New Recognition Statistics: Syria is on the 4th Place

On September 14, The Federal Statistical Office published the statistics on the Recognition Act for the reference year 2016. Since the Act came into effect in 2012, 86,514 applications for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications were filed, the Federal Statistical Office reports. In 2016, 23,028 new applications were submitted. This is a 14 percent increase over the previous year. The share of those who received a positive ruling is very high. The made up 76,5 percent of all applicants in 2016. In 66,4 percent of cases (19,845 cases), full recognition was granted and in 10,1 percent the partial one. 20,2 percent of applicants have to complete a formalized additional training in order to be able to work in their profession. Only in 3,4 percent of cases, no equivalence could be established between a credential obtained abroad and a corresponding German qualification.

Most applicants completed their training in Romania, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Syria. Applications for recognition of a Syrian vocational training almost tripled in a year (Syria, 2015: 636 new applications; 2016: 1728). Thus, Syria is on the 4th place among the most popular countries in the recognition process. For the first time since the Act came into the effect, over 50 percent of applications were filed for recognition of qualifications obtained in non-EU countries.

As in the years before, the majority of recognition procedures concerned the regulated professions, since formal recognition is mandatory for people willing to work in a regulated profession. They made up 74,9 percent of all cases filed in 2016. The majority of applicants sought recognition in the healthcare professions.

Some 25,1 percent of applicants filed an application for recognition of a qualification in the non-regulated professions. Recognition is not mandatory in case of non-regulated professions. It can, however, increase the chances of employment that accords to a person’s qualification or career advancement.

More information on the statistics of the Recognition Act.