Eintragung in die Handwerksrolle mit ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen auf Grundlage einer Gleichwertigkeitsfeststellung

If you would like to practise a craft subject to authorisation on your own, you can determine the equivalence of your professional qualification acquired abroad with a domestic master craftsman qualification and then be entered in the register of craftsmen.

The entry in the register of craftsmen is necessary if you want to operate a craft in Germany that requires approval.
This also applies if:

• You wish to independently exercise a substantial part of a craft subject to licensing.
• You want to practice several crafts subject to approval independently. In this case, you need to be entered in the register of craftsmen for each craft subject to approval.

Registration in the Register of Craftsmen is possible for:

• natural or legal persons, and
• partnerships with legal capacity.

In addition to the company, the management is recorded in the register of craftsmen. The management of a craft business must have the professional prerequisites for the exercise of the craft subject to licensing. Both the owner of a craft business and salaried persons can be considered as managers. As proof of qualification, a master craftsman's certificate for the respective craft, but also an equivalent domestic or foreign professional qualification can be considered. In this respect, it is possible to have the equivalence of a professional qualification acquired abroad with a domestic master craftsman qualification determined:

• You will receive the equivalence assessment if you have obtained proof of training abroad which – taking into account other qualifications – is equivalent to the master craftsman's examination in the craft to be operated.
• This procedure applies regardless of nationality and to all professional qualifications, regardless of where they were obtained.

With the equivalence determination, you must be entered in the register of craftsmen.
 

1. Sole proprietorship:

• Copy of identity card or comparable identification document
• Submission of the decision on the determination of equivalence
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)

1. Companies under civil law (GbR):

• Copies of the identity card or comparable identification documents of the partners or authorised representatives
• Copy of the articles of association (unless informally concluded)
• Submission of the decision on the determination of equivalence
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)

1. Commercial partnerships with legal capacity – general partnership (OHG), limited partnership (KG) and corresponding foreign company forms:

• Copies of identity cards or comparable identification documents of the shareholders or authorised representatives
• for proof of entrepreneurial legal form at company headquarters in Germany:
  • for companies entered in the commercial register: extract from the register, for the OHG additionally a copy of the articles of association
  • if no registration has been made: copy of the articles of association
• for proof of the entrepreneurial legal form for foreign legal forms:
  • Extract from the register of the competent foreign register for companies entered in registers, otherwise copy of the articles of association
• Submission of the decision on the determination of equivalence
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)

1. Legal entities – Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH), haftungsbeschränkte Unternehmergesellschaft (UG), Aktiengesellschaft (AG), eingetragene Genossenschaft (eG):

• Copies of identity cards or comparable identification documents of authorised representatives
• for proof of entrepreneurial legal form:
• if the company is domiciled in Germany: extract from the commercial or cooperative register
• for foreign legal forms: extract from the register of the competent foreign register
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted later after entry in the register of craftsmen)
• Management details

1. When employing a manager, the following documents must also be submitted:

• Plant manager's declaration
• Proof of management activity (copy of employment contract)
• Proof of social security of the management
• Submission of the decision on the determination of equivalence

• As part of the equivalence assessment, it is examined whether the evidence of formal qualifications acquired abroad – taking into account other qualifications – is equivalent to the domestic master craftsman's examination in the desired craft.
• If necessary, the applicant's knowledge and skills can be verified by means of suitable procedures such as work samples, expert discussions and practical and theoretical tests.
• If the proven professional qualifications are not equivalent, participation in an adaptation period or passing an aptitude test may be considered in order to compensate for the deficits identified.

The specific fee results from the schedule of fees of the Chamber of Crafts, which is available on the website of the Chamber
is available.

You must apply for entry in the Register of Craftsmen online or in writing at the Chamber of Crafts responsible for you.
Online application:

• Various administrative portals of the federal states offer an online application.
• In addition, the chambers of crafts offer online access to their administrative procedures.

Written request:

• Go to the website of your local Chamber of Crafts and download the application forms. You are also welcome to contact your Chamber of Crafts directly and have the necessary documents sent to you.
• Fill out the forms completely and send it to your local Chamber of Crafts together with the required documents.  
• On the basis of the certificate, the Chamber of Crafts checks whether the focus of the qualification corresponds to the craft to be practised. In cases of doubt, both evidence of individual achievements (such as seminar papers or diploma theses) in training as well as framework curricula or training regulations can be consulted and examined.
• After checking your documents, you will receive a notification of the entry if the requirements are met.
• Together with the notification of registration, the company receives the so-called craft card.
   

Note for further information on processing time:

• The competent authority must acknowledge receipt of the documents within 2 weeks and inform you if any documents are missing.
• In the case of complete documents, a decision on your application should be made within 2 months.
• The time limit may be reasonably extended once if justified by the specificities of the matter.
• In addition, a time limit is suspended if additional information on the content and duration of a submitted evidence of formal qualifications is required.

You can only practise a craft subject to authorisation once you have been entered in the register of craftsmen. The equivalence determination prior to the actual entry in the register of craftsmen is time-consuming and should therefore be applied for at an early stage.

• Register of craftsmen Registration of persons with professional qualifications acquired abroad on the basis of an equivalence assessment
• for the exercise of a craft subject to licensing, there is a legal obligation to be entered in the register of the Register of Craftsmen
• Entry in the Register of Craftsmen is possible for:
• natural or legal persons
• and partnerships with legal capacity
• as a rule, a successfully completed master craftsman's examination must be available for entry in the register of craftsmen
• Equivalence determination possible for nationals of other countries: possibility to have the equivalence of a professional qualification acquired abroad with a domestic master craftsman's qualification in crafts subject to authorisation determined
• Registration in the register of craftsmen must also be available for the management of the company
• Application form for download on the website of the responsible Chamber of Crafts or online application via administrative portals
• Fees result from the schedule of fees of the respective Chamber of Crafts, which can be viewed on the Chamber's website.
• Responsible: Chamber of Crafts in whose district the commercial establishment is located
   

Please contact the Chamber of Crafts in whose district the commercial establishment is located.