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You can enter your professional qualification from abroad in the Register of Craftsmen. To do this, you must have your professional qualification recognized by the Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
This form can be submitted electronically (e.g. via a secure contact form using your user account with login via the electronic ID function or the ELSTER certificate) or handwritten and signed in paper form to the responsible authority.
There are around 200 professions in the skilled trades in Germany. 53 of these professions require a license:
These so-called master trades are regulated. This means that you may only work permanently and independently in these professions if you are entered in the register of craftsmen. To be entered in the register of craftsmen, you must provide proof of a specific professional qualification in the relevant craft (master craftsman title). You can also be entered in the register of craftsmen with a professional qualification from abroad. To do this, you must have your professional qualification recognized by the Chamber of Skilled Crafts. The recognition procedure is called "equivalence assessment". After a successful equivalence assessment, you can be entered in the Register of Craftsmen. However, you will not receive a master craftsman title. The Chambers of Crafts and Trades are responsible for determining equivalence in trades requiring a license. The Chambers of Skilled Crafts will advise you before you submit your application and identify the appropriate occupation in the skilled crafts sector for you.
Note: For nationals of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, there is another recognition procedure: the granting of an exemption permit (§ 9 HWO). The Chambers of Skilled Crafts can advise you on this.
Important documents are generally:
The Chamber of Skilled Crafts will inform you which documents you have to submit as originals or as certified copies.
You must submit your documents in German. The translations must be done by publicly appointed or authorized translators.
The procedure is subject to a fee. The fee framework of the respective Chamber of Skilled Crafts, which is set out in the individual fee regulations and schedules of the Chambers of Skilled Crafts, is decisive for the notification. For example, fees of EUR 100.00-600.00 are generally charged for the notification of the equivalence assessment of foreign training certificates in accordance with § 50b HwO in conjunction with the Act on the Assessment of the Equivalence of Professional Qualifications (Professional Qualifications Assessment Act - BQFG). The actual amount of the fees depends on the amount of work involved in the procedure. Additional costs may also be incurred (e.g. for translations or notarization of documents). These costs vary from case to case. The Chamber of Crafts will inform you about the costs.
If documents are missing, the competent authority will inform you of this and specify by when you must submit the documents.
The Chamber of Skilled Crafts will confirm that your documents have arrived after a maximum of one month. The Chamber of Skilled Crafts will inform you if any documents are missing.
If all the necessary documents are available, the procedure will take a maximum of 3 months.
In individual cases, the procedure may be extended once.
For professional qualifications from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, the procedure may be extended by a maximum of one month.
In order to be optimally prepared for a recognition procedure at a recognition body, it is strongly recommended that you seek advice from a recognition counseling center beforehand.
If you want to work permanently on a self-employed basis in around 200 professions, you do not need a specific professional qualification. You do not have to have your foreign professional qualification recognized. However, you have the right to a recognition procedure.