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Recognition of qualificationsGermany

Anerkennungsverfahren (recognition procedure, Germany)

Definition

The Anerkennungsverfahren is the German procedure in which a competent authority checks whether a foreign professional qualification is equivalent to a German reference qualification. For regulated health professions such as doctor and nurse it is a legal requirement before you can be licensed, and it ends with a recognition notice.

Also called: recognition procedure Germany, Gleichwertigkeitsprüfung, Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellungsverfahren, Anerkennung ausländischer Berufsabschlüsse, foreign qualification recognition Germany

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What is the Anerkennungsverfahren?

Germany's official recognition portal describes it as the procedure in which the competent authority checks whether your foreign qualification is equivalent to the German reference occupation (Referenzberuf). It is also called a Gleichwertigkeitsprüfung or Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellung. The authority looks at the content and duration of your training and takes your professional experience into account.

Recognition is required for regulated professions, which include doctors, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, dentists and pharmacists. The federal recognition law (BQFG) covers many occupations, while health professions have their own laws, such as the Bundesärzteordnung and the Pflegeberufegesetz. Expert assessments for health professions often come from the Gutachtenstelle für Gesundheitsberufe (GfG) at the ZAB in Bonn, which advises the state authorities.

How the procedure works

  1. Find your reference occupation and authority in the Recognition Finder. Responsibility depends on your profession and the state where you want to work.
  2. Get advice from a recognition counselling centre before applying, especially about funding.
  3. Apply to the competent authority with the required documents. Some professions and states accept online applications.
  4. Acknowledgement: the authority confirms receipt and lists missing documents within one month.
  5. Assessment: once your documents are complete you receive a notice within three to four months at the latest, longer if a skills analysis is needed.
  6. Result: full recognition, or a notice listing substantial differences, often called a Defizitbescheid, which you can usually make up with a compensation measure.

Recognition of training is only part of the licence. For an Approbation or nursing licence you must also meet conditions on German language, health and reliability.

Which documents do you need?

  • The application form, or a written application in German.
  • Proof of identity.
  • Your diploma and evidence of the content and duration of training, such as a transcript or diploma supplement.
  • A tabular CV in German and evidence of professional experience.
  • For applicants from third countries, proof that you intend to work in Germany, such as a job application.

Translations must usually be made by publicly appointed or authorised translators. Send certified copies, never originals.

What it costs and how to speed it up

Fees are set by each state and authority. The Bezirksregierung Münster, for example, charges €150 to €700 for an Approbation decision. Translations and certifications cost extra. People living in Germany can apply for the federal recognition grant of up to €600 before applying. Employers can use the fast-track procedure for skilled workers through a central immigration office, which the portal says can shorten recognition to two months.

What are the possible outcomes?

For regulated professions the portal lists three: recognition, where your qualification is equivalent and you meet the other conditions; no recognition because substantial differences exist, which you can often make up; and no recognition although your qualification is equivalent, because you do not yet meet another condition such as language. Where documents are missing for reasons outside your control, the federal law allows other methods, such as work samples, technical interviews, practical and theoretical exams or expert reports (BQFG, section 14).

Questions

Yes. You can apply from abroad, and applicants from third countries usually show that they intend to work in Germany, for example with a job application. Some authorities accept online applications through the Recognition Finder.

The authority must confirm receipt within one month, and you should receive the notice within three to four months once your documents are complete. In practice some authorities warn of longer waits because of high demand.

Not for a regulated health profession. The ZAB itself says a Statement of Comparability is not sufficient for regulated professions, which need professional recognition from the competent authority.

For regulated professions you may be able to prove your knowledge through a test or adaptation period instead. For doctors, the Kenntnisprüfung applies where documents cannot be produced for reasons outside your control.

People living in Germany can apply for the recognition grant, which covers up to €600 of procedure costs and up to €3,000 for training. Employment agencies, job centres and employers may also pay. Apply for funding before applying for recognition.

Yes. The authority must consider professional experience when deciding whether substantial differences remain, and the notice records the experience taken into account.

Sources