Existing state-recognised qualification
Relevant vocational education or training must be completed and evidenced by a graduation or completion certificate. Work experience alone is insufficient.
Route B · Anerkennung
Bring existing training and experience into Germany’s vocational system
Assess your existing relevant qualification against a German reference occupation. Courses and work experience can count; address differences and apply for reassessment to avoid repeating training.
Basic requirements
Basic requirements
First check whether your evidence matches a German reference occupation, then assess gap-closing and visa options.
Courses, placements, certificates or work records
Course lists, placement records, skill certificates, employment contracts and job descriptions can form part of the evidence.
A suitable German reference occupation
Match your subject and duties to a German reference occupation to avoid choosing the wrong direction.
Willingness to close language or skills gaps
Address substantial differences through courses or practice, and prepare language skills and other occupation-specific requirements.
Plans for the Opportunity Card, job search or work visa
Recognition results may affect those routes, so plan ahead.
Support
How Deqiao can help
We assess the reference occupation, evidence, recognition route and later visa milestones together.
Match a reference occupation
Use your subject, courses, placements and duties to make an initial reference-occupation match.
Organise supporting evidence
Organise education, courses, placements, certificates, employment records, duties, translations and authentication.
Assess the recognition route
Assess Anerkennung, a DAB statement, further vocational measures or other relevant options.
Gap-closing after partial equivalence
Plan courses or practice around the assessment findings, gather completion evidence and prepare reassessment.
Coordinate the Opportunity Card and work visa
Use recognition results to assess the Opportunity Card, job search, work visa and later long-term residence steps.
Service contract and invoice
We provide a service contract and invoice to document the scope, payments and records for future use.
Next
Next step
Review training, courses, certificates, placements and employment evidence together before deciding whether to proceed with recognition.
Frequently asked questions
Understand the relationship between vocational recognition, DAB, Anerkennung and the Opportunity Card.
Does a vocational-school or junior-college diploma always qualify?
No. Subject, courses, duration, placements, certificates and experience must match the German reference occupation.
What is partial equivalence?
It means substantial differences remain. After addressing them according to the assessment, completion evidence can support a reassessment application.
Are DAB and Anerkennung the same?
No. DAB describes foreign non-academic vocational training; Anerkennung compares qualifications with a German reference occupation.
How does Anerkennung relate to the Opportunity Card?
Recognition or partial equivalence may affect the Opportunity Card, job search and work visas. Its usefulness depends on the occupation and evidence.
Can I be assessed without a complete course list?
An initial assessment is possible. Formal processing usually requires completing course, placement, certificate, employment and duty records as far as possible.