About “Anerkennung in Deutschland”

“Anerkennung in Deutschland” supports the implementation of statutory regulations governing recognition at national and federal state level on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The website went online when the federal government's Recognition Act entered into force on 1 April 2012. The Federal Institute for Vocational education and training (BIBB) is the publisher of the portal.

Main target groups 

• Skilled workers: The online offer – which is available in more than 10 languages – supports skilled workers wanting to work in Germany in the profession in which they trained. The Recognition Finder shows whether official recognition of the professional qualification is possible and necessary, and how the procedure works.
• Advisers: This section is aimed at specialists working in the area of professional recognition. The offer includes, among other things, the Profi-Filter database for quick research.
• Employers: On the portal, employers wanting to appoint individuals with foreign professional qualifications will find a clear guide as well as information about the support offers.

Information about languages offered

The “Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications” division

The “Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications” division brings together the areas of responsibility relating to professional recognition in BIBB. In addition to providing the “Anerkennung in Deutschland” information portal, BIBB undertakes the following tasks:

• Monitoring and research: Recognition monitoring tracks the implementation of recognition legislation, the accompanying processes and the political framework conditions. BIBB also carries out research projects – these include in-house research projects, for example on the business perspective. BIBB also carries out evaluations and provides academic support. 
• Cooperation with stakeholders in professional recognition: Close cooperation with advisory organisations and authorities at federal and federal state level.
• Communication and marketing: Press enquiries, public relations work, social media, communication activities on the topic of professional recognition in Germany and abroad.
• Responding to enquiries relating to professional recognition: Enquiries from those interested in recognition, policymakers, academia and the general public.
• Training and advice: Training and advice for specialists in professional recognition provided nationally and internationally, training sessions for advisers.

Other BIBB official tasks

Information on professional recognition in Germany is provided centrally at “Anerkennung in Deutschland” on the basis of a joint agreement between the federal government and the federal states. This includes information about the recognition procedures of the individual professions and the legal bases and also the contact details of the competent authorities. BIBB uses this information to support the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) and statistical offices in the federal states in compiling official recognition statistics.

The recognition portal also assists in the digitalisation of the professional recognition application procedure as part of the Online Access Act [Onlinezugangsgesetz, OZG]. The Recognition Finder is the central starting point for the standardised national system for making online applications. As the federal editorial team for the topic of recognition of foreign professional qualifications, the portal also makes master information available in accordance with FIM methodology (Federal Information Management).

BIBB is also the German assistance centre in accordance with Article 57b EU Directive on the Recognition of Professional qualifications 2005/36/EC. This means it provides both EU citizens and authorities with information regarding the recognition of foreign professional or vocational qualifications in Germany.

Further information about division 3.3

BIBB: Recognition of foreign professional qualifications

Facts and figures about use of the “Anerkennung in Deutschland” portal