Recognition in Germany: important steps for companies

Are you having difficulties filling vacancies and want to recruit skilled workers from abroad? If the vacancies in question are in a regulated profession, such as medical and nursing professions, you will also have to initiate the recognition of your skilled workers’ qualifications in Germany. This article tells you everything you need to know about the recognition of qualifications in Germany.

Recognition means that your skilled worker’s foreign qualification is equated with a German degree. This is essential for regulated professions in particular. It is also possible that a degree is only partially recognised if it cannot be directly equated with a German one. In this case, additional qualifications must then be gained for full recognition. During this time, the skilled workers are usually able to work as auxiliary staff. However, your skilled workers will only be allowed to work in Germany in the profession for which they qualified abroad once those foreign qualifications have been recognised in Germany or post-qualification has been completed.

In general, it is mainly regulated professions that have to be recognised in Germany. 

These include:  

• Lawyers
• Judges
• Doctors
• Nurses & medical staff
• Educators & teachers
• Engineers

While people in the EU can move freely and immigrate to any country within the EU, it is not the case that working everywhere is completely straightforward – especially in regulated professions. EU citizens also need recognition for employment in these professions, but this is generally a relatively fast process and usually only a formality.

You can find skilled workers from abroad, for example, via the appropriate portals:

• EURES (European Employment Services)
• AHK (German Chambers of Commerce Abroad)
• Make it in Germany

However, you can also search for international talent through other popular job portals such as LinkedIn. Or you can hire a recruiting agency, although this will be associated with higher costs.

You can find out more about recruiting skilled workers in our article “Recruiting international talent: benefits and challenges”.

Have you found an international specialist that you definitely want to recruit? Then, you will arrange for an employment contract to be signed by the skilled worker subject to reservations. This is usually necessary for a visa to be issued. Your skilled worker should then also apply for a visa, together with recognition of their qualifications in Germany.

There is also the option of initiating recognition after arrival in Germany. You can find more information about this here.

Once in Germany, your skilled worker can now either work directly in the profession they have learned or must complete additional qualifications. In any case, you should take immediate action to promote the integration of your skilled worker. You can find out how best to do this in our article “Integration of skilled workers: what companies can do”.

Once all the post-qualification measures have been completed, your skilled worker can now work in the profession they have learned. You have done it – your vacancy has been successfully filled!  

Now you should make sure that you keep your employees in your company and reduce staff turnover. This is particularly important for international skilled workers – for various reasons. For them, it is a huge challenge to arrive in a new country, settle in and cope with the new working environment. Moreover, the recruitment of international talent is often a lengthy and cost-intensive process. Therefore, for economic reasons too, you should work to ensure you do not lose your international skilled workers too quickly.

Our article “Employer branding for international skilled workers” tells you how you can attract skilled workers and retain them in your company.

The costs for the recruitment itself very much depend on whether you hire a recruiting agency or undertake the whole process on your own.  

The recognition costs approximately between 100 and 600 euros. Added to this are the costs for the certified translation of documents: approx. 100 to 500 euros. The visa will cost between 75 and 150 euros. However, this is usually borne by the applicants themselves.

As already mentioned, it is possible to apply for recognition after entering Germany. The following conditions must be met:  

• Qualification
  Your skilled worker must have a university degree or at least two years of vocational training. The degree must be state recognised in the country in which it was obtained.
• Job offer
  The skilled worker must have a job offer or an employment contract from you. This must be submitted together with the visa application and other documents.
• Recognition partnership agreement
  You must conclude a joint written agreement on the recognition partnership.  
• Proof of language skills
  Your skilled worker’s knowledge of German must be at least at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).