Foreign professional qualification in healthcare industry

Many applications for recognition of a foreign professional qualification are made in the healthcare industry

01/08/2014

According to information from the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden last year, especially women from health professions and nursing applied for the recognition of a vocational qualification acquired abroad. Accordingly, a total of 2,278 applications were submitted by women and 1,177 by men. More than a quarter of the applicants sought recognition as a doctor with 924 applications.

Not every foreign professional qualification in the health industry is recognized in Germany
844 applications for recognition of a foreign professional qualification related to health or nursing, 551 cases to teachers, 156 to social workers and 116 to physiotherapists. Of the total of 3,455 procedures, a total of 2,738 were completed by the end of 2013, with just under 90 percent being decided positively. Only 288 applicants could not find equivalence of professional qualifications acquired abroad.

Most applications were made on the basis of professional qualifications from other European countries (1,619 in one EU country), 504 from Asia and the remaining around 350 from Africa, USA or Australia.

Whether or not a foreign vocational qualification is recognized is governed by various laws in this country. Thus, the Federal Recognition Act is responsible for the recognition of federal regulated professions, which include a large part of the medical professions and training occupations in the fields „Industry", „Trade "and „Crafts "(ag)

Image: Michael Bührke