Certified Tanslations for the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications
A key prerequisite for finding a good job in Germany is having your foreign qualifications recognized.
And Eubylon GmbH is here to help!
Whether you are an engineer, a physician, an academic or other skilled worker, we can provide you with certified translations of all the documents required for this process.
The translated documents which you will need to submit will depend on the following:
- For which professional qualification are you seeking recognition?
- What is your home country?
- In which country did you obtain the professional qualification?
- Where in Germany do you wish to work?
The required documents can also be categorized as follows:
- Documents required in all (or most) cases.
- Documents required in individual cases.
- Documents required for specific occupations
- Documents required under the specific regulations of an individual German Federal State (Bundesland).
Most of these documents will have to be accompanied by a certified translation by a sworn translator.
The following documents are required in all cases:
German form, to be completed in German.
A specific form for the recognition application is available from practically all the competent authorities. Applicants must complete the form and send it to the competent authority. Applicants may also apply in writing without a form, in German, while including the following declaration: “I hereby apply for recognition of my professional qualification as …”
Translation required.
If the proof of identity is in a different alphabet, e.g. Cyrillic script, then transcription into Latin script is required. If you changed your name by marriage, then evidence of the name change is required, e.g. a marriage certificate.
The following identity documents are accepted:
- German personal ID card or passport
- All European personal ID cards
- International passports
- Electronic residence permits
Other residence documents such as proof of arrival, a temporary residence permit, or proof of suspended deportation may also be required.
Translation required
This may include, for example:
- A diploma certificate
- A degree certificate
Translation required.
This may include, for example:
- List of subjects and grades achieved during vocational education and training
- Study record
- Diploma addendum
- Transcript of records
The following documents are required in most cases (where applicable):
Translation required.
The CV should summarize the following in tabular form:
- Training courses
- Advanced training
- Employment history
Translation required.
This may include, for example:
- Employment references
- Time books/time sheets
Translation required
This might include, for example:
- Certificates of continuing training
- Certificates of retraining
No translation required.
Applicants must state in writing whether or not they have already submitted an application for recognition in Germany and, if yes, to which competent authority.
Translation required in most cases.
Only for persons from third countries.* Proof of your intention to work may be provided through the following, e.g.:
- An application for a work visa
- Contacts made with potential employers
- A business idea in the case of intended self-employment
- Advisor Note on Location Counselling
If the applicant already lives in Germany, a registration certificate will suffice in most cases.
*A “third country” is one that is not a member of the European Union as well as a country or territory whose citizens do not enjoy the European Union right to free movement, as defined in Art. 2(5) of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code).
The following documents are required depending on your occupation:
A German certification or a translation.
Evidence of medical fitness is required primarily for regulated professions in the following sectors:
- Public health
- Public safety
- Social services and education
A current doctor’s certificate is required in most cases.
A German certification or a translation.
Evidence of personal aptitude is required primarily for regulated professions in the following sectors:
- Public health
- Public safety
- Social services and education
A German certification or a translation.
This evidence is sometimes required and applies to regulated professions in public health or safety and especially to the establishment of a business in Germany. The competent authority may require professional liability insurance with a specified insured sum.
This proof can be provided, for example, through:
- An insurance policy
- An insurance agreement
A German certification or a translation.
Required for many regulated professions. The level of proficiency required is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Proof may be provided, for example, through:
- A language school certificate (e.g. a German Language Diploma from the Goethe Institut).
You may also submit this evidence after the recognition procedure has begun. Sometimes additional knowledge of technical German is required for authorization to practice. This applies, for example, for approbation as a medical practitioner (license to practice medicine in Germany). Proof may be provided through:
- A specialized language examination (health professions).
No translation required in most cases.
Required for medical practitioners, dentists, veterinaries, pharmacists, general nurses, midwives, and architects. Did the applicant gain the professional qualification before his country of origin joined the EU or the EEA? If so, a certificate of conformity is needed for the automatic recognition of the professional qualification. This is available from the competent authority in the country of training or from the most recent country of employment.
Translation required.
Required for certain regulated professions. The certification confirms that the applicant is permitted to work in his country of training in his profession.
This certification may have various names, e.g.:
- EU certification of entitlement to practice the profession
- Certification of the nature and duration of employment in the country of origin
- Work record from an employer
The German Federal Government’s web portal on obtaining recognition of foreign professional qualifications offers a handy search function: https://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/en/skilled-workers.php
Here you will also find contact information for the competent authority for your application, which can always provide you with further information.
The required documents must normally be submitted as copies or sent electronically. In most cases, the documents must be translated into German by certified or sworn translators.If the competent authority requests “original copies,” then officially certified copies should be submitted. An official certification confirms that a copy corresponds the original. To do this, the copy and original of the document are compared with each other and their equivalence is confirmed on the copy with a certification note or stamp. A certified copy can often be used instead of the original. In Germany notaries can officially certify a copy.
If the documents submitted for the recognition process are missing or incomplete, then a skills analysis may be used. Such a skills analysis is available for dual training occupations, master craftsman occupations and advanced training occupations. There are also options available for regulated professions: an adaptation period or a test.
You may also consult the following sources for additional information:
- The hotline “Working and Living in Germany” (Arbeiten und Leben in Deutschland), either via its website or by phone: +49 30 1815 – 1111
- The Central Service Point for Recognition of Professions (Zentrale Servicestelle Berufsanerkennung, ZSBA) (in operation as of March 1st, 2020).
- Various advisory services abroad (e.g. the advice offered by the Pro Recognition service at various German Chambers of Commerce Abroad, which are listed on www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de).
The cost and turnaround time will depend on several factors:
- Does the competent authority allow the original required documents and their certified translations to be submitted as scanned, digital copies? If so, you can simply email us scans of your documents (in PDF format, please!) and we can email them back to you in the same format along with our certified translations.
- Or does the competent authority instead require the original required documents and their certified translations to be submitted in printed form? In this case, all correspondence with us will have to be done by mail (preferably registered mail), thereby lengthening the process. Moreover, you will have to obtain a certified true copy of each original document to use in place of your original documents, since you will probably not wish to give these away. There are three ways you can do this:
- Have a competent authority in your home country issue a certified true copy of the relevant original document;
- Have an accredited notary in your home country certify a true copy of the relevant original document, whereby a corresponding apostille must be attached as well;
- Have an accredited notary in Germany certify a true copy of the original document.
- Are the documents required for the recognition process missing or incomplete? In this case, a skills analysis may be substituted. Such a skills analysis is available for dual-training occupations, master craftsman occupations and advanced training There are also options available for regulated professions, namely an adaptation period or a test.
Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about these requirements or about our services and prices.
We look forward to working with you!
Your Eubylon GmbH Team.
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**IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission