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An offer from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training
Logo: Anerkennung in Deutschland

Information portal of the German government
for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications

Logo: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
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© Robert Funke / BIBB - Anerkennung in Deutschland

Recog­ni­tion grant for fi­nan­cial sup­port

If you want to ap­ply for recog­ni­tion or a state­ment of com­pa­ra­bil­i­ty and are on a low in­come, you can re­ceive fi­nan­cial as­sis­tance through the recog­ni­tion grant. Fi­nan­cial sup­port for train­ing is al­so avail­able.

What is the recognition grant?

The recognition grant is a federal government funding instrument. It is aimed at employed people whose income falls below a certain level. Costs from €100 to a maximum of €600 can be reimbursed for the Recognition procedure or a statement of comparability. Costs of  skills analyses can also be funded.

It is also possible to fund costs of job training schemes which lead to full Equivalence as part of Recognition. Substantial differences compared to the German professional qualification which can be compensated for with the help of training, must have been established beforehand in the Recognition procedure. The job training scheme should have a certification under the Accreditation and Approval for Employment Promotion (AZAV) or a comparable external confirmation of quality assurance. The maximum funding amount is €3,000 per person.

The recognition grant is awarded by the Research Institute for Vocational education and training (f-bb). The funding is provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Important

Those interested in recognition should apply for financial support before they apply for recognition. Costs cannot be covered retrospectively.

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Financial support for recognition is being continued

Financial support for recognition is being continued

The recognition grant and financial support for training are being continued under new conditions since 1 January 2025.

Who can receive support?

Interested parties can apply for the Recognition grant if they meet the following requirements:

  • They have gained a professional or Vocational qualification abroad and want to start the Recognition procedure in Germany.
  • Or, they have a foreign higher education qualification and would like to apply for a statement of comparability from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
  • Eligible persons are those who have their habitual residence or main residence in Germany, regardless of their nationality, residence status or the state in which their education was completed.
  • Their financial means are limited: Single persons must not earn more than €32,000 gross, married couples and civil partnerships must not earn more than €50,000 gross (total of positive incomes minus allowances for children).
  • Only in case of training costs funding: Persons with a notice of partial equivalence or a notice with a requirement in a recognition procedure

What can be funded?

  • Costs of fees and expenses relating to the recognition procedure.
  • Costs of a statement of comparability from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB)
  • Costs of translations, verification of certificates and qualifications, and reports.
  • Costs of skills analyses (under Section 14 of the Professional qualifications Assessment Act, BQFG and Section 50b of the Crafts and Trades Regulation Code, HwO).
  • Adaptation period
  • Refresher training
  • Inter-company apprentice training
  • Preparation courses for aptitude tests and knowledge tests and examination fees
  • Travel expenses and accommodation costs of training measures according to the sections 85, 86, number 1, Book III of the German Social Code (SGB III)
  • Costs of advice and support concerning training measures (e.g. professional support on your path to full recognition)

What cannot be funded?

  • Learning materials, costs of living and support costs 
  • Language courses and relevant examination fees and preparation courses for language tests
  • Costs and fees for authorisation to practise an occupation or profession (Approbation: licence to practise medicine in Germany, use of an occupational title), such as the issuing of a Certificate of good conduct or a medical certificate
  • Services already provided as part of active Employment promotion under Book III of the German Social Code (SGB III) or for integration in employment under Book II of the German Social Code (SGB II).
  • Services already provided by other funding instruments relating to professional recognition such as federal state funding programmes.
  • Costs of sourcing required evidence
  • Travel expenses and accommodation costs which are not related to training measures.

 

Contact and further information

Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (f-bb) gGmbH
Mühlenstr. 34
09111 Chemnitz

Telefon: 0371 / 43 31 12 - 22
E-Mail: anerkennungszuschuss@f-bb.de

© BMBF
Flyer lying opened on a table.
pdf, 385 KB
BMBF, 2025

The recognition grant

The flyer explains who can apply for financial support and which costs are reimbursed.

Download flyer

Frequently asked questions - the recognition grant

The recognition grant can be applied for at the central funding authority—the Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (f-bb). You can get advice and support from authorities which provide advice on recognition. These include Chambers, federations, associations, migrant organisations, IQ counselling centres and competent authorities supporting the recognition procedure.

The following outcomes are possible:

  • Funding is confirmed: The funding requirements are met. The application for recognition can now be submitted to the competent authority, or a statement of comparability can be applied for from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
  • Procedure suspended. The basic funding requirements are met at the time of verification (stay, income limit, reference occupation), Confirmation, however, cannot be issued because funding is being provided by other authorities (in most cases employment agency or the job centre) The application for the recognition grant can be restarted once the other funding finishes.
  • Funding application rejected: The funding requirements are not met. It may be possible to apply again for the recognition grant depending on which conditions are not met. If, for example, residency does not meet the requirement when making the application, the funding application will be rejected. In this case, submitting the application again at a later point is recommended.

 

Those in receipt of social benefits under Book II or III of the German Social Code can apply for the recognition grant. In this case Annex B must be completed in addition to the general form. It also applies to individuals registered as unemployed or seeking work who do not receive benefits or are in marginal employment.
Financial funding from the employment agency or the job centre takes precedence over the recognition grant. This means that if the recognition procedure is already being funded by the employment agency or the job centre, then funding is not normally possible through the recognition grant.

The recognition grant is awarded independently of the residence permit. However, applicants must have been resident in Germany for at least three months on a regular and not just on a temporary basis. The most appropriate form of evidence is the certificate of registration from the Residents’ Registration Office (Einwohnermelderamt). It is not possible to apply from abroad.