Handwerk: Feststellung der Gleichwertigkeit für Berufe im Handwerk mit Berufsqualifikation aus dem Ausland beantragen

There are around 200 different occupations in the skilled trades in Germany. A specific professional qualification is required for 41 professions in the skilled trades.

There are around 200 different professions in the skilled trades in Germany.

For 41 professions in the skilled trades, you need a specific professional qualification. These are the "trades requiring a license". Only with the necessary professional qualification may you work independently in these professions on a permanent basis. Further regulations apply to these 41 regulated professions.

All other trades are not regulated. This means that if you want to work in these professions on a permanent basis, you do not need a specific professional qualification.
You do not have to have your foreign professional qualification recognized. However, you do have the right to a recognition procedure. The procedure is called "equivalence assessment". An equivalence assessment has advantages for you:

• At the end of the procedure, you will receive a notice of equivalence. The notification is proof of your professional qualification.
• The decision is an official and legally binding document. You and your employer can rely on its contents.
• The certificate increases your chances on the job market. Employers can better assess your professional qualification with the certificate.

The authorities responsible for determining equivalence in the skilled crafts sector are the regional chambers of skilled crafts or the chambers of industry and commerce.
The competent bodies will advise you before you submit your application and identify the right occupation for you in the skilled trades sector.

The responsible office will tell you which documents you need to submit. Important documents are generally

• Proof of identity (passport or identity card)
• List in tabular form of your training and professional experience (curriculum vitae)
• Proof of training
• Certificate of the type and duration of relevant professional experience
• a declaration that you have not yet submitted an application for equivalence assessment
• Possibly proof that you wish to work in Germany

The competent authority will inform you which documents you must submit in the original or as a certified copy.
You must submit your documents in German. The translations must be made by publicly appointed or authorized translators.

• You have formal training in a skilled trade from abroad.
• You would like to work in Germany in the profession in question.

The procedure costs money. The responsible office will inform you of the costs. The costs generally depend on the time and effort required for processing.

Additional costs may also be incurred (e.g. for translations or notarization of your documents). These costs vary from case to case.

• You submit a written "Application for equivalence assessment" with the necessary documents to the competent body.
• For professional qualifications from the EU/EEA/Switzerland: You can submit the application and the documents directly to the competent body or to the Single Point of Contact. You can also submit the application electronically via the Point of Single Contact.
• The competent body will then compare your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification and check the equivalence. If your professional qualification is equivalent, it will be recognized. You will receive the notification of equivalence (notification of recognition) in the post.
• If your professional qualification is not equivalent, it will not be recognized. You will receive notification of the differences in your foreign professional qualification. You can use this decision to gain further qualifications and later submit a new application for equivalence assessment.
• You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority. The decision will then be reviewed. We recommend that you first speak to the competent authority before taking legal action against the decision.

The responsible office will confirm that your documents have arrived after a maximum of one month. The competent office will inform you if any documents are missing.

If all the necessary documents are available, the procedure will take a maximum of 3 months.
In individual cases, the procedure may be extended once.

None. Sometimes documents are still missing from the procedure. The responsible office will then inform you by when you must submit the documents.

• Qualification analysis
  Have you completed formal training but cannot provide all the necessary documents? Then you may be allowed to undergo a qualification analysis. This means that you can provide practical proof of your professional skills. The relevant authorities will inform you.
• Procedure for late repatriates
  As a late repatriate, you can go through the recognition procedure either according to the laws mentioned here or according to the Federal Expellee Act. You can decide for yourself.

• There are around 200 different professions in the skilled trades in Germany.
• A specific professional qualification is required for 41 professions in the skilled trades. Only with this professional qualification can you work independently in these professions on a permanent basis.
• No specific professional qualification is required for all other trades.
• However, you have the right to a procedure for the recognition of a foreign professional qualification in the skilled crafts sector.
• The procedure is called "equivalence assessment".
• An equivalence assessment improves your chances on the German labor market.
• The regional chambers of skilled crafts or chambers of industry and commerce are responsible for determining equivalence in the skilled crafts sector.

The Schwerin Chamber of Crafts is the competent body for vocational training regulated by the Crafts Code

• Forms: Forms can be obtained from the responsible office.
• Online procedure possible: Via the Single Point of Contact
• Written form requirement: possibly
• Personal appearance required: no