Our employees only speak German in the office and on the phone.

Applying for recognition of vocational and technical school qualifications with a foreign professional qualification

Do you have a professional qualification from abroad and would like to work in Germany? You can apply to the competent authority for recognition of your professional qualification.

  • Basic information

    You apply for recognition at the competent authority in the federal state in which you wish to work. The procedure for recognition is called: Determination of equivalence (BQFG Land). Please note: Your qualification must be state-recognized in the state in which you trained. Informal or non-formal qualifications cannot be officially recognized in Germany.

    There are around 200 vocational and technical school qualifications in Germany. To apply for an equivalence assessment, you must identify a German training qualification or further education qualification. This German qualification must match your professional qualification. We therefore recommend that you do this: Seek advice before submitting your application!

    In Bremen, equivalence certificates can be issued for the following qualifications:

    • Business economist - personal services
    • Biological-technical assistant
    • Chemical-technical assistant
    • Specialist for home economics and family care
    • Foreign language correspondent
    • Technical design assistant - graphics
    • Information technology assistant
    • Commercial assistant - foreign languages
    • Commercial assistant - information processing
    • Childcare assistant
    • Mathematical-technical assistant
    • Socio-educational assistant
    • Technician - Chemical Engineering
    • Technician - Electrical Engineering
    • Technician - Computer Science
    • Technician - Food Technology
    • Technician - Mechanical Engineering
    • Technician - Mechatronics

    When determining equivalence, the competent authority compares your professional qualification with a specific German professional qualification in the federal state in which you wish to work. Important criteria for the comparison are the content and duration of the training.

    You will receive a decision on the outcome of the procedure. The decision will state your existing professional qualifications and any missing professional qualifications. The decision enables employers to better assess your professional qualifications. This can make it easier for you to find a job. For skilled workers abroad outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, a recognition procedure is usually a prerequisite for obtaining a visa.

    You can obtain initial advice on the application, procedure, costs, duration and possibilities for financial support, for example, from the advice centers of the IQ network ("Integration through Qualification").

    You can also apply for equivalence assessment from abroad.

    Requirements

    • You have a state-recognized professional qualification from abroad.
    • Your professional qualification must match a vocational school qualification or technical college qualification in your federal state.

  • Procedure

    You submit an application for recognition to the competent authority. You can submit the application online, by post, electronically or in person. You can also submit the application from abroad.

    The competent body receives the application. After a maximum of one month, it will confirm that the application has been received. Once the competent office has received all the documents from you, it will process your application. The competent authority will then check: Is your professional qualification equivalent to a specific professional qualification in the selected federal state? The competent body will compare the qualifications using certain criteria. Important criteria are the content and duration of the training. The competent body will also take your professional experience, your other certificates of competence and qualifications into account when assessing equivalence.

    You will receive a notification with the result of the procedure. You will receive recognition if your professional qualification and the German professional qualification are equivalent.

    Sometimes there are significant differences between the professional qualifications. The differences are listed in your notification. You can use this decision to gain further qualifications and later submit a new application for equivalence assessment.

    If your professional qualification is not equivalent at all, you will not receive recognition.

    More information

    Further advisory services

    There are many other advisory services. You can find these on the Recognition in Germany portal.

    Ask an IQ advice center for personal advice on this procedure and your qualification. The advisors will also help you with your documents before you submit your application. The advice is free of charge.

    You can also call the hotline of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The hotline will answer your questions on the subject of "Working and living in Germany".

    Telephone number: +49 30 1815-1111 Office hours: Monday to Friday 08:00 - 18:00 (CET)

    If you are abroad: You can also reach the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) via the hotline. This offers you in-depth advice and support in the recognition procedure and provides location advice.

  • Necessary Documents
    • Online application

      or completed and signed application form

    • Proof of identity

      e.g. identity card or passport

    • Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
    • Information on applications for recognition already submitted

      Indicate the office to which you submitted the application.

    • Perhaps: information about an already submitted application for recognition.

      Then indicate the office to which you submitted the application.

    • Notes on the documents

      If your documents are not in German, you must submit German translations of your documents. The translations must be made by translators who are publicly appointed or authorized.

      You can submit the documents in written form (mail or e-mail) or in person.

      We advise against sending original documents by mail.

  • Competent Department

  • Online Services

  • Forms

  • Fees / Costs

    gebührenfrei

  • Deadlines & processing time

    What deadlines must be paid attention to?

    There are no deadlines.

    How long does it take to process

    As a rule, the equivalence check takes a maximum of 3 months after receipt of all complete documents.
    Delays are possible due to special circumstances or complexity.

  • Legal Bases

  • More Information

Feedback on quality

Your feedback will help us to identify and solve problems. You will not receive a personal response. Please do not submit any personal data.

Did you find what you were looking for?

How do you rate this page?*

*Mandatory field

This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.

The official information in German is complete and correct. 03.11.2025

Dienstleistungen · syfq nzm