Rate of foreign qualification recognition slows in Germany

The number of foreign qualifications approved by German authorities grew by nearly 10 percent last year, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

Germany approved 86.600 foreign qualifications

Last year, German authorities approved around 86.600 foreign qualifications, 10 percent more than in 2024, according to recent figures from Destatis.

Despite the significant increase in approved qualification recognition applications, growth has slowed in recent years. In 2023, the number of qualifications approved rose by 21 percent and in 2024 by 25 percent.

In 2025, as in 2024, medical qualifications were the most commonly recognised overall. Qualifications in elderly care led the category (32.000 recognised), followed by medicine for doctors (13.900) and engineering (4.600).

Qualifications in these three professions alone made up a whopping 58 percent of the foreign qualifications German authorities recognised in 2025 overall.

Qualifications from Turkey are most common

Of the qualifications submitted for recognition, Turkish qualifications were the most common in 2025. In total, 11 percent of all qualifications submitted for recognition last year were initially obtained in Turkey.

Ukraine (8.300 qualifications), Syria (6.100 qualifications), India and Tunisia (5.400 qualifications each) followed. The number of qualifications initially obtained in Syria which were recognised in Germany increased by 42 percent between 2024 and 2025.

Meanwhile, the number of qualifications recognised that were originally obtained in Bosnia and Herzegovina decreased considerably.