Authority for Schools, Family and Vocational Training

Teachers with professional qualifications from third countries - apply for recognition

Prerequisites

• You have a professional qualification as a teacher from abroad.
• You want to work as a teacher in the chosen federal state.

To be employed in the school system, you must meet further requirements:

• You have German language skills at the required language level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The responsible body will inform you about the required language level.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable for work as a teacher and have no criminal record.
• Health suitability: You are healthy

Documents required

• Application form of the competent authority
• If there is no application form: an informal and signed application
• Proof of identity (passport or identity card)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• CV
• First school leaving certificate (if applicable, declaration of loss)
• Evidence of your professional qualifications (e.g. certificates, diplomas, professional certificates)
• Evidence of the content and duration of your training (e.g. Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records, examination regulations)
• Evidence of your other qualifications (e.g. professional training, seminars)
• Evidence of your professional experience as a teacher
• Information about an application for recognition that has already been submitted. Please state where you submitted the application.
• Perhaps: a declaration or proof that you want to work in the chosen federal state in the profession. Proof could be, for example, applications for a job.

The responsible authority will tell you which documents you must present in the original or submit as a copy. Some copies must be officially certified. We recommend that you do not send originals by post. You must submit your documents in the original language and in translation. The translations must be made by officially appointed or authorized translators. Additional documents are usually important for employment in the school system. You only have to submit these documents when you take part in a compensatory measure or when you are hired as a teacher:

• Proof of your German language skills: Language certificate
• Proof of your personal suitability: Certificate of good conduct from Germany or your country of origin (e.g. criminal record extract, Certificate of Good Standing).
• Proof of your health suitability: medical certificate

Please note

Opportunities for working as a teacher without recognition

There are different options for working as a teacher without recognition. The exact options you have also depend on which federal state you want to work in. The responsible authority will inform you. Options for working as a teacher without recognition are:

• Lateral entry
• Side entry
• Direct entry
• Working as a substitute teacher
• Working at a private school
• Working at international schools
• Lessons in the language of origin (mother tongue)
• Working in preparatory classes and support classes (e.g. German as a foreign language - DaF or German as a second language - DaZ)
• Working outside of a school (e.g. in adult education)

Partial access to the profession for professional qualifications from third countries:

Your professional qualifications are not equivalent and there are many significant differences? In some federal states, you may be able to work in the profession with partial professional access. With partial professional access, you can work in the profession without recognition. There are certain requirements for this. As a teacher, you are then only allowed to take on certain tasks. You apply for partial professional access at the responsible authority. The responsible authority will inform you.

Equivalence with the 1st State Examination:

Equivalence with the 1st state examination: In most federal states, you can have your professional qualification compared with the completion of the German teaching degree (1st state examination). If your professional qualification is equivalent to the 1st state examination, then admission is possible, e.g. adaptation qualification or aptitude test. The responsible authority will inform you

The preparatory service is the pedagogical-practical training. This training concludes with the 2nd state examination. The practical training is also called the traineeship.

If you successfully complete the preparatory service, you can apply to work as a teacher at a public school. You have the same professional rights as a person with a German professional qualification.

Procedure

You submit an application to the responsible authority. You can send the application by post or electronically. The responsible authority will inform you.

The responsible body receives the application. It will confirm to you after a maximum of one month that the application has been received. Once the responsible body has received all of your documents, it will process your application. The responsible body will then check: Is your professional qualification equivalent to the professional qualification in your state? The responsible body will compare the qualifications using certain criteria. Important criteria are the content and duration of the training. When checking equivalence, the responsible body will also take into account your professional experience, your other certificates of competence and your other qualifications.

If your professional qualification and the professional qualification in the chosen federal state are equivalent, you will receive recognition.

Sometimes there are significant differences between job qualifications. If there are significant differences, you may be able to make a compensatory measure.

• Adaptation course: You work as a teacher and perhaps do additional training at the State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development (LI)
• Aptitude test: You do lesson samples and oral exams. A lesson sample means: You conduct lessons with students. Examiners observe and assess your lessons. The responsible body will inform you about necessary lesson samples and exams.

You can usually choose between an adaptation course or an aptitude test. Sometimes the responsible body decides which compensatory measure you should complete. The responsible body will inform you. In some federal states you may not be able to take a compensatory measure. In this case you can complete an educational measure, e.g. an additional course of study and preparatory service. The responsible body will inform you about your options.

If you successfully complete the compensatory measure or educational measure, you will receive full equality. With equality, you can apply for a teaching position in your federal state.

If you meet all the requirements, you will receive the teaching qualification. The teaching qualification always applies to the teaching position applied for. This means that you can teach your subjects at a specific school. You have the same professional rights as a person with the German professional qualification.

There are various ways to work as a teacher without recognition, for example through a lateral entry, a sideways entry or at a private school. The responsible authority will inform you about the details

Processing time

The competent authority will confirm that your documents have arrived within a maximum of one month. The competent authority will inform you if any documents are missing. If the documents are complete, the process will take a maximum of 3 months. Sometimes the competent authority can extend the process.




Processing time: 3 months

Fees

The procedure may cost money. The costs depend on the effort required to check the documents. The responsible authority will inform you about the costs. Additional costs may also arise (e.g. for translations or certification of your documents). These costs vary from individual to individual.

Legal remedies

You can take legal action against the decision of the responsible authority. The decision will then be reviewed. Details of this procedure can be found in the legal remedy instructions at the end of your notice. We recommend that you speak to the responsible authority first before taking legal action against the decision.