Recognition of studies

Planning to study further, work in a regulated profession, or have your vocational training acknowledged in Germany?
You may need your Matric (Grade 12), South African degree, or other qualifications officially recognised, depending on your goals.

To check whether your profession is regulated in the EU, explore the official EU database of regulated professions
.

Recognition of vocational qualifications

The official portal of the German government for recognising foreign professional qualifications is the Anerkennung in Deutschland website.
They focus on vocational training/skilled workers. Also, have a look at Make it in Germany – who needs recognition?
The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, the IHK and the Arbeitsagentur have valuable information about the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications.
Another excellent government-funded website is the IQ Integrated through Qualification – service for Immigrants. If you want to apply for a job in Germany in your qualified vocational profession or professional experience, the rule is that you will need to have your qualifications/experience formally recognised; there are, of course, exceptions, for example, in the IT field.

Visa for recognition of foreign qualifications

You can apply for a visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications.
This is related to company training courses, technical training courses, etc.
“Have you applied to have your professional qualifications recognised, and the competent authority for the recognition procedure in Germany has determined that your qualifications cannot be fully recognised due to missing qualifications? In such cases, you can attend a qualification program in Germany in order to acquire the missing theoretical and/or practical skills.”

Vocational Careers

The German Vocational Training System

Recognition of University degrees

Fachhochschule (FH)

University of applied sciences. Practical approach to learning

Technical Univeristy (TU)

Researched based learning. Good for Masters and PhD

The Anabin database provides information on the evaluation of foreign educational certificates and supports authorities, employers and private individuals in classifying a foreign qualification in the German education system. It is only available in German. It basically has a list of recognised degrees and institutions. If your qualification and university are listed there, and you are not working in a regulated profession, there is usually no need to have your degree formally recognised, unless asked for. A list of regulated professions in the EU can be found on the European Union database. Examples are doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, educators, and engineers
If your degree is not on the Anabin site, please refer to the Central Office for Foreign Education.

The Make It in Germany website has a good page on Foreign academic qualifications and the recognition procedure.

Another helpful site is Anerkennung in Deutschland, from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. You can search by profession.

Stuying in Germany

If you would like to study in Germany, please refer to these pages.
Information about University entrance qualification (“hochschulzugansberechtigung” can be found on Uni-assist and the Study in Germany website

Study in Germany

Types of learning institutions Hochschule is the name for higher education. Under this, you can get the following institutions. Fachhochschule – University of applied sciences. Technische University – Technical University University – for academics. They offer doctoral and research programs Hochschule does not mean “Hoërskool” or “Secondary School” Where to start Dreaming of studying in Germany or looking for a Master’s degree in English? You’ll find oodles of valuable information and resources on the highly

School Information

The German School system is quite unique and distinguishes itself from the South African models in a number of ways Schulpflicht In Germany, Schulpflicht (compulsory schooling) requires children to attend school, ensuring they receive a structured education. In Germany, there is no unified national school law, and the Grundgesetz (Basic Law) does not explicitly regulate Schulpflicht (compulsory schooling). Instead, each Bundesland (federal state) determines its own rules regarding the duration and starting age of compulsory education.

Prep Courses and GRE Tests

Prep Course for University The study in Germany website is an excellent “If you want to study in Germany as a non-EU international student, you must first check if your previous qualification is recognized at German universities. Every school-leaving certificate attained in your country must be compared and translated into German qualification terms otherwise it won’t be recognized. There is a limited list of foreign qualifications assessed to be equivalent to German qualifications. Many foreign

List of Long Stay Visas

Long Term visas are seen as visits longer than 90 days and will typically be for work or study visits. If your application is approved, you will receive a visa to enter Germany. Once you are in Germany you will need to apply for your residence permit at the local Ausländerbehörde as soon as possible. You will always apply for your first long-stay German Visa at the German Embassy in South Africa.This might also apply

Where to find additional information

Make it in Germany – who needs recognition
KMK – Professional Recognition
Anerkennung in Deutschland – Recogniton finder
Anerkennung in Deutschland – Higher education qualifications
Expatrio – Recognition of Degrees in Germany
BAMF – Foreign professional qualifications
Handbook Germany – recognition
IQ Integrated through Qualification – service for Immigrants

The Network ‘Integration through Qualification (IQ)’ is aprogramme funded by the Federal Ministry of Labourand Social Affairs (BMAS) and the European Social Fund (ESF).

Shared experiences

Shared experience on the process of recognition

Vocabulary

English	German
University of applied schience	die Hochschule
University	die Universität
Graduation marks	die Abschlussnote
Bachelor degree	der Bachelorabschluss
Acedamic high school	das Gymnasium
Hich School certificate	der Schulabschluss
Recognition	die Anerkennung

Translations

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South Africans in Germany