Gleichwertigkeit von ausländischen Berufsqualifikationen in nichthandwerklichen Gewerbeberufen Feststellung

Do you have a training qualification from abroad? Then you can apply to the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in Germany for official recognition of your training qualification.

You can have a training qualification from abroad officially recognized in Germany by the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK). The procedure for recognition is called equivalence assessment.

The prerequisite is that your training qualification is officially recognized in the country in which you trained. Informal or non-formal qualifications cannot be officially recognized in Germany.

During the equivalence assessment, the IHK compares your training qualification with a specific German training qualification. The German training qualification must match your training qualification. Important criteria for the comparison are the content and duration of the training.
You will receive notification of the outcome of the procedure. The notification will state any existing and any missing professional qualifications.
The notification makes your foreign training qualification transparent for employers and thus increases your chances on the job market. 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.

There are around 350 different training qualifications in the area of the IHK in Germany. You can find a list of training qualifications on the IHK FOSA website, for example. To apply for an equivalence assessment, you must identify a German training qualification. This German training qualification must match your training qualification. This is why it is important to obtain detailed advice before submitting an application.

The local IHK will provide you with individual initial advice on

• application,
• procedure,
• costs,
• duration and
• possibilities for financial support.

You can also obtain information on the recognition of foreign qualifications from

• Advice centers of the IQ network ("Integration through Qualification"),
• the employment services, for example the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) at the Federal Employment Agency and
• other local authorities.

You submit the application to the IHK responsible for you. There are 79 IHKs in Germany. For 76 IHKs in Germany, the IHK FOSA in Nuremberg is responsible for the central equivalence assessment. Exceptions are the IHK Hannover, the IHK Braunschweig and the IHK Wuppertal-Solingen-Remscheid.
You can also apply for equivalence assessment from abroad.
For qualifications from Austria and France, there is the possibility of a simplified equivalence assessment, as special agreements exist with these countries. You must contact your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce for this.

Please note:
As an employer in Germany, you can apply for an accelerated skilled worker procedure for skilled workers from third countries. You apply for the procedure with the authorization of the skilled worker at the responsible immigration authority at your company headquarters in Germany. Among other things, this accelerated skilled worker procedure speeds up the equivalence assessment at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. There are additional fees for the accelerated skilled worker procedure.

For the standard procedure:

• Proof of identity, for example in the form of an identity card, passport or change of name
• Curriculum vitae
• Degree certificate including list of subjects
• Proof of relevant professional experience, for example in the form of job references, work books
• Other proof of qualifications such as courses, retraining, further training
• Contents of the training, in particular the framework curriculum
• Information on any application for equivalence assessment that has already been submitted.
  • Then state the body to which you have submitted the application.
• You do not yet live or work in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland? Then you must prove that you want to work in the profession in Germany. Proof can be, for example
  • Applications for jobs,
  • invitations to job interviews,
  • a personal statement about your plans or
  • proof of a location consultation from the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA).

For the accelerated skilled worker procedure:

• Documents for the standard procedure
• Additional documents may be requested by the IHK in the course of the recognition procedure. This is usually due to country-specific features of your training.

The IHK will inform you of the form in which you must submit the documents. In most cases, you will need to submit simple copies.
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 sworn translators.
In the accelerated procedure for skilled workers, all communication takes place via the responsible immigration authority.

• You have a state-recognized training qualification from abroad.
• The qualification must be equivalent to a German qualification recognized by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
• You want to work in Germany.

You submit the application for equivalence assessment together with all the necessary documents to the relevant Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the IHK checks the equivalence of the training qualification:

• The IHK compares your foreign training qualification with the German training qualification.
• If your training qualification is equivalent, the IHK will recognize it. You will receive a notice of equivalence (notice of recognition).
• If there are significant differences to the German training qualification, the IHK will also check the professional experience you have demonstrated or other relevant evidence, such as further training. In many cases, full equivalence can be established in this way.
• If the IHK does not determine full equivalence, it will not recognize the training qualification. You will receive a notification of the differences to the German training qualification. You can use this notification to gain further qualifications and later submit a new application for equivalence assessment.
• If your training qualification is not equivalent at all, the IHK will reject your application.

• objection
• Administrative court action

You can take legal action against the IHK's decision. The decision will then be reviewed. We recommend that you talk to the IHK first before taking legal action against the decision.

• Equivalence of foreign professional qualifications in non-trade professions Determination
• Official recognition of foreign training qualifications in Germany is carried out via equivalence assessment in accordance with the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG) or more specialized professional law
• Application independent of
  • nationality,
  • residence or
  • residence status
• Applications can also be submitted from abroad
• Advice on professional recognition and the appropriate German training qualification is available from the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and other advice centers
• IHKs are responsible for determining equivalence
  • For most IHKs in Germany, the IHK FOSA ("Foreign Skills Approval") in Nuremberg is centrally responsible for determining equivalence
  • Exceptions: IHK Hanover, IHK Braunschweig and Wuppertal-Solingen-Remscheid
• Employers in Germany who wish to hire a skilled worker from a third country can apply for an accelerated skilled worker procedure at the foreigners authority with the skilled worker's authorization.
  • The accelerated skilled worker procedure includes the procedure for recognizing the foreign professional qualification.
  • In the accelerated skilled worker procedure, shorter deadlines apply for the equivalence assessment at the IHK.
• Responsible: Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK)