Bundesportal | Apprenticeship Occupations in the Field of the Administration of Justice; Applying for Recognition of the Equivalency of a Foreign Professional Qualification

More Information

Publisher

Bavaria

Last update or date of publication

October 15, 2026

Access to numerous apprenticeship programs in the legal profession (such as those for legal assistants to attorneys or notaries) is not regulated in Germany. Entry into the profession therefore does not depend on whether an applicant has the equivalence of a foreign vocational training program recognized as equivalent to a comparable domestic profession.

However, recognition of equivalence allows graduates of foreign training programs to clearly demonstrate their qualifications in the domestic labor market. If equivalence is recognized, individuals with foreign training credentials have the same rights and obligations as graduates of domestic training programs.

The following documents are required:
- Tabular list of completed training courses and employment in German language
- Proof of identity
- Proof of training acquired abroad
- Proof of relevant professional experience or other certificates of competence, if these are required to establish equivalence
- Declaration that no application for determination of equivalence has yet been submitted
- Documents showing that the applicant intends to pursue gainful employment in Germany equivalent to the professional qualification
  This is generally not necessary for applicants residing in a member state of the European Union, another state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or in Switzerland, or for nationals of these member states.
The competent authority will indicate the form in which the documents are to be submitted and whether translations of the documents are required.

Formloser Antrag (mit Unterschrift) Dieser Assistent unterstützt Sie bei der Erstellung eines formlosen Schreibens, wenn die zuständige Stelle kein Antragsformular zur Verfügung stellt.

Preconditions

A prerequisite for determining equivalence is that the applicant has acquired, through his or her foreign professional qualification, the competence to perform a comparable professional activity in Germany. Furthermore, there must be no significant differences between the demonstrated professional qualification and the corresponding domestic vocational training.

Hints

Equivalency can only be determined for occupations requiring vocational training that fall within the scope of the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act or the Bavarian Professional Qualifications Assessment Act. Therefore, it is not possible to determine equivalency for the occupation of judicial officer, for example.

The competent authority will inform you of the amount of the fee for determining the equivalence of the training. The fee can be paid by bank transfer (including online banking).

Basis for legal action

§ 50a Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG)

§§ 4 ff. Gesetz über die Feststellung der Gleichwertigkeit von Berufsqualifikationen (Berufsqualifikationsfeststellungsgesetz - BQFG)

Legal Remedies

An action may be brought against the decision in the administrative court.

Procedure

The determination of the equivalence of a foreign professional qualification is made upon application. The application must be filed with the bar association or notary association responsible for administering the relevant domestic vocational training program, or, in all other cases, with the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice.

Deadlines

none

Processing time

The competent authority will confirm receipt of the application for a determination of equivalence within one month of receiving the application. It will decide on the application no later than three months after receiving all required documents. This deadline may be extended if necessary.

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