The advice on recognition is aimed at people who have acquired a qualification abroad and now want to continue using it in Germany.
Do you have foreign certificates? Do you need support with the recognition of a foreign professional qualification or university degree?
Do you live in Erfurt, Weimar or in the districts of Gotha, Ilm-Kreis, Sömmerda or Weimarer Land?
We would be happy to advise you
- We advise on recognition procedures in the professional and academic areas
- We provide information about the responsible recognition bodies
- We will explain to you which documents you need to have for a recognition procedure
- We will inform you about the procedure, costs, duration and financing options
- We accompany you during the recognition process
- We will give you information about qualification options
- We show alternatives and help if you are not recognized
Our advice is free and confidential!
We advise in German and English.
We would be happy to answer your questions in a personal consultation on site, via video chat, on the phone or by email. Please arrange a consultation appointment in advance via or our contact form.
General information on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications can be found on the Federal Government’s recognition portal. You will also find the recognition finder there.
This provides more detailed information on the recognition of individual professions and also informs you whether recognition is absolutely necessary for this profession (regulated professions) or whether professional activity is possible without recognition (non-regulated professions) but can still be carried out for reasons of transparency.
For non-regulated college and university degrees, a certificate evaluation can be requested from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) at the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in Bonn. The application and country-specific checklists can be found on the ZAB website.
You can find sworn translators at www.justiz-uebersetzer.de. Alternatively, there are also translation agencies that work with sworn translators.
Note for people who are supported by the job center or the employment agency: The job center/employment agency usually wants to see 3 offers from different translators. Please ask 3 translators how much the translations will cost. The translators will then send you an offer. Please forward these 3 offers to the job center/employment agency. The job center/employment agency then decides which translator you can use.
Note for people who need the translations for an application for a license to practice medicine as a doctor, dentist or pharmacist at the Thuringian State Administration Office: Please give the translator the original document and a certified copy of the original document. The translator should then write “Translation from the original” or “Original was available” on the translation. The translator should then attach the certified copy of the original document to the translation.
Translations from abroad
Translations from abroad can be accepted provided they were carried out by translators who are accepted by German missions abroad or the Foreign Office
Sometimes you need certified copies for an application for recognition.
Certified copies are usually issued by an authority in the Federal Republic of Germany and by notaries.
Certified copies of documents in German or English can often be issued at the citizen service in your place of residence.
Alternatively, you can obtain certified copies of original documents from notaries. Notaries create certified copies regardless of the language in which the original document is written.
We advise people who live in the following cities/districts: Erfurt, Weimar, Gotha, Ilm-Kreis, Sömmerda or Weimarer Land
Do you live in Suhl or in the districts of Hildburghausen, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Sonneberg or Wartburgkreis? Then you can get advice here: Stiftung Bildung und Handwerk (SBH Nordost)
Do you live in Jena, Gera or in the districts of Altenburger Land, Eichsfeld, Kyffhäuserkreis, Greiz, Nordhausen, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Saale-Holzland-Kreis, Saale-Orla-Kreis or Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis? Then you can get advice here:Bildungswerk der Thüringer Wirtschaft (BWTW)
