Financial support

Answers to the following questions are provided here:

• Who can receive financial support?
• Which costs are covered?
• Who is offering financial support?

Who can receive financial support?

For many people interested in recognition, the costs represent a significant obstacle. The costs vary greatly depending on the profession. The recognition procedure can cost several hundred euros. Sometimes it costs less, but sometimes it costs more. In addition to the fees for the procedure, there are often also costs for translations, certifications or training. Individuals living in Germany who are registered as unemployed or seeking work and whose incomes do not exceed a specific level are able to receive financial support.

Which costs are covered?

Financial support is normally provided for the direct costs of the Recognition procedure. This includes, for example, the fees for the Recognition procedure and the cost of translations and certifications. In some cases, travel expenses and the fees for obtaining documents are also reimbursed.

Some support programmes also cover the costs of training to compensate for Substantial differences, such as Compensation measures and Refresher training. There may also be financial support for Skills analyses, German courses, advanced training and learning materials.

Those interested in recognition should ask providers about options for financial support in their specific case. The recognition counselling centres and the competent authorities for the recognition procedure can also provide advice on financial support.

Who offers financial support?

Financial support for recognition is provided, for example, by the Federal Employment Agency (BA), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) via the Federal Government's recognition grant and by the federal states though specific funding programmes. In some cases, employers will also cover the costs of the recognition procedure.

If you are registered as unemployed or seeking work in Germany, you can receive financial support from the employment agency or the job centre. Funding is provided in accordance with Book I and II of the German Social Code (SGB). In accordance with this, the cost of recognition can be funded from the placement budget and any training can be funded using education vouchers. However, the training and its provider must be approved under the German Regulation on the Accreditation and Approval for Employment Promotion (AZAV).

If you are in employment and have limited income you can apply for the Federal Government's recognition grant. Find out more about the requirements on the recognition grant page on this portal.

Recognition grant

The Hamburg grant programme funds direct and indirect costs of recognition incurred, for example, as a result of loss of income or for courses and translations.

Hamburg grant programme (German)

Other opportunities

The national Network “Integration through Qualification (IQ)” offers free training to compensate for substantial differences in the recognition procedure. Attending language courses provided by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is also free of charge in many cases. Information about general German courses, integration courses and language courses for work purposes is available on this portal.

If you wish to complete further training in your profession, you can apply for the so-called upgrading grant. Under the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz, AFBG) funding is provided for more than 700 Advanced training qualifications such as Master craftsperson, specialist, technician or business economist. Completed Vocational education and training is usually the requirement for upgrading training being eligible for funding. In some cases, however, relevant professional experience or a higher education qualification are sufficient.

BMBF: Information about the upgrading grant