Recognition of Qualifications
In the past few years, it has become much easier to have qualifications from abroad recognised. This is of benefit to both employers and employees. Companies can determine what formal qualifications and know-how an applicant possesses more quickly and easily - and whether additional training is required. Skilled workers, in turn, have more precise information on the level of job they can look for.
The formal recognition procedure examines to what extent the qualification from abroad corresponds to a German qualification. For the regulated professions, which includes many jobs in the medical, legal or educational fields, it is necessary to have the qualifications recognised in order to be able to practice the profession in Germany. For many other professions there is no official requirement to have educational qualifications from abroad recognised. However, it is often useful, as a company can immediately understand and place the qualification.
Advice on International Educational Qualifications
Get advice! In the FrankfurtRheinMain region there are many relevant advisory services, in particular IQ Network Hesse (IQ Netzwerk Hessen), which offers advice free of charge on the subject of recognition of qualifications.
The Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy's Information Portal for Foreign Qualifications (BQ) provides companies with useful information, such as country and job profiles, which may help to give a rough assessment of qualifications. Other points of contact are the local Chambers of Commerce (IHKs) or the Chambers of Trade.
Another important contact is the IHK FOSA (Foreign Skills Approval). The Competence Centre of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry provides information and evaluates qualifications with relevance to Chamber of Commerce jobs. This includes over 250 dual training vocations as well as the many further training vocations from the Chamber of Commerce. In addition to information on their website, there is also a telephone advisory service.
The project Unternehmen Berufsanerkennung informs companies about the options for having professional qualifications recognised and provides brochures and guidelines on how to successfully apply for funding to do so.
You will find a good overview of the recognition of educational qualifications on the portal Recognition in Germany from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Helpful contacts
The IQ Network Hesse advises people with a vocational, university or school qualification from abroad. They assist those who would like to work in Germany in the job in which they have training, and advise them on having their qualifications recognised and also on possible further qualifications. Furthermore, refugees can obtain legal advice on their rights on the job market (Beratungsstelle Faire Integration - Advisory Center Fair Integration). In addition, the regional network also advises and trains employment agencies, job centers, municipalities and companies in the area of intercultural competence development. All of the services are free of charge.
IQ provide advice on having qualifications recognized as well as on further qualifications throughout Hessen. You can find your local service on our website under the link below. The coordinating office of the IQ Network Hesse is located in Offenbach.
District / Cities: District Offenbach
Herrnstraße 53
63065 Offenbach am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69 272240
E-Mail: iq-hessen@involas.com
Website: https://www.hessen.netzwerk-iq.de/en/iq-network-hesse-our-services.html
We speak: German, English
Costs: Free of charge