Anerkennung als Kindheitspädagogin oder Kindheitspädagoge mit Berufsqualifikation aus dem Ausland beantragen

You would like to work permanently as a childhood educator in Germany? Then you need to have your foreign professional qualification recognized.

The profession of childhood educator is regulated in Germany. This means: You have to prove a certain qualification to be allowed to work in the profession. If you have a foreign professional qualification as a childhood educator, you can work in this profession in the chosen federal state under certain conditions. To do this, you must submit an application with all the necessary documents to the relevant state authority.

In the recognition procedure, the office compares your professional qualification from abroad with the professional qualification in the chosen federal state and makes an equivalence determination.

You will receive feedback after your application has been reviewed. If your professional qualification is equivalent and you meet the other requirements, you will receive state recognition. Then you may use the professional title "state-approved childhood educator".

If you lack professional qualifications for recognition, the notice will state the essential differences. You can then take a compensatory measure.

• Application form
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of identity (identity card or passport)
• Proof of your professional qualification
• Proof of education
• Evidence of professional experience as a childhood educator
• Proof of other qualifications
• Certificate that the profession may be practiced in the country of training
• Information on applications for recognition that have already been submitted. Then indicate the office to which you have submitted the application.
  

You usually hand in these documents later. The competent body will inform you when to hand in the documents:

• Proof of your personal suitability: for example, criminal record excerpt or certificate of good conduct.
• Proof of your health suitability: medical certificate
• Proof of your German language skills: Language certificate
  

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 authorized.

• Equivalence of your professional qualification
• You must be authorized to practice the profession in the country of training.

For the state recognition you still have to fulfill the other requirements. These are usually:

• Personal suitability: you are reliable to work as a childhood educator and have no criminal record.
• Health suitability: you are mentally and physically able to work in the profession.
• You have German language skills at the required level.

You can submit the application to the competent state authority. You must submit all the necessary documents in the form of copies to the competent body.

The competent body will then check: Is your professional qualification equivalent to the professional qualification in your federal state? The content of the training and the duration of the training, for example, are important for the comparison. The competent body also takes into account your professional experience, other certificates of competence and qualifications.

The competent body then checks the other requirements. If your professional qualification is equivalent and you meet all other requirements, you will receive state recognition. You may then use the professional title "state-approved childhood educator".

If the competent authority cannot determine equivalence, you will receive a notice with an explanation of the essential differences. To compensate for substantial differences, you can take a compensatory measure.

If you successfully complete the compensatory measure and meet the other requirements, you will receive state recognition.

There is no deadline.

The application shall be denied if the applicant has been convicted by a final court decision of a criminal offense committed intentionally and this results in the applicant's unsuitability to practice the profession. The state recognition shall be revoked if the reason for refusal subsequently occurs. The state recognition shall be withdrawn if it subsequently becomes known that the prerequisites for granting it were not met.

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent body within a certain period (action before the administrative court). The decision will then be reviewed. Details on this can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first talk to the responsible office before taking legal action against the decision.

• Permission to use the professional title of childhood pedagogue in the case of professional qualification issued from abroad.
• The profession is regulated. This means that you have to prove a certain qualification in order to be allowed to work in the profession.
• The responsible office will check the equivalence of your professional qualification.
• Documents to be submitted: curriculum vitae, proof of identity, proof of your professional qualification, proof of training, professional experience as a child pedagogue, other qualifications, information on applications already submitted.
• Confirmation of receipt of the application will be issued one month after the application is submitted. Any missing documents will be requested.
• Processing time: 3 months from receipt of all necessary documents. In certain cases, the competent body may extend the procedure.
• If significant differences are found, a compensatory measure can be made.