Stephan Blocks
Market Research & Development Advisor ProRecognition
+6221 5098 5800 stephan.blocks@ekonid.id
Germany seeks skilled workers from abroad
Germany is facing a skilled workers shortage. The number of unfilled job positions has been increasing for years. In 2023, more than 700,000 vacancies could not be filled.
In principle, all areas of the German economy are affected by the shortage of skilled workers. A selection of the most important professional fields:
- Healthcare
- Education and childcare
- Hotel and catering industry, sales
- Information technology (IT), programming and software development
- Logistics
- Automotive sector, electrical, trades, mechanical and plant engineering
To solve this issue, the German government is pursuing the goal of attracting around 400,000 skilled workers from abroad to take up work in Germany every year. The Skilled Immigration Act (FEG) has simplified the regulations for immigration.
The term skilled worker according to the Skilled Immigration Act is a foreigner who:
- Has completed a German vocational or academic education (of at least 2 years) or
- Has completed a foreign vocational or academic education that has been recognized as equivalent in Germany, or
- Has a foreign university degree comparable to a German university degree.
There are two procedures for determining the equivalence or comparability of a foreign degree: the recognition procedure (Anerkennung) and the evaluation of university degrees.
Good reasons to apply for recognition (Anerkennung)
- Recognition or an evaluation of a university degree is generally a requirement for the issuance of a work visa
- Enables German employer to easily assess the degree of the skilled worker
- Better career opportunities in Germany
- Opportunity to participate in further training measures based on the recognition
- Faster access to a permanent residence permit and thus simplified family reunification
Our consulting services
ProRecognition is a consultation project for the recognition of foreign degrees. It is aimed at skilled workers with vocational and academic qualifications abroad. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and coordinated by DIHK Service GmbH. ProRecognition was launched in 2015 and since 2024, it has also been implemented at the AHK Indonesia/EKONID.
The procedure for each individual case and the German competent authority for the recognition or the evaluation of university degrees heavily depend on the respective foreign degree and the desired profession in Germany. Therefore, we offer profession-targeted individual and group consultations:
Do you already have a job offer from a German company?
We are happy to support you free-of-charge on recognition as a requirement for the work visa.
You can register for individual consultation with the following link:
Academic degree in a regulated profession
- Professions: Pharmacists, doctors, veterinarians, dentists, psychotherapists, early childhood educators, teachers (for state schools)
- Note: Nurses and other healthcare professions with an academic degree please register in the category "Vocational degree in a regulated profession"
- Requirements for individual consultation (proof required):
- German language skills: at least B2
- Degree certificate
- Overview of the subjects and grades
- Surat Tanda Registrasi (STR) for healthcare professionals or Pendidikan Profesi Guru (PPG) for teachers and educators
You can register for individual consultation with the following link:
If you do not yet meet the requirements, don’t worry. You are welcome to register for our free info sessions:
Vocational degree in a regulated profession
- Professions in the healthcare sector with Surat Tanda Registrasi (STR), e.g. nurses, midwives, pharmaceutical assistants, laboratory assistants
- Requirements for individual consultation (proof required):
- German language skills: at least B1
- Degree certificate
- Overview of subjects and grades
- STR for healthcare professionals
You can register for individual consultation with the following link:
If you do not yet meet the requirements, don’t worry. You are welcome to register for a group consultation:
- Dates for group consultation & registration form (TBA)
Vocational degree in a non-regulated profession
- All professions with vocational degree (SMK, Diploma 2–4) that have not yet been mentioned above
- Requirements for individual consultation (proof required):
- German language skills: at least A2
- Degree certificate
- Overview of subjects and grades
- At least 2 years of professional experience in line with the degree
You can register for individual consultation with the following link:
If you do not yet meet the requirements, don’t worry. You are welcome to register for a group consultation:
- Dates for group consultation & registration form (TBA)
Academic degree in a non-regulated profession
- All professions with an academic degree (S1-S3) that have not yet been mentioned above
- Requirements for individual consultation (proof required):
- German language skills: at least B2
- Degree certificate
- Overview of subjects and grades
You can register for individual consultation with the following link:
If you do not yet meet the requirements, don’t worry. You are welcome to register for a group consultation:
- Dates for group consultation & registration form (TBA)
ProRecognition in numbers
-
9 countries
where ProRecognition is implemented
-
32,500 people
have received advisory on recognition
-
9,350 recognition applications
have been submitted
-
7,000 positive recognition results
have been issued
-
2,250 foreign skilled workers
have taken up employment in Germany
Contact us for more information about our competency!
