Jurisdiction IHK FOSA
IHK FOSA is the competent body for carrying out recognition procedures (= equivalence assessment) related to foreign professional trainings that can be assigned to IHK professions. These include around 350 training and further educations in the fields of industry, trade, gastronomy and services.
You will find the list of IHK professions for which IHK FOSA is the competent body on the right-hand side.
For professions which do not fall within the IHKs’ scope of competence, applicants must consult the respective competent authority. In the case of craft or agricultural professions, for example, these are the local craft or agricultural chambers, respectively. For specialist employees in independent professions, these are the respective responsible professional chambers, e.g. doctors’, dentists’ and lawyers’ chambers. In case of training and further training professions regulated by the respective federal state (e.g. technicians), please contact the competent state authority.
Choice: List of IHK professions
Liste mit allen Ausbildungsberufen und Fortbildungs- abschlüssen in Zuständigkeit der IHK FOSA
Help finding the competent body
"Recognition in Germany" is the official information portal on the Federal Recognition Act. Foreign professionals will find here informations about how and where they can apply for recognition of their professional qualification acquired abroad. Help in finding the competent body for the recognition procedure of the respective occupation is provided by the “Recognition Finder” with just a few clicks. Besides this, the website contains all relevant information about professional recognition as well about the legal foundations. Informations are provided in 11 languages.
In case you're not sure which is the competent body for the recognition procedure of you professional qualification acquired abroad, the telephone hotline “Working and Living in Germany” will provide help.
The hotline answers questions about immigration and integration in German and English language. In a personal consultation you will receive information on the topics entry and residence, learning German, job search, work and careers as well as the recognition of foreign professional qualifications.
The hotline is available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. under the number: +49 30 1815-1111.
