In Baden-Württemberg you can have foreign certificates checked by the certificate recognition office at the Stuttgart regional council.
It then assesses whether it is comparable with a German school leaving certificate, e.g. secondary school and secondary school leaving certificate.
If you have a foreign nationality, are entitled to asylum or are stateless and you would like to study at a university, please contact the following offices if you have any questions about the recognition of foreign educational certificates:
- Applications to universities and colleges of education should be sent directly to the university of your choice. This checks the university entrance qualification as part of the application process.
- To study at a university of applied sciences, contact the Studienkolleg Konstanz. This checks and confirms your university entrance qualification as well as proof of German language skills.
- To study at an art and music college, contact the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart for confirmation of your university entrance qualification and language skills.
- For studies at the Cooperative State University, please contact the Central International Coordination Office of the Cooperative State University in Stuttgart for confirmation of your university entrance qualification and language skills.
For the subjects of human medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy, applications for EU citizens are made centrally via the Foundation for University Admission. Citizens of all other countries living in Germany also apply using this procedure if at least one parent is an EU or EEA citizen or if they are married to an EU or EEA citizen or have entered into a registered civil partnership. The university entrance qualification is checked by the Foundation for University Admission as part of the application process.
For the examination of your educational certificates, you must submit officially certified photocopies of the certificates in the original language and the translations of your certificates. The translations must be carried out by officially appointed and sworn document translators. You can find out what else you need from the relevant authorities. Translations into German that were made abroad must have been legalized there by the German embassy or a German consulate.
Are you still going to school and would you like to have your placement in a grade checked? Then you cannot have your previous academic achievements recognized in an official procedure. The school management of the school in Germany that the pupil wishes to attend decides on the classification. The decision is made in consultation with the local school authority, the pupil and the parents.
Source: Service portal Baden-Württemberg – recognition in the school / university sector
For professional qualifications that you have acquired abroad, you can have a binding determination in Germany as to whether your degree is equivalent to a German professional qualification.
The competent authorities compare the foreign with a German professional qualification. In the examination, they take into account formal criteria such as the content and duration of the training. This is currently possible for 325 state-recognized dual training occupations.
Recognition is mandatory for regulated professions. Only then are you allowed to work in one of these professions in Germany. Professions are regulated whose access and exercise are linked to proof of qualification.
The Stuttgart Regional Council carries out the assessment procedure for the following professions in the certificate recognition office:
- Educators
- Nannies
- Freelance qualified sports teachers
- Freelance gymnastics teachers
- Freelance sports teachers.
The assessment procedure for geriatric nurses is carried out in the State Health Office.
The Tübingen regional council carries out the assessment process for teachers.
You can obtain approval to use the professional title of engineer from the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Engineers.
Further information
Information portal for foreign professional qualifications
“Recognition in Germany” portal
in the EU regulated professions
You can also get support from the initial contact points and competence centres for recognition advice.
Source: Service portal Baden-Württemberg – professional recognition
