Training occupations under the jurisdiction of the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK), have foreign professional qualifications recognized

Source: Serviceportal Rheinland-Pfalz

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 equivalence assessment.

The prerequisite is that your training qualification is officially recognized in the country in which you trained. Informal or non-formal qualifications cannot be officially recognized in Germany.

During the equivalence assessment, the IHK compares your training qualification with a specific German training qualification. The German training qualification must match your training qualification. Important criteria for the comparison are the content and duration of the training.
You will receive notification of the outcome of the procedure. The notification will state any existing and any missing professional qualifications.
The notification makes your foreign training qualification transparent for employers 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 obtaining a visa.

There are around 350 different training qualifications in the area of the IHK in Germany. You can find a list of training qualifications on the IHK FOSA website, for example. To apply for an equivalence assessment, you must identify a German training qualification. This German training qualification must match your training qualification. This is why it is important to obtain detailed advice before submitting an application.

The local IHK will provide you with individual initial advice on

application,
procedure,
costs,
duration and
possibilities for financial support.

You can also obtain information on the recognition of foreign qualifications from

Advice centers of the IQ network ("Integration through Qualification"),
the employment services, for example the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) at the Federal Employment Agency and
other local authorities.

You submit the application to the IHK responsible for you. There are 79 IHKs in Germany. For 76 IHKs in Germany, the IHK FOSA in Nuremberg is responsible for the central equivalence assessment. Exceptions are the IHK Hannover, the IHK Braunschweig and the IHK Wuppertal-Solingen-Remscheid.
You can also apply for equivalence assessment from abroad.
For qualifications from Austria and France, there is the possibility of a simplified equivalence assessment, as special agreements exist with these countries. You must contact your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce for this.

Please note:
As an employer in Germany, you can apply for an accelerated skilled worker procedure for skilled workers from third countries. You apply for the procedure with the authorization of the skilled worker at the responsible immigration authority at your company headquarters in Germany. Among other things, this accelerated skilled worker procedure speeds up the equivalence assessment at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. There are additional fees for the accelerated skilled worker procedure.

You submit the application for equivalence assessment together with all the necessary documents to the relevant 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 training qualification is equivalent, the IHK will recognize it. You will receive a notice of equivalence (notice of recognition).
If there are significant differences to the German training qualification, the IHK will also check the professional experience you have demonstrated or other relevant evidence, such as further training. In many cases, full equivalence can be established in this way.
If the IHK does not determine full equivalence, it will not recognize the training qualification. You will receive a notification of the differences to the German training qualification. You can use this notification to gain further qualifications and later submit a new application for equivalence assessment.
If your training qualification is not equivalent at all, the IHK will reject your application.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, please contact your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).

You can find the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) responsible for you in the "Recognition Finder" on the "Recognition in Germany" portal.
Enter the German training qualification for which you would like to apply for recognition.

Alternatively, you can contact the Single Point of Contact in Rhineland-Palatinate.The Single Point of Contact is a public body through which you can handle all administrative procedures and formalities required for the commencement and exercise of your service activity and for the recognition of a foreign professional qualification. Further information can be found on the website of the Point of Single Contact.

For the standard procedure:

Proof of identity, for example in the form of an identity card, passport or change of name
Curriculum vitae
Degree certificate including list of subjects
Proof of relevant professional experience, for example in the form of job references, work books
Other proof of qualifications such as courses, retraining, further training
Contents of the training, in particular the framework curriculum
Information on any application for equivalence assessment that has already been submitted.
- Then state the body to which you have submitted the application.
You do not yet live or work in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland? Then you must prove that you want to work in the profession in Germany. Proof can be, for example
- Applications for jobs,
- invitations to job interviews,
- a personal statement about your plans or
- proof of a location consultation from the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA).

For the accelerated skilled worker procedure:

Documents for the standard procedure
Additional documents may be requested by the IHK in the course of the recognition procedure. This is usually due to country-specific features of your training.

The IHK will inform you of the form in which you must submit the documents. In most cases, you will need to submit simple copies.
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 translators.
In the accelerated procedure for skilled workers, all communication takes place via the responsible immigration authority.

Fee: 100,00 - 600,00 EUR
Payment in advance: no
For the standard procedure. You may also incur additional costs, for example for translations or notarizations. These costs vary from case to case.

Fee: 500,00 - 1200,00 EUR
Payment in advance: no
For the accelerated skilled worker procedure You may also incur additional personal costs, for example for translations or notarizations. These costs vary from person to person.

Processing Time: 4 Weeks
In the standard procedure: After a maximum of one month, the IHK will confirm that your documents have arrived. The responsible office will also inform you whether any documents are missing and, if so, which ones. The letter will also include the fee notice with the necessary payment information.

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

Processing Time: 2 Weeks
In the accelerated skilled worker procedure: The IHK will confirm after a maximum of 2 weeks that your documents have arrived. The IHK will inform you whether any documents are missing and, if so, which ones. The letter will also include the fee notice with the necessary payment information.

Processing Time: 2 Months
In the accelerated skilled worker procedure: If all the necessary documents are available, the procedure should take a maximum of 2 months. In individual cases, the procedure can be extended once.

Training occupations under the jurisdiction of the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK), have foreign professional qualifications recognized

Process flow

Who should I contact?

Requirements

Which documents are required?

What are the fees?

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Processing duration

Legal basis

Applications / forms

Professionally released on