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Late repatriates; application for recognition of a certificate or qualification for an IHK profession

If you are a late repatriate and have a vocational training qualification in industry, trade or the service sector, your vocational training certificate or qualification certificate can be recognized under certain conditions.

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Supplement: Industrie- und Handelskammer für Niederbayern in Passau

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Industrie- und Handelskammer für Niederbayern in Passau

Industrie- und Handelskammer für Niederbayern in Passau

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Nibelungenstraße 15
94032 Passau

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Nibelungenstraße 15

94032 Passau

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Procedure details

If you have acquired a vocational qualification at skilled worker level in the countries of the former Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, the former Czechoslovakia or Hungary and have a certificate of late repatriation or a displaced persons' identity card, you can apply for recognition of your training qualification in accordance with the Federal Expellees Act (BVFG). The vocational qualification will be recognized if it is equivalent to a profession in the Federal Republic of Germany. Equivalence will be checked and granted on a case-by-case basis. However, a German examination certificate will not be issued.

In the case of qualifications that could be comparable to a vocational training qualification in industry, commerce or the service sector (not skilled trades), the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in whose district you live is responsible.

If you do not have ethnic German repatriate status, you can still have your foreign vocational qualification recognized. To do this, you can apply for recognition in accordance with the Professional Qualifications Act (BQFG).

  • Recognized late repatriate status or federal expellee card
  • vocational qualification at skilled worker level in the countries of the former Soviet Union, Poland, Romania, the former Czechoslovakia or Hungary
  • the qualification is comprehensively comparable with the respective German educational qualification

  • The following documents are required:
    • Proof of identity (identity card or passport, if necessary proof of change of name)
    • Residence permit
    • Curriculum vitae in tabular form (with monthly and annual data)
    • Certified copies of the original certificates and diplomas (in the native language)
    • Certified copies of the translations of these certificates and diplomas, prepared by a sworn and publicly appointed interpreter
    • Certified copy of the expellees' identity card (certificate according to § 15 of the Federal Expellees Act) or the late repatriate certificate
    • Copy of the residence permit as well as the identity card (Passa-Port/Identity-Card)
    • If applicable, further certificates/evidence of school or vocational training or professional activities (work book, activity certificates), insofar as they are related to the professional qualification
    • Declaration that no application has been made to any other chamber of industry and commerce, chamber of handicrafts or other body for verification of these documents.

    You can find out which documents are required in your case from the application form of the relevant Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

You can only apply for recognition of your qualification in writing.

  • Use the application form on the website of your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or under "Forms" (Application for recognition according to BVFG)
  • If possible, speak to the responsible employee in person.
  • Submit all the documents listed in the application in full and certified.
  • As a rule, you will be informed verbally in advance whether and in which profession equal status is possible.
  • Your documents will be thoroughly checked and the application processed.
  • You will receive a fee notice.
  • Once the fee notice has been paid, you will receive notification of recognition or non-recognition.

A fee of EUR 20.00 to EUR 80.00 is charged for the examination and processing of the application, depending on the fee schedule of the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

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It usually takes up to 6 weeks to process the complete documents.

Contradiction

  • Late repatriates; application for admission

    In principle, you can only be admitted to Germany as an ethnic German resettler if you leave your resettlement area as part of the admission procedure. Please note that you must always submit your application from the resettlement area.

Status: 17.04.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag e.V.
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