Last checked against the official source: 29 August 2026
When you apply to have a professional qualification recognised in Germany, the competent body does not ask “is your qualification good?” It asks one specific question: are there substantial differences between it and the corresponding German qualification? Section 4 BQFG defines what “substantial difference” means with precision — and it states that your documented work experience can compensate for one.
The equivalence test
- Legal basis
- Section 4 of the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG).
- First requirement
- The foreign qualification must evidence the ability to carry out professional activities comparable to those of the corresponding German profession.
- Second requirement
- There must be no substantial differences between the qualification and the German vocational qualification.
- What compensates for a difference
- Other certificates of competence · relevant documented professional experience · other demonstrated qualifications.
- The decision
- Either full equivalence, or a finding of substantial differences with those differences set out.
When a difference counts as “substantial”
The law requires three elements to be present together:
- A difference in content or durationThe foreign training covers skills and knowledge that differ materially — in substance or in the duration of the training — from the German standards.
- Those competences must be essential to the professionA difference alone is not enough; the differing competences must be necessary for practising the profession itself. A difference in a marginal subject does not amount to a substantial difference.
- The applicant must not have compensated for itThis is the decisive element: if you have made up the difference by other means, it is not counted against you.
Work experience is not a nice extra — it is a legal instrument. The law expressly provides that differences can be compensated by relevant documented professional experience and by other certificates of competence. Many applicants send their study certificate alone and receive a finding of substantial differences, when their years of work would have closed the gap had they documented and attached them. Attach references, job descriptions and training certificates with the first application — not after the decision has issued.
What if a substantial difference is established?
A finding of substantial difference is not a final refusal. The competent body is obliged to set the differences out specifically, and that statement is your road map: it shows exactly what is missing, and the compensatory qualification measures available in your profession are determined on its basis. Keep the reasoned decision and use it to plan the next step.
Official sources and related reading
Section 4 BQFG · The procedure and the three-month rule · Official recognition portal
Please note: this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Equivalence assessment is individual and differs between professions and federal states — check with the body competent for your profession.
Frequently asked questions
When is a difference “substantial”?
The law requires three elements together: a material difference in content or training duration, differing competences that are essential to practising the profession, and the applicant not having compensated for them by other means.
Does my work experience count?
Yes, and the law says so expressly. Differences can be compensated by relevant documented professional experience and by other certificates of competence. Attach references, job descriptions and training certificates with the first application, not after the decision.
What question does the authority actually ask?
Not “is your qualification good?” but whether there are substantial differences between it and the corresponding German qualification — preceded by the requirement that your qualification evidences the ability to carry out comparable professional activities.
Does a finding of substantial difference mean refusal?
No. The competent body must set the differences out specifically, and that statement is your road map: it shows exactly what is missing, and the compensatory measures available in your profession are determined on its basis. Keep the reasoned decision.
Is sending the study certificate alone enough?
It is not advisable. Many people send the certificate alone and receive a finding of substantial differences, when their years of work would have closed the gap had they been documented and attached from the start.
What is the outcome of the assessment?
Either full equivalence, or a finding of substantial differences together with a statement of what those differences are.