Logo Bayernportal
Home > Procedures

Certified social insurance specialist (specializing in statutory pension and miners' social insurance); application for recognition of a foreign qualification

You can apply for recognition of the profession of social insurance specialist.

Forms

  • Formloser Antrag (mit Unterschrift)

    Dieser Assistent unterstützt Sie bei der Erstellung eines formlosen Schreibens, wenn die zuständige Stelle kein Antragsformular zur Verfügung stellt.

Responsible for you

Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Familie, Arbeit und Soziales

Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Familie, Arbeit und Soziales

Street address

Winzererstr. 9
80797 München

Postal address

80792 München

Mehr zur Behörde

Procedure details

The profession of social insurance specialist is not regulated in Germany. In order to be able to work in this profession in Bavaria, recognition of your foreign qualification is therefore not mandatory.

It is often possible to take up employment without formal recognition of your foreign qualification. In principle, it is the respective employer who decides whether to employ you.

However, a recognition procedure can be useful to make your foreign qualification more transparent and easier for the employer to assess. This can increase your chances in the application process.

You can apply for an equivalence assessment in accordance with the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG) if you have successfully completed vocational training abroad.

Equivalence with the German profession of social insurance specialist can be established if

  • your foreign vocational training qualifies you for comparable activities and
  • your foreign professional qualification does not differ significantly in terms of the skills, knowledge and abilities acquired.
  • You may also have to prove that you intend to pursue gainful employment in Germany.

The application can be submitted regardless of nationality and residence status.

Sufficient German language skills are also expected in order to practice your profession.

  • The following documents may be required:
    • Tabular list of training courses and, if applicable, of previous employment in German (e.g. in the form of a curriculum vitae)
    • Proof of identity (e.g. copy or scan of passport or ID card)
    • Evidence of vocational training or further vocational training acquired abroad (evidence of training certifies successful completion of an educational measure regulated by legal or administrative provisions; e.g. copies or scans of examination certificates, professional certificates. In each case in German translation. The translations must be done by publicly appointed or authorized translators).
    • Proof of relevant professional experience or other evidence of qualifications, if these are required to establish equivalence (e.g. copies or scans of job references, certificates of attendance. In each case in German translation. The translations must be done by publicly appointed or authorized translators).

    • Declaration that no application for determination of equivalence has yet been submitted

    • Proof of the intention to pursue gainful employment in Germany (suitable documents can be, for example, proof of application for an entry visa for gainful employment or proof of contact with potential employers)

    Not applicable as a rule,

    • if you reside in a member state of the EU, a contracting state of the EEA or in Switzerland or
    • if you are a national of one of these states.

  • You can submit a written application for recognition of your foreign professional qualification to the Bavarian State Ministry for Family, Labor and Social Affairs (StMAS).
  • The first step is to check whether your foreign qualification corresponds to the domestic reference profession you have specified (in this case: Certified social insurance specialist, specializing in statutory pension and miners' social insurance). If necessary, the StMAS will inform you which other office is responsible for you. In this case, you can withdraw your application free of charge.
  • As part of the equivalence assessment of your foreign qualification, the StMAS will check in particular whether your foreign vocational training qualifies you for comparable professional activities as documented by the corresponding German training certificate and whether there are significant differences between the foreign professional qualification and the corresponding German vocational training with regard to the skills, knowledge and abilities acquired.
  • Evidence of relevant professional experience (from abroad or from Germany) and other evidence of qualifications (e.g. additional qualifications or further education and training that are not regulated by legal or administrative provisions) are also taken into account.
  • If no significant differences are found, the full equivalence of your foreign professional qualification will be determined.

If there are significant differences and at the same time comparable qualification contents, the existing qualifications and the differences to the reference profession will be described in the notification.

The recognition procedure in accordance with the BQFG is generally subject to a fee.

The fees for a corresponding procedure are based on the fee law of the Free State of Bavaria and depend on the individual effort required to carry out the procedure. The fees generally range between EUR 25.00 and EUR 1,000.00. According to Art. 14 of the Bavarian Costs Act, the implementation of the assessment procedure can be made dependent on the payment of an appropriate advance on costs.

Further costs, e.g. for translations and certifications, must be borne by you.

Unemployed and job-seeking applicants should check with their local employment agency or job center before submitting their application to see whether the costs can be covered by the employment agency.

The information portal "Recognition in Germany" (see "Related links"), for example, provides information on other financial support options.

The recognition procedure in accordance with the Federal Expellees Act (BVFG) (see Special information) is free of charge.

none

The StMAS will confirm receipt of your application within one month and, if necessary, inform you which documents need to be added. Once the documents are complete, a decision will be made within three months. In justified cases, this period can be extended appropriately.

Late repatriates can alternatively submit an application for an equivalence assessment in accordance with Section 10 of the Federal Expellees Act (BVFG).

In contrast to the procedure under the BQFG, no professional experience can be taken into account in this free procedure.

Persons entitled under the BVFG can choose whether to submit an application under the BQFG or the BVFG.

Administrative court action

Status: 28.02.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Familie, Arbeit und Soziales
Contains machine translated content. Show the original content