Digital application

Recognition application service

With the Online Access Act (OZG), the federal government and the federal states have committed to digitalising all administrative services. To support this, the federal government has set up a programme where one federal state develops an online service which can then be used by all states – “One for All” (Einer für Alle, EfA). This means that for services implemented at federal state level, the same online service does not have to be developed 16 times.

The application service works across the federal states and is the result of the OZG project “Recognition of foreign professional qualifications” funded by the federal government. It was developed by the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs for North Rhine-Westphalia (MAGS NRW) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). The OZG implementation project was fully rolled out at the beginning of 2024.

Skilled workers from all over the world can start using the application service via the recognition portal. Data from the Recognition Finder (e.g. reference occupation, place of work) is used for selecting the correct application form and is transferred into the online application. At the start or before sending off the application, applicants must log in using a “BundID”. The BundID is a user account that can be used for a whole range of digital administrative procedures. An email address and password are all you need to set up the BundID for the first time.

The application service has succeeded, together with the other federal states which also use it, in developing online applications that, are largely standardised nationwide in terms of content and language. In a number of working groups – also including the competent authorities, the BMBF and BIBB – digital applications were developed for a range of occupations and occupational groups.

Ten application pathways have been developed covering a total of around 880 reference occupations and can be used by the federal states. Except for Berlin and Hesse, all federal states currently intend to use the joint application service. The federal states are working on the technical integration of the competent authorities.