivalence with up to €3,000. You must live in Germany, and income limits apply. Apply for the grant first, then for recognition.
   • If you are registered as unemployed or job-seeking, the Federal Employment Agency or Jobcenter may cover the costs of recognition and any training. Ask your adviser before applying.
   • Berlin has run a hardship fund for professional recognition (Härtefallfonds Berufsanerkennung) for low-income Berlin residents who cannot get other funding, with counselling at the Berlin Welcome Center. Ask there whether it is currently open.
4. 4

   Step 4: Prepare your documents

   The authority needs proof of who you are, what you learned and what you have done since. Typical documents are your certificate, a transcript or curriculum showing subjects and hours or credits, a CV, and references proving relevant work experience - experience can offset differences in training.

   Translations usually have to be made by publicly appointed or sworn translators in Germany. Ask the authority before you commission translations abroad, and ask whether it wants certified copies now or only later.

5. 5

   Step 5: Submit the application and pay the fee

   Apply to the competent authority, online or by post depending on the authority. You can also apply from abroad. The authority must confirm receipt within one month and tell you if anything is missing. The fee depends on the profession and the authority's own fee schedule; the Recognition Finder shows typical amounts.

   If you have a job offer, your employer can use the accelerated skilled worker procedure (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) through the immigration authority, which shortens the recognition step to about two months.

6. 6

   Step 6: Receive the decision and plan next steps

   Once your file is complete, the authority normally decides within about three to four months. Possible outcomes:

   • Full equivalence - your qualification is treated like the German one.
   • Partial equivalence (non-regulated professions) - the notice lists the differences. You can still work, and you can close the gaps through adaptation training (Anpassungsqualifizierung) and then apply again.
   • No direct recognition, but compensation measures (regulated professions) - you can obtain full recognition by completing an adaptation period or passing an aptitude or knowledge test. For health professions, proof of German is usually also required, sometimes including a specialist language exam.
   • No equivalence.

   Keep the original recognition notice (Anerkennungsbescheid) safe: employers, the immigration office and chambers will ask for it.

University degrees for non-regulated jobs - anabin and the ZAB statement

Vocational qualifications

Recognition and your residence permit

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Paying for a ZAB statement when the profession is regulated - the statement does not allow you to work in a regulated profession.
• Choosing the wrong reference occupation, which can lead to only partial equivalence. Counselling helps here.
• Sending only the diploma without a transcript or curriculum, so the authority cannot compare content and duration.
• Assuming that a degree listed in anabin automatically means a regulated profession is open to you.

Tips

• Print or save the anabin result pages for your university and degree - visa officers and employers often accept them.
• Ask former employers for detailed references listing your tasks and the period of employment; they can make up for gaps in your training.
• Keep several certified copies of your key certificates; you will need them for the immigration office, employers and possibly later for naturalisation.
• If your result is partial equivalence, ask the counselling centre about funded adaptation courses offered by the IQ network.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Check whether your qualification needs recognitionAdd to plan
• Collect originals, apostilles and translationsAdd to plan
• Start your job search before you moveAdd to plan
• Apply for jobs the way German employers expectAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 3 Apr 2027.