Anerkennung als Sozialpädagogin oder Sozialarbeiterin und Sozialpädagoge oder Sozialarbeiter mit Berufsausbildung aus dem Ausland beantragen

You would like to work permanently in Germany as a social pedagogue/social worker? Then you need to have your foreign professional qualification recognized.

The profession of social pedagogue or social worker 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 social pedagogue or social worker, 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 authority 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 social pedagogue" or "state-approved social worker".

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

• Application
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of identity (identity card or passport)
• Proof of your professional qualification
• Proof of education
• Proof of professional experience as a social pedagogue or social worker
• 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 mostly:

• Personal suitability: you are reliable for work as a social pedagogue or social worker 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 original or in the form of certified copies to the competent body. The competent body will then check: Is your professional qualification equivalent to the professional qualification in your federal state? For the comparison, the content of the training and the duration of the training are important, for example. 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 social pedagogue" or "state-approved social worker".

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.

You can take legal action (e.g. file an appeal) against the decision of the responsible office within a certain period. The decision will then be reviewed. Details on this can be found in the appeal instructions 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 social pedagogue or social pedagogue/social worker 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 competent body or a body appointed by it checks the equivalence of your professional qualification.
• Documents to be submitted: curriculum vitae, proof of identity, proof of education, professional experience as a social pedagogue or social pedagogue/social worker, 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 subsequently.
• 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.