Foreign Degree Recognition in Germany: Who Is Responsible

A degree you earned abroad raises three separate questions in Germany. Can you continue studying at a German university with it? How is your degree evaluated? And can you work in your profession with it? Each question is handled by a different body. This guide explains who decides what and where to get an overview before you submit any documents.

Key points

• The ZAB has issued evaluation recommendations since 1953, and all 16 federal states use them as the basis for their decisions.
• The recommendations can be found in the database anabin, in the section for school certificates giving access to higher education.
• The university decides on admission to a degree programme, not the ZAB.
• For professional recognition, the body of the federal state where you live or intend to live is responsible.
• An evaluation for private individuals is not a recognition but a classification of your degree.
• Doctoral titles from abroad follow their own rules, which are explained in a separate guide.

Which body is responsible for your purpose?

Responsibility depends on the goal you pursue with the degree. The table below lists the most common cases. It does not replace binding advice from the body concerned, but it helps you find the right contact for your first enquiry.

The distinction between evaluation and recognition matters. An evaluation describes which German qualification your certificate corresponds to. A recognition is a decision by a competent body that your degree counts for a particular purpose. Anyone who mixes the two sends documents to the wrong office and loses time that is missing when application deadlines approach.

What does a ZAB evaluation mean?

The Central Office for Foreign Education has issued recommendations for evaluating foreign certificates since 1953. These recommendations are the basis on which the federal states decide. The ZAB also issues evaluations to private individuals. This evaluation carries a fee and helps you classify your degree, for example when you apply on the German labour market.

The amount of the fee and the processing time can change. Ask the ZAB directly for the current status before you apply, rather than relying on older information from forums. For a school certificate, the path is explained in our guide to the foreign Abitur (in German), because the same ZAB recommendations apply there.

Why does your place of residence matter for professional recognition?

Professional qualifications follow a different logic from university admission. The recognition bodies of the federal state where you live or intend to live are responsible. This sounds like a formality, but it has practical consequences. According to the Federal Foreign Office, the procedure has applied in this form since 1 April 2012, and there is a legal entitlement to an evaluation for around 350 non-regulated professions.

If you move later, check whether the new body in the other federal state is responsible before continuing an application at your old address. For professions in which a licence is needed to practise, this check is especially worth doing, because the requirements differ considerably from one profession to another.

A practical starting point is a short list with three entries: the degree with its date and country, the purpose you want it for, and the body that appears responsible according to the table. With this list you ask precisely and avoid submitting the same documents twice. Many bodies answer written enquiries with concrete notes on translations, originals and forms, which you can then apply directly.

Which deadlines and documents should you plan for?

Binding deadlines are set by the body in charge, and they differ depending on the procedure. An application to a university, a recognition procedure and an application to an employer often run in parallel, and processing times are not the same everywhere. Plan with a buffer and ask about the current timeline before you set an appointment or a deadline.

The timing also follows a simple rule. Start with the body whose answer determines the other steps. If, for example, a university requires a particular evaluation, clarify the evaluation first and only then the application. This avoids paying twice and avoids waiting times that otherwise add up.

Which documents and translations are required is decided by the competent body. Do not submit originals without checking first, and keep copies of all your documents. Anyone running several procedures at once quickly loses track of requests for additional papers without such an overview.

How do recognition and doctoral titles relate?

A doctorate obtained abroad is not a professional qualification. It is a title with its own rules for use in Germany. The guide DBA: Recognition and use of titles in Germany (in German) explains that part separately, and the question of which designation you may use is covered in a separate article (in German). This text only concerns degrees for study and work.

Frequently asked questions

Is a ZAB evaluation the same as a recognition?

No. The Federal Foreign Office describes the evaluation explicitly as something other than a recognition. If a procedure requires legal equivalence, you need the decision of the competent body. Ask that body which form of proof it accepts before you pay for an evaluation.

Who decides on admission to a degree programme?

The university decides on admission itself. The ZAB recommendations are a basis for that decision, but they are not an admission. For nationally restricted subjects, applications run through the Foundation for University Admissions, as the Kultusministerkonferenz explains.

Where can I find the evaluation recommendations?

The recommendations of the ZAB are available in the database anabin, in the section for school certificates that give access to higher education. Check first which section matches your document, and ask the ZAB or the university if you are unsure.

Can I apply from abroad?

Whether and how you apply from abroad is set by the university. Our guide to applying to German universities from abroad (in German) describes the usual process, fees and deadlines. That guide does not replace the university’s own information, because deadlines can differ from case to case.

What to do now

1. Write down the purpose of the recognition: study, evaluation for applications, or professional recognition.
2. Match the purpose to a body using the table, and for professions check your place of residence.
3. Ask the competent body about documents, translations and the current procedure.
4. Coordinate applications and deadlines before you submit anything.

Related reading

• Recognising a foreign Abitur: the process for studying (in German)
• Studienkolleg: admission, costs and procedure for international applicants (in German)
• Applying from abroad: process, fees and deadlines (in German)
• DBA: Recognition and use of titles in Germany (in German)
• Studying in Germany as an international student: the overview (in German)

Sources: Federal Foreign Office: Will my foreign academic degree be recognised in Germany? (accessed November 2026), Kultusministerkonferenz: ZAB, access to higher education (accessed November 2026).

Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.