Erzieherin und Erzieher mit ausländischer Berufsqualifikation, Anerkennung beantragen

Do you want to work as an educator? Then you need to be recognized by the state.

Recognizing foreign professional qualifications

Equivalence is checked with the qualification "State-recognized educator", which is awarded in Rhineland-Palatinate at technical colleges for social work, specializing in social pedagogy. If there is no comprehensive equivalence, it will be checked whether recognition is possible for sub-areas in the field of activity of the educator profession (e.g. kindergarten, crèche, after-school care/all-day school, home, youth work). If there are significant differences, a decision is made on compensatory measures, i.e. an adaptation course or aptitude test of the applicant's choice. It will also be checked whether the applicant has sufficient German language skills to practice the profession (at least level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

• Informal declaration on the purpose of the application (recognition as an educator must be explicitly applied for),
• Informal declaration of all previous applications for professional recognition in Germany,
• Degree certificates with overview of subjects and grades, if available, preferably with diploma supplement,
• Employment references for relevant activities,
• Certificates of German language examinations,
• Identity card or passport, if applicable with residence permit,
• Proof of name change, if applicable (e.g. by means of a marriage certificate),
• if applicable, expellee identity card or certificate in accordance with the Federal Expellee Act,
• if you live outside Rhineland-Palatinate, proof that you intend to work in Rhineland-Palatinate (e.g. through correspondence with a potential employer in Rhineland-Palatinate).

All copied documents must be officially certified. Foreign-language documents must be submitted in the original language and as a translation by a publicly appointed or sworn interpreter.

1. The vocational training must be fully completed in the country of origin (end product).
2. It must qualify for the independent and autonomous education of children and young people outside the classroom, e.g. in day-care centers (kindergartens, crèches and after-school care centers) or in inpatient child and youth welfare facilities (homes) or in extracurricular youth work or in activities at schools outside the provision of lessons (all-day school, special school, focus school).
3. The training or the work-related part of the training should have lasted at least three years full-time or correspondingly longer part-time in the country of origin.
4. The level of training must be at least equivalent to a certificate within the meaning of Article 11(b) of Directive 2005/36/EC.

Recognition without conditions: 80 euros,

Partial recognition and approval of compensation measures: 60 euros,

Approval for compensatory measures without partial recognition: 50 euros

1. Submission of the application with documents,
2. Confirmation of receipt and check for completeness, additional documents requested if necessary, within one month,
3. Completion of the application documents,
4. Decision within three months of receipt of the complete documents,
5. If it is not possible to meet the deadline, extension of the deadline with reasons,
6. Decision on equivalence, partial recognition if necessary, determination of compensatory measures if necessary, determination of sufficient German language skills, determination of costs,
7. statistical recording.

It is not possible to make a general statement as the waiting times are not always the same due to the workload. In addition, expert opinions from the Central Office for Foreign Education are sometimes required, which can considerably prolong the procedure.

The adaptation course requires a work placement and a school place and is tied to the course of a school year. The application deadline at the vocational schools is March 1 of each year. Applications received after this date can only be considered if school places are still available.

If recognition as an educator is not possible:

Applications to daycare centers are still possible. The provider of the facility (not the applicant!) can apply for a special permit from the daycare center supervisory authority (at the state youth welfare office) in accordance with the provisions of the "Specialist Agreement for Daycare Centers".

In the case of all-day schools, applications should be sent directly to the all-day schools. A current list can be found on the homepage of the Supervisory and Service Directorate at "www.add.rlp.de" and can be found on the following path: "Schools", "All-day schools", then on the right-hand side "List of all all-day schools in Rhineland-Palatinate".

Appeal within one month to the Supervisory and Service Directorate, Koblenz School Supervision Office.

Examination of equivalence with the educator profession, which enables the independent and autonomous education of children and young people outside the classroom.

Supervisory and Service Directorate
- Branch Office School Supervision -
56005 Koblenz

The local jurisdiction is given if the applicants wish to exercise the profession in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The application can be submitted informally.