Recognition of foreign degrees in Germany
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As a rule, recognition of foreign degrees falls within the responsibility of the 16 German provinces (Bundesländer), usually the Ministry of Education and Sciences, and can vary from province to province. To make foreign educational levels and their acknowledgement more easily comparable and homogeneous, the 16 States have set up the Central Office for Foreign Education (=Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen, ZAB),
http://www.kmk.org/zab/home.htm
The ZAB is part of the Conference of the States' Secretaries for Education (Kultusministerkonferenz). It has established a database for evaluation of foreign certificates and academic degrees. It is called anabin,
http://www.anabin.de
The ZAB provides advisory and information services to the authorities concerned with the recognition of foreign diplomas (e.g. ministries, universities, courts etc.), but has no rights to make decisions itself. The Central Office for Foreign Education cooperates mainly with the following authorities and institutions:
The Central Office for Foreign Education cooperates mainly with the following authorities and institutions:
- the ministries of education, science and cultural affairs in each Land of the Federal Republic of Germany. These ministries are concerned e.g. with general questions of access to higher education, the evaluation of foreign teacher qualifications, and the decisions for using foreign academic degrees; special committees of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs dealing with international aspects of the educational system;
- universities and other institutions of education asking for advice in individual cases of admission and placement of applicants with
foreign educational qualifications;
- foreign institutions requesting information on the German educational system and on the recognition of foreign credits, diplomas and other certificates in the Federal Republic of Germany;
- other ministries and subordinate authorities responsible for professional and vocational recognition (e.g. ministries of public
health of the Laender);
- student exchange associations;
- grant awarding agencies
Recognotion of Apprenticeship and Handcraft Training
Almost every profession has its own association or special organization which takes care of its interests. These professional associations are also responsible for recognition of foreign apprenticeship or handcraft training. In most cases it is up to them to decide whether an apprenticeship or a training is acknowledged in Germany. Please contact the German Canadian Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Toronto to find out the respective Chamber for your trade.
German Canadian Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Toronto, ON M5G 1V2
Tel.:(416) 598-3355
Fax:(416) 598-1840
