Almost every migrant faces the problem of having his or her school-leaving certificate, vocational training or university degree recognized in Germany. There are different institutions for this.
For school-leaving qualifications (Hauptschule and Realschule, general or subject-linked higher education entrance qualification), you can contact the certificate recognition offices of the federal states or universities. In Baden-Württemberg, this office is located in Stuttgart. (https://rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de/rps/abt7/zeugnisanerkennungsstelle/) However, evaluations are only available for degrees that are required to begin vocational training or to apply to a university.
To find out which body is responsible for recognizing vocational qualifications, visit the “Recognition Finder” pages at https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/weiterleitung/1463059436145 and https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/weiterleitung/1478803327019. The recognition office itself can be found at https://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/de/interest/finder/profession.
But first you should check whether a particular occupation needs to be recognized in Germany at all. This is the case, for example, for the so-called regulated professions—such as teachers, doctors or judges. Foreign qualifications are compared with German qualifications during the review process. An overview of the regulated professions can be found at: https://web.arbeitsagentur.de/berufenet/ergebnisseite/reglementierte-berufe?berufecluster=reglementiert.
The next step is to gather all certificates, diplomas and proofs that support the qualifications. If the papers are not available or the documents are not sufficient for recognition, the counseling centers for the legal integration of refugees and third-country nationals in the IQ Network for Labor Law will help. https://www.netzwerk-iq.de/angebote/eingewanderte
The fourth step is about translations. In some cases, it must be confirmed that the evidence has been translated correctly and completely. This can only be done by an authorized translator. Contact details can be found, for example, in the database of interpreters and translators https://www.justiz-uebersetzer.de/Recherche/. Sometimes it is necessary to have copies certified: For this, one can turn to district offices, city halls, courts, notaries or the offices of the Federal Employment Agency.
Then, finally, the documents can be submitted to the competent authority for recognition. For this purpose, originals almost never have to be submitted; (certified) copies are usually sufficient. If in doubt, ask for confirmation. The decision will later state the extent to which your degree is equivalent to a German diploma. If the degree is only classified as partially equivalent, there is the possibility of gaining additional qualifications. The Federal Employment Agency knows the exact conditions.
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Arbeitsamt in Tübingen. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Martin Klaus.
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