Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

Apply for recognition of a foreign professional qualification as a social pedagogue or social worker

Prerequisites

• You have completed training abroad.
• You are authorized to practice the profession in the country in which you completed your training.
• Your training is equivalent to training as a social pedagogue or social worker in Germany.

Documents required

• Application
• CV
• Proof of identity (identity card or passport)
• Registration certificate or employer's certificate (Hamburg)
• Proof of your professional qualifications (certificate, certificate, transcript of records)

Please note

Deadlines

No

Procedure

• You submit your application along with the necessary documents to the responsible authority.
• The responsible office will review your application for completeness. If any documents or information are missing, you will receive feedback.
• The competent authority will check whether the requirements are met and, in particular, whether your foreign professional qualification is equivalent to a German professional qualification.
• The responsible body will inform you of the results of the examination in writing.
  • If the competent authority considers your professional qualifications equivalent, you will receive state recognition. You will then be permitted to use the professional title and work in that profession.
  • If the responsible body does not consider your training to be equivalent, they will inform you of the reasons for this decision. You may then be able to complete a compensatory measure to offset the differences. If you can compensate for the differences, you will receive state recognition.

Processing time

The responsible authority will confirm receipt of your application within one month. Once you have submitted all the required documents, you will receive a notification with the outcome within three months at the latest. In certain cases, the responsible authority may extend the process.

Fees

281.95 EUR (as of August 2025)

Legal remedies

Contradiction

Legal basis

Hamburg Law on the Determination of the Equivalence of Foreign Professional Qualifications (HmbBQG)


https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-BQFGHArahmen


Law on the State Recognition of Social Workers and Childhood Educators (SozAnerkG HA)


https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-SozAnerkGHA2013rahmen