Legal Foundation
Federal Recognition Act
The basis for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications in Germany is the "Act for Improving the assessment of equivalence of Professional Qualifications Acquired Abroad" - in short: Recognition Act - which has been in force since April 1, 2012.
For the first time, it creates a general legal right to an individual equivalency test for all persons with a state-recognized, foreign professional qualification, regardless of nationality or residence status.
The Recognition Act includes a new federal law, the so-called Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG), as well as changes in the Vocational Training Act, in the Crafts Code and in other occupation-specific regulations.