Recognition of foreign qualifications (Anerkennung ausländischer Abschlüsse) in Berlin
Whether you need to have your foreign vocational or university qualification recognized in Germany depends on whether your profession is regulated or not. For regulated professions (reglementierte Berufe) – for example doctor, pharmacist, midwife, nursing professional, teacher – you always need recognition; otherwise you may not practice the profession in Germany. For non-regulated professions – such as IT specialist, bank clerk, business economist – you can work without recognition; it usually only becomes necessary if you want to apply for a specific residence title (e.g. as a skilled worker) on that basis.
Responsible nationwide for evaluating general-education and academic foreign qualifications is the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB, Central Office for Foreign Education) at the Secretariat of the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of Education Ministers) – based in Bonn, not in Berlin: Graurheindorfer Straße 157, 53117 Bonn, tel. 0228 501-664, [email protected]. For craft trades, the Handwerkskammer Berlin (Berlin Chamber of Crafts) is responsible; for many IHK occupations, the IHK FOSA in Nuremberg (not the IHK Berlin directly).
Free, multilingual advice on the entire recognition process is offered in Berlin by the IQ Netzwerk Berlin ("Integration durch Qualifizierung", integration through qualification) – since 1 January 2026 through several parallel providers instead of a single central office: among others LaRA Plus II at La Red, BIbA II at the Türkischer Bund in Berlin-Brandenburg, and Fahrplan Anerkennung Plus II at Club Dialog (with a special offer for Ukrainian vocational qualifications).
- Check: regulated or not?Use anerkennung-in-deutschland.de to find out whether your target profession is regulated in Germany. For regulated professions, recognition is mandatory.
- Use free recognition counseling in the IQ Netzwerk BerlinMake an appointment with one of the Berlin IQ providers, e.g. LaRA Plus II (La Red), Alt-Reinickendorf 25, 13407 Berlin, tel. 030 457 989 555, [email protected], phone hours Mon 12:00–15:00 and Wed and Thu 10:00–14:00. Languages there: ar, de, en, fr, it, es.
- Identify the responsible body for your occupational groupAcademic/general-education qualifications: ZAB, Graurheindorfer Straße 157, 53117 Bonn. Craft trades: Handwerkskammer Berlin. Many IHK occupations: IHK FOSA Nuremberg (applications do not go through the IHK Berlin directly).
- Submit the application with documentsSubmit your certificates and supporting documents to the responsible body (a certified translation may be required – check this in each case with the recognition counseling service).
- In case of substantial differences: compensation measure or partial recognitionIf the responsible body finds substantial differences from the German reference qualification, a compensation measure (Ausgleichsmaßnahme) is ordered for regulated professions; for non-regulated professions, partial recognition (Teilanerkennung) is possible if parts of the training are equivalent.
- Since 1 January 2026, there is no longer a single central recognition counseling service in Berlin, but several parallel providers in the IQ Netzwerk (among others BIbA II at the TBB, Fahrplan Anerkennung Plus II at Club Dialog, BBeFaP, LaRA Plus II at La Red). Check which provider suits your language or target group.
- The ZAB is based in Bonn, not in Berlin – there is no in-person public service; contact is by phone or in writing at fixed times (Mon, Tue, Thu 9–12 and 14–15, Fri 9–12).
- No confirmed information is available on the exact amount of fees for IHK recognition counseling in Berlin or on the full address of the counseling team there (unresolved).
- The address and telephone number of the Willkommenszentrum Berlin (Berlin Welcome Center) for recognition counseling contradict each other across the available sources – both details therefore remain open; use the email [email protected] instead.
In depth · Legal basis, figures and practice – for counsellors and professionals
Regulated vs. non-regulated professions
For regulated professions – access and practice are legally tied to proof of a specific qualification; examples are doctor, pharmacist, midwife, nursing professional, or teacher – recognition is always required; without it, the profession may not be practiced in Germany. For non-regulated professions (e.g. IT specialist, bank employee, business economist), by contrast, there is no legal obligation to obtain recognition and no general legal entitlement to recognition; it becomes relevant above all when a specific residence title is to be applied for on that basis. If the responsible body finds substantial differences from the German reference qualification during the review, a compensation measure (Ausgleichsmaßnahme) is ordered for regulated professions; for non-regulated professions, partial recognition (Teilanerkennung) can be granted instead if parts of the training are considered equivalent.
Responsible bodies
For general-education and academic qualifications, the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB) at the Secretariat of the Kultusministerkonferenz is responsible nationwide: Graurheindorfer Straße 157, 53117 Bonn, tel. 0228 501-664, [email protected], opening hours Mon/Tue/Thu 9–12 and 14–15, Fri 9–12, no in-person public service. It is based in Bonn, not in Berlin, but is also the responsible body for applicants living in Berlin. For craft trades, the Handwerkskammer Berlin advises and reviews ([email protected], initial phone consultation Tuesdays 13–16, in-person appointments Mon–Thu by arrangement); the initial consultation is free of charge, the subsequent recognition procedure is subject to fees. For many IHK occupations, the actual recognition procedure runs through the IHK FOSA in Nuremberg, not through the IHK Berlin directly; the IHK Berlin itself offers recognition counseling for non-regulated professions (tel. 030 31510-900, languages de, en, tr, uk, Mon–Thu 10–15) – the address and exact cost of this counseling are not documented.
IQ Netzwerk Berlin: restructuring as of 1.1.2026
The nationwide funding program "IQ – Integration durch Qualifizierung" (integration through qualification) was restructured as of 1 January 2026. Since then, there has no longer been a single central recognition counseling service in Berlin, but several parallel providers: BIbA II (Beratungs- und Informationsstelle berufliche Anerkennung II, counseling and information center for vocational recognition II) at the Türkischer Bund in Berlin-Brandenburg (TBB) offers free advice on the recognition of vocational qualifications acquired abroad in German, Turkish, Arabic, Russian, and English; Fahrplan Anerkennung beruflicher Abschlüsse Plus II (FAbA+ II) at Club Dialog likewise supports vocational integration and has a special module for the recognition of Ukrainian vocational qualifications for refugees from Ukraine (also nationwide online); in addition, the source names BBeFaP as a further provider. LaRA Plus II (La Red Anerkennungsberatung Plus II) additionally offers advice in Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, and Spanish: Alt-Reinickendorf 25, 13407 Berlin, tel. 030 457 989 555, [email protected], Mon 12–15 and Wed and Thu 10–14 by phone. In addition, the Willkommenszentrum Berlin (Berlin Welcome Center) provides information and advice on the recognition of international qualifications ([email protected], languages de, en, ru, uk) – its address and telephone number are contradictory across the available sources and are therefore not given as confirmed.
Federal law vs. Berlin implementation
The right to a recognition procedure (Berufsqualifikationsfeststellungsgesetz, Professional Qualifications Assessment Act, and the respective chamber and professional laws) is governed by federal law. What is Berlin-specific is which local counseling centers provide free support (IQ Netzwerk Berlin) and which chamber (Handwerkskammer Berlin, IHK Berlin) is responsible for the practical application.
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