Residency permit for the certification of foreign professional qualifications

If you have completed vocational training or an academic study program abroad and it was determined in Germany that you lack further qualifications to be fully certified for any equivalent employment in the country, you have the opportunity to attend various qualification courses in Germany to learn the necessary skills needed for full certification. In order to do this, you must first apply for a residency permit for the certification of foreign professional qualifications. This is limited to up to 18 months and can be extended for another six months in exceptional cases. Please note that, as a third-country national, you must first apply for a visa before entering Germany.

Requirements

You must meet the following requirements in order to obtain a residency permit for the purpose of certifying your foreign professional qualifications:

• letter/notification of skills lacking as reviewed by the Certification Authority (Anerkennungsstelle) in Germany
• for practical qualification programs in companies: complete further education/training plan with the approval of the Federal Employment Agency
• proof of German language skills (minimum CEF level A2 required)
• proof of secure, financial livelihood for the duration of your stay

Application procedure

The immigration office of the city in which you live is responsible for issuing the residency permit for the certification of foreign professional qualifications. You will find the necessary documents on the website of the respective office. As a rule, however, the documents are as follows:

• completely filled out application form
• proof of registration according to your place of residency
• valid passport
• notification letter from certification authority
• proof of stable, financial livelihood for the duration of your stay
• proof of health insurance coverage
• proof of German language skills (minimum CEF level A2 required)
• biometric passport photo
• proof of paid processing fee
• in practical training courses: written proof of acceptance and training plan of the training workplace/company
• in theoretical courses: proof of course registration

Please note that the processing time can take between four and eight weeks.

After successful completion

Have you successfully completed your training courses and had your qualifications fully certified? Then you have the opportunity to apply for a residency permit for job seekers. If you already have a concrete job offer, you can apply for a work and residency permit for skilled professionals.

Topic: Visa for Germany

• Visa for Germany
• Residency permit for job seekers
• Work and residency permit
• Residency permit for the certification of qualifications
• Permanent Residency permit
• List of German missions abroad

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