What is professional recognition?

A distinction is made between regulated and non-regulated professions:

Most professions belong to the non-regulated profess ions. These include, for example, dual training occupations, but also many occupations that require a university degree. In principle, it is not necessary to have a foreign qualification recognized in order to work in such a profession. The employer decides whether to accept the foreign qualification. For people from a third country, however, recognition is usually a prerequisite for obtaining a permit for employment (e.g. visa for skilled workers, EU Blue Card). Only a few groups of people are exempt from this, such as IT specialists or professional drivers.

In contrast, only people who have a permit to do so may work in a regulated profession. This can be a state examination, for example. Typical regulated professions are teachers, doctors, pharmacists or lawyers, but also certain master craftsmen who run a business. Nationality plays a subordinate role in regulated professions. Whether you are an EU citizen or a third-country national, recognition of the foreign qualification is almost always necessary. The result of the recognition procedure must be that the qualification is equivalent to the German qualification. This is the key requirement for obtaining a professional license. Without this, employment in a regulated profession is not permitted.

There is only a special regulation for persons from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland if they only wish to exercise their regulated profession in Germany occasionally and it is not in the health or safety sector. They do not have to go through a recognition procedure. However, proof must be provided that the profession has been practiced in the home country for at least 1 year in the last 10 years. More information on regulated professions at European level can be found online here.

NOTE: Whether a profession is regulated or not can be determined online using the so-called Recognition Finder. It can be found here here.

In order to determine the equivalence of a foreign qualification, a so-called recognition procedure must be completed. You do not have to be in Germany to apply for this.

The recognition procedure is particularly relevant for two groups:

• Skilled workers from third countries with vocational training, as they require recognition in order to be considered a skilled worker.

• Foreign nationals who wish to work in a regulated profession.

NOTE: Nationals of the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Switzerland who exercise a regulated profession and wish to settle permanently also require recognition of their professional qualification. Some professions are automatically recognized because there are uniform European training standards for them. These are currently: doctor, specialist doctor, dentist, specialist dentist, veterinary surgeon, pharmacist, nurse, midwife, architect. An application for recognition must also be submitted to the competent authority for automatic recognition. However, no equivalence check is carried out during the recognition procedure.

As part of the recognition procedure, the competent authority checks whether the foreign professional qualification is equivalent to the German training. For this purpose, the foreign training documents are compared with the German training content of the reference occupation. Typical documents to be submitted are certificates, examination certificates, curricula, internship certificates, references, proof of professional experience, etc. In the case of regulated professions, further requirements are checked that are necessary for admission to the profession in addition to recognition of the professional qualification. These include, for example, personal aptitude or German language skills.

Once the competent authority has completed the equivalence check, it issues a decision, which can have the following results:

• Full recognition: There are no significant differences to the German reference occupation and equivalence is therefore given.

• Partial recognition: Only parts of the foreign professional qualification are classified as equivalent. There are significant differences, but these can be compensated for. In the case of non-regulated professions, the deficits can be compensated for by means of an adaptation qualification . In the case of regulated professions, the competent body determines the compensatory measure .

• No recognition: The deficits are deemed to be too great and cannot be compensated for. In the case of regulated professions, this means that the professional qualification is equivalent, but other requirements for admission to the profession are not met.

The recognition procedure is applied for directly at the competent authority. Who the competent authority is depends on the profession and place of work. It can be found online via the recognition finder here here.

Experience has shown that processing times are long and vary depending on the profession. The costs of the procedure also vary. Certified translations of documents are often required. It is highly recommended to seek advice on the recognition procedure in advance in order to prepare the application in the best possible way.

NOTE: With the support of an employer, the recognition procedure can also be applied for after the foreign national has entered the country. This is possible within the framework of a recognition partnership which enables simultaneous employment.

Documents such as certificates and employment references must be submitted to the competent authority for professional recognition. However, if documents are incomplete or even missing, a decision on recognition cannot be made. However, it may be possible to carry out a qualification analysis. The purpose of the skills analysis is to provide practical evidence of professional skills so that the competent authority can decide on professional recognition. This may involve a technical interview, a work sample or trial work in a company. The competent authority decides whether a skills analysis is possible and what form it takes. Fees are charged for the qualification analysis, which can vary greatly. If the skills analysis is successfully completed, you will receive a notification of full or partial recognition.

If you require a visa and are still abroad, you can obtain a special visa to carry out the qualification analysis. This requires

• an invitation from the competent authority to carry out a skills analysis,

• proof of German language skills of at least level A2,

• proof that your livelihood is secured for the duration of your stay: at least €1,091 per month (as of 2025) is required.

The visa is usually issued for 6 months and entitles the holder to work up to 20 hours per week. Anyone working in the professional field in which recognition is sought may work for an unlimited period of time. In this case, approval from the Federal Employment Agency is required.

Further general information on the qualification analysis can be found here. The Network Qualifications Analysis (NetQA) has also compiled a brochure that answers many questions on the subject. It can be downloaded here.

If it is decided in the recognition procedure that the qualification is only partially recognized, there are significant differences to training in Germany. However, these can be compensated for with a qualification.

If it is a non-regulated profession, this is referred to as an adaptation qualification. The applicant must register with a training company or business and have a training plan drawn up. This should be coordinated with the competent authority. If the adaptation qualification is successfully completed, a follow-up application for recognition can be submitted in order to obtain full professional recognition.

In the case of a regulated profession , the competent body will specify how the main differences can be compensated for. This is called a compensatory measure. These can be examinations or courses. If the compensation measure is successfully completed, equivalence is granted.

If you require a visa and are still abroad, you can obtain a visa for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. This requires

• a notice of recognition confirming partial recognition,

• registration for a qualification course,

• proof of German language skills of at least level A2,

• proof that your livelihood is secured: at least €1,091 per month (as of 2025) is required.

The residence permit is issued for up to 24 months and can be extended by 12 months, e.g. if an exam has to be retaken. Secondary employment is possible for up to 20 hours per week. If the activity is related to the professional field in which the recognition is sought, this employment can be pursued without a time limit. However, the Federal Employment Agency must approve the employment.

Further information on qualification measures can be found here.