Anyone who has a foreign professional qualification must generally undergo arecognition procedurein order to be considered a skilled worker in Germany and to be able to pursue qualified employment. The competent authority checks whether the foreign professional qualification is equivalent to German training.
For certain residence permits, however, proof that the vocational training is recognized by the state in the country of origin is sufficient. 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 . Details on how to apply can be found on the ZAB homepage here. Documents such as the vocational school certificate may also need to be translated.
ATTENTION: The Digital Information on Vocational Qualifications does not certify the equivalence of foreign vocational training with domestic vocational training, which is necessary, for example, to obtain a residence permit as a skilled worker with vocational training or a residence permit for qualified tolerated persons.
The DAB is relevant in the case of a Residence permit for experienced professionals and a recognition partnership. As part of a recognition partnership, an employer can already employ the foreign person as a skilled worker while the 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)
