If you come from a third country and have a foreign professional qualification, you generally have to complete a recognition procedure in order to be considered a skilled worker in Germany. The competent authority will check whether your professional qualification is equivalent to German training.
For certain residence permits, however, it is sufficient to prove that your vocational training is recognized by the state in your country of origin. This is certified by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). It can issue a so-called Digital Information on Professional Qualifications (DAB) for foreign training qualifications.
The DAB certifies whether training has been successfully completed, is recognized in the country of origin and has been completed full-time for at least two years. The DAB is applied for online, is subject to a fee (€150) and takes approx. 2 months to process . You can find details on how to apply on the ZAB homepage here. Documents such as the vocational school certificate may also need to be translated.
ATTENTION: The digital information on professional qualifications does not certify the equivalence of foreign vocational training with domestic vocational training, which is necessary, for example, for obtaining a visa for skilled workers from third countries. It is relevant in the case of the opportunity card, a recognition partnership and a visa for experienced professionals.
Thanks to the newly created opportunities for skilled workers to immigrate, it is possible, for example, to enter Germany via an opportunity card without having gone through a recognition procedure. You can then look for an employer locally. If the employer is willing to enter into a recognition partnership, they may be able to employ you as a skilled worker while your recognition procedure is still ongoing.
INFOBOX
Important contacts/points of contact:
SAMM – Service Centre for Work and Migration in Central Saxony
Tel.: +49 (0) 3731 799 -3697 | -4622
Email: samm@landkreis-mittelsachsen.de
Website: https://welcome-mittelsachsen.de/
Visiting address:
Am Rotvorwerk 3
09599 Freiberg (Zug district)
