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• Recognition of qualifications
  • Austria
  • Flanders
  • France
  • Germany
  • The Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
• Recognition networks

Germany

The body responsible for the recognition of foreign qualifcations in Germany is the Central Office for Foreign Education in the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in the Federal Republic of Germany.

ENIC-NARIC Centre

Central Office for Foreign Education in the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs
P.O. Box 2240
D-53012 Bonn
Germany

Phone: +49 228 501 352, -264
Fax: +49 228 501 229
E-mail: zab@kmk.org

http://www.kmk.org/zab.html

Germany has signed and ratified the Lisbon Recognition Convention (2007).

The Central Office for Foreign Education provides advise and information to authorities concerned with the recognition of foreign diplomas (e.g. ministries, universities, courts etc.). It has however no rights to make decisions itself.

The main tasks of the Central Office for Foreign Education are

• to assess foreign educational qualifications of individual applicants upon request from those authorities that are legally empowered to decide on individual cases of recognition;
• to elaborate general equivalence schemes and placement recommendations for foreign educational qualifications; these recommendations may eventually become statutory regulations when approved by a joint resolution of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs;
• to assist the authorities concerned in the preparation of bilateral agreements with the governments of foreign countries on the mutual recognition of educational qualifications;
• to act as general information and documentation centre with regard to educational systems abroad, and
• the development and management of a database for recognition of foreign credentials.

Types of recognition

The Central Office for Foreign Education provides advise and information regardingthe recognition of the following qualifications and types of recognition:

School-leaving certificates

• advisory academic recognition giving access to higher education programmes
• advisory academic recognition for the use of an academic title
• advisory recognition giving access to the labour market

Vocational Education and Training Qualifications

• advisory academic recognition giving access to higher education programmes
• advisory academic recognition for the use of an academic title
• advisory recognition giving access to the labour market

Short cycle education (e.g. Associate degree)

• advisory academic recognition giving access to higher education programmes
• advisory academic recognition for the use of an academic title
• advisory recognition giving access to the labour market

First cycle education (e.g. Bachelor)

• advisory academic recognition giving access to higher education programmes
• advisory academic recognition for the use of an academic title
• advisory recognition giving access to the labour market

Second cycle education (e.g. Master)

• advisory academic recognition giving access to higher education programmes
• advisory academic recognition for the use of an academic title
• advisory recognition giving access to the labour market

Third cycle education (e.g. Doctor)

• advisory academic recognition giving access to higher education programmes
• advisory academic recognition for the use of an academic title
• advisory recognition giving access to the labour market

The recognition procedure(s)

Step 1: Application

• All holders of foreign qualifications have access to an assessment of their qualifications
• All applicants automatically receive standardised information on the procedures and criteria for the assessment of foreign qualifications
• Informal advice is available about the possibilities and procedures taking into account the competence of the recognition authority
• Applicants can make use of standardised application forms
• The receipt of the application is acknowledged
• There is a check whether there are any bilateral/international agreements applicable
• The time normally required to process recognition applications is specified to the applicants

Step 2: Verification

• A checklist is used regarding required documents
• Previous cases (i.e. precedents) are referred to in light of the current recognition decisions
• The status, type and accreditation of the awarding higher education institution and the programme leading to the qualification is verified
• The recognition networks/bodies (e.g. ENIC/NARICs) are consulted

Step 3: Assessment

• All predefined criteria are are assessed to detect differences
• Detected differences are checked to see whether they are considered substantial (taking into account the purpose for which recognition is sought)

Step 4: Decision-making

• If there are no substantial differences: full recognition
• The case is added to the Inventory of typical recognition cases

Additional elements

• There is a comparative overview of other education systems or qualifications in relation to that of the country concerned
• There are special measures for refugees who cannot document the qualification(s) they claim

Open qualifications area with

At the moment there is no open qualifcations area with another country.

Links
German ENIC-NARIC Centre

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