Official recognition of professional qualifications from abroad

Demographic change affects our society and has already led to a shortage of skilled workers in certain segments of the labour market, e.g. medical and educational professions, care professions and the so-called MINT-professions. Therefore it is important to activate and use all potential of qualifications available in the country. Also, Germany aims at becoming more attractive for qualified foreign workers. In order to ease the path of foreign employees into the workforce, Germany's cabinet has now decided upon a "law of improvement of the identification and recognition of professional qualifications obtained abroad".

Many Germans and in-migrants have gained good professional qualifications abroad which are urgently needed on the German job market. But they cannot make use of them because of the fact that assessment procedures and criteria to recognise them are missing.

An estimated number of 300,000 persons could strive for a recognition procedure based on the new law. Through the readjustment of the comprehensible and nationwide consistent assessments of professional qualifications will be available for people seeking recognition, for employers as well as for companies.

The draft legislation comprises a new federal law as well as adjustments to already existing regulations. Well-balanced and practicable rules will be established. The draft law stipulates that a decision about the recognition of a degree must be made within three months after the submission of all required documents. To avoid additional bureaucracy, existing structures and authorities will be employed to evaluate and recognise foreign qualifications.

The enactment of the law will see the creation of a website, where applicants will be able to obtain information about the process, a telephone hotline, multi-language information material as well as regional contact points.