Apprenticeships are the responsibility of the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK), have foreign professional qualifications recognised

Prerequisites

• You have a state-recognized qualification from abroad. The training qualification must be able to be assigned to a German training qualification in the area of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
• You want to work in Germany.

Documents required

For the standard procedure:

• Proof of identity (ID card, passport, change of name)
• CV
• Certificate of completion including a list of subjects
• Evidence of relevant professional experience (employment references, work books)
• Other qualifications (courses, retraining, further training)
• Content of the training (in particular the framework curriculum)
• Information about any application for equivalence that has already been submitted. Then indicate to which office you submitted the application.
• If you are not yet working in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, then you must prove that you want to work in Germany in the profession. Evidence can be, for example: Applications for jobs and invitations to job interviews, a personal statement about your project, evidence of location advice from the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA).

For the accelerated procedure for skilled workers:

• Documents for the standard procedure
• additionally a power of attorney according to § 81a Residence Act (AufenthG)

The Chamber of Industry and Commerce may request additional documents in the course of the recognition process. This is usually due to country-specific features of your training.
The Chamber of Industry and Commerce will inform you of the form in which you must submit the documents.
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 sworn.

Please note

No

Deadlines

• Sometimes documents are still missing in the process. The IHK will then inform you by when you have to submit the documents.


• If you wish to take legal action against the IHK's decision, you can lodge a written objection within 4 weeks of receiving the decision.

Procedure

The application for a determination of equivalence together with all the necessary documents is received by the responsible Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the IHK checks the equivalence of the training qualification:

• The IHK compares your foreign training qualification with the German training qualification.
• If your qualification is equivalent, it will be recognised. You will receive the notice of equivalence (recognition notice).
• If there are significant differences to the German training qualification, the proven professional experience or other relevant evidence (e.g. further training) will also be checked. In many cases full equivalence can be established.
• If full equivalence cannot be determined, the training qualification will not be recognised. You will receive notification of the differences to the German training qualification. With this decision, you can gain further qualifications and later submit a new application for a determination of equivalence.
• If your qualification is not equivalent at all, the application will be rejected.

Processing time

In the standard procedure:


The IHK will confirm receipt of your documents within one month. At the same time, the competent authority will inform you whether and, if so, which documents are missing. The notification of fees with the necessary payment information is also enclosed with the letter.


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




In the accelerated procedure for skilled workers:


The IHK will confirm receipt of your documents within 2 weeks. The Chamber of Industry and Commerce will inform you whether and, if so, which documents are missing. The notification of fees with the necessary payment information is also enclosed with the letter.


If all the necessary documents are available, the process should take a maximum of 2 months. In individual cases, the procedure can be extended once. In the accelerated procedure for skilled workers, all communication takes place via the responsible foreigners authority.

Fees

For the standard procedure:


Budget: EUR 100 - 600


For the accelerated procedure for skilled workers:


Budget: EUR 500 - 1,200


You may also incur additional costs personally (e.g. for translations or certifications). These costs vary from person to person.

Legal remedies

• contradiction


• administrative lawsuit

Legal basis

For the standard procedure:


§ 50a Vocational Training Act (BBiG)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bbig_2005/__50a.html


Sections 2-7, Section 8 Paragraph 1 No. 1 of the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG)

http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bqfg/__2.html




For the accelerated procedure for skilled workers:


§ 81a Residence Act (AufenthG)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__81a.html


§ 50a Vocational Training Act

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bbig_2005/__50a.html


Sections 2-7, Section 8 Paragraph 1 No. 1, Section 14a of the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG)

http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bqfg/__2.html

You can have a training qualification from abroad officially recognized in Germany by the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK). The procedure for recognition is called: Equivalency assessment (BQFG).
Please note: Your training qualification must be state-recognized in the country where you are training. Informal or non-formal qualifications cannot be officially recognized in Germany.
When determining equivalence, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) compares your training qualification with a specific German training qualification. The German training qualification must match your training qualification. Important criteria in the comparison are the content and duration of the training.
You will be notified of the outcome of the process. The notification lists existing and possibly still missing professional qualifications.
The notification makes your foreign training qualification transparent for the employing company and thus increases your chances on the job market. For skilled workers abroad outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, a recognition procedure is usually a prerequisite for the issuance of a visa.
There are around 350 different training qualifications in the area of the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in Germany. You can find a list of training qualifications, for example, on the IHK FOSA website. To apply for equivalency assessment, you must provide proof of a German qualification. This German training qualification must match your training qualification. That is why it is important to get detailed advice before making an application.
You can get individual initial advice on the application, procedure, costs and duration as well as financial support options from the local chambers of industry and commerce (IHK). The advice centers of the network IQ (“Integration through Qualification”), the labor administration and other municipal offices provide information on the recognition of foreign qualifications.
You can also apply for equivalence assessment from abroad.
With degrees from Austria and France, there is the possibility of a simplified assessment of equivalence, as there are special agreements with these countries. To do this, you must contact your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
A notice:
As an employer in Germany, you can apply for an accelerated procedure for skilled workers from third countries. You apply for the procedure with the power of attorney of the specialist at the responsible foreigners authority at your company headquarters in Germany. In this accelerated skilled worker process, among other things, the determination of equivalence at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce is accelerated. Additional fees apply for the accelerated specialist procedure.