Bundesportal | Applying for recognition of a professional qualification from the EU/EEA/Switzerland as a career qualification for employment as a civil servant in the Federal Civil Service

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Publisher

Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Home Affairs

Last update or date of publication

October 12, 2022

Contact

The government service telephone number 115 – your point of contact for questions related to the federal, state and local.

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Working as a civil servant is regulated in Germany. This means that you need recognition in order to work as a civil servant in the federal civil service in Germany.

In the recognition procedure, the Federal Office of Administration compares your qualification with a qualification required under German career law. In doing so, the Federal Office of Administration checks the equivalence.

Note: There is a further procedure for working as a civil servant. This procedure is called: Appointment as a civil servant. If you are successfully recognized, you can apply for civil servant positions at the federal level.

If you have a professional qualification from a country in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can apply for recognition in Germany. You must also be a citizen of an EU, EEA or Swiss country.

If you are a citizen or national of a third country, recognition is not possible. Third countries are all countries that do not belong to the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. You can also apply for the procedure from abroad.

The Federal Office of Administration provides information on which documents you need to submit. Important documents are generally

Application form from the competent authority
if there is no application form: an informal application
Proof of identity (passport or identity card)
Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
Proof of your professional qualification from a country of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
- Proof can be, for example Certificates or deeds
- The professional qualification must be required for work in the public sector in your country of training.
If the activity is not regulated in your country of training:
- Certificate from the competent authority in your country of training regarding regulated training or
- Proof that you have practiced the activity for at least one year in the last 10 years.
For professional qualifications from third countries that have been recognized in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland: Certificate of at least 3 years of professional experience in the state of recognition. The certificate must be from the competent authority in the country of recognition.
If available: Recognition certificate for your professional qualification. Civil servants work in different professions. Perhaps you have already had your professional qualification recognized in Germany. If so, you should submit the certificate of recognition with your application.
If available: Proof of your professional experience (e.g. references)
If available: Proof of your other qualifications (e.g. further professional training or seminars)

The Federal Office of Administration will let you know which documents you must present in the original or submit as copies. Some copies must be officially certified.
You must submit your documents in German. The translations must be done by publicly appointed or authorized translators.

Label

Preconditions

Equivalence of your professional qualification
You are a national of a country in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
Your professional qualification must come from a country in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. Or: Your professional qualification has been recognized there and you have worked in the profession there for three years.
The professional qualification is required in your country of training to work in the public sector.

Hints

Working without recognition by the Federal Office of Administration

With many university degrees, it is possible to apply for federal civil servant positions without recognition by the Federal Office of Administration. In this case, the federal authority that advertises the civil servant position decides whether the requirements for recognition of the career qualification are met. The university degrees required are specified in the job advertisement.

Working as an employee covered by collective agreements

You can also work in the Federal Civil Service without recognition of a career qualification. In this case, you cannot work as a civil servant. However, you can work as a so-called tariff employee.

Collectively bargained employees receive an employment contract and can be dismissed. Civil servants do not receive an employment contract. They are appointed by the state. After a probationary period, the appointment is usually valid for life. This means that civil servants cannot be dismissed. Civil servants receive special rights and duties from the state. These include, for example, neutrality, loyalty, the orientation of their service towards the common good or the ban on striking.

If you want to work as a civil servant, you must also provide proof of your qualifications. Your employer will tell you which qualifications you need to prove.

If a university degree is a requirement for the job, a certificate assessment is often necessary.

Certificate evaluation

A certificate evaluation can make it easier for you to enter the German job market. The Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) will assess your certificate. Please note: The certificate evaluation does not replace the recognition of your professional qualification. You will only receive recognition of your professional qualification from the competent authority.

Partial access to the profession

Have you obtained your professional qualification in an EU, EEA or Swiss state? Then you can work in the profession without recognition. However, you need what is known as partial access to the profession. You must apply to the competent authority for partial access to the profession.

The following applies with partial access to the profession:

You may not carry out all activities in the profession.
You may only use the professional title of your country of training.

You must meet the following requirements for partial access:

You can work with your professional qualification without restriction in your country of training.
Your professional qualification is not equivalent to the German professional qualification. There are significant differences. In this case, a compensation measure would cover the entire German training.
Your professional qualification includes at least one so-called reserved activity of the German professional qualification. Reserved activities may only be carried out by specially trained persons.
You are medically fit.
You are personally suitable.
You have certain German language skills.

Procedure for ethnic German repatriates

As a late repatriate, you can choose between 2 procedures for professional recognition:

You apply for the procedure described here.
You apply for the procedure according to the Federal Expellees Act (§ 10 BVFG).

You can decide this. The responsible office will advise you.

Costs for the equivalence test Perhaps additional: aptitude test or adaptation course: 100 euros Possibly further costs, for example for translations or certifications.
Fee
100.00 EUR
Advance payment
no

Basis for legal action

§ Section 2 of the Career Qualification Recognition Ordinance (LBAV)

§ Section 18 (1) numbers 1 and 2 of the Federal Civil Service Act (BBG)

§ Section 7 of the Federal Civil Service Act (BBG)

§ 18 Absatz 1 Nummer 1 und 2 Bundesbeamtengesetz (BBG)

§ 2 Laufbahnbefähigungsanerkennungsverordnung (LBAV)

§ 7 Bundesbeamtengesetz (BBG)

Legal Remedies

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (for example, by lodging an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. It is best to speak to the responsible office first before taking legal action against the decision.

Procedure

Application

You submit an application for recognition of your professional qualifications as a career qualification to the Federal Office of Administration.
You can submit the application with the documents to the relevant office or send it by post. Do not send any originals. Sometimes you can also send the application electronically. The Federal Office of Administration will inform you.
The Federal Office of Administration will then check whether your training corresponds to German training and whether all other requirements have been met.

Examination of equivalence

The Federal Office of Administration compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification. It will check whether your professional qualification is equivalent. The professional qualification is equivalent if there are no significant differences between your foreign professional qualification and the German professional qualification.

Possible results of the examination

If your professional qualification is equivalent, your foreign professional qualification will be recognized. The authority can confirm the result in writing. With successful recognition, you can apply for federal civil servant positions. This is a different procedure. You may have to meet other requirements for this.

Are there any significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? You may be able to compensate for the differences with your professional experience, other knowledge or skills. You must provide evidence of your professional experience. Knowledge and skills must be certified by an authority in the country in which you acquired the knowledge or skills.

However, it is possible that the essential differences cannot be compensated for by this knowledge.

The Federal Office of Administration will tell you the main differences and why you cannot compensate for the main differences with your professional experience. The decision of the competent authority will also state the level of your training and the level required in Germany.

Compensatory measures

You can take compensatory measures to make up for the substantial differences.

There are various compensatory measures:

Adaptation course: the adaptation course lasts a maximum of three years.
Aptitude test: The aptitude test examines the areas in which significant differences have been identified.

You can often choose between an adaptation period or an aptitude test. In certain cases, the Federal Office of Administration decides whether you take an adaptation period or an aptitude test. Sometimes you have to take both compensatory measures. The Federal Office of Administration will inform you.

If you successfully complete the compensation measure and meet all the requirements, your professional qualification will be recognized. You will then have the same professional rights as a person with a German professional qualification. With the recognition, you can apply for civil servant positions with the federal government.

Deadlines

There is no deadline.

Sometimes documents are still missing from the procedure. The Federal Office of Administration will then inform you by when you must submit the documents. This may prolong the procedure.

Processing time

3 months
After one month at the latest: The responsible office will inform you when it has received all the necessary documents. Then the procedure starts. After 3 months at the latest: You will receive a decision with the result. In certain cases, the competent authority may extend the procedure by one month.