In Germany there are Regulated professionsthat have a Recognition of the foreign qualification before you are allowed to work in them. This recognition is checked and confirmed by various authorities.
1. regulated professions (recognition required)
For certain professions, a state recognition is mandatory. Without this, you are not allowed to practice the profession in Germany. These include above all Professions in the healthcare, education and security sectors.
Medical and nursing professions
- Doctors (medical license required)
- Dentists
- Pharmacist
- Psychotherapists
- Nurses and geriatric nurses
- Midwives
- Emergency paramedic
Professions in the education sector
- Teacher
- Educator
- Social pedagogues
Technical professions with safety relevance
- Engineers (in certain disciplines, e.g. civil engineers)
- Architects
- Electricians (in certain areas)
Law and administration
- Lawyers (e.g. attorneys, judges)
- Interpreters and translators for official documents
Professions in transportation
- Pilots
- Ship captains
For these professions, a Equivalence test of the foreign qualification must take place before a Permission to practice the profession is issued in Germany.
2. non-regulated professions (recognition not mandatory, but advantageous)
Formal recognition is not required in many professions, but is often helpful. Employers can decide for themselves whether to hire an applicant with a foreign qualification. Examples are
- Computer scientists (software developers, IT consultants)
- Commercial professions (office clerk, industrial clerk, marketing expert)
- Craft trades (carpenter, painter, hairdresser)
- Catering professions (cook, waiter, hotel management)
- Artists and designers
- Journalists and editors
For these professions a Recognition of qualification not mandatorybut can be useful for better job opportunities and salary negotiations.
3. how is the recognition carried out?
- Check professional affiliation: You can use the "Recognition in Germany" portal to check whether the profession is regulated.
- Find the responsible office: Depending on the profession, different authorities are responsible for recognition (e.g. Chamber of Physicians, Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Chamber of Crafts).
- Submit documents: These include certificates, training certificates, work experience and sometimes language certificates.
- Equivalence test: The competent authority checks whether the foreign qualification is comparable with the German qualification.
- Recognition or adaptation measures: If the qualification is not fully recognized, further training or examinations may be required.
