Recognition of qualifications as a teacher

The recognition office for domestic and foreign teaching qualifications issues recognitions and checks the equivalence of your qualification. The procedure is usually subject to a fee. You can find more information in the information brochure of the Recognition Office.

The application – possibilities and ways

You can submit your application for recognition of your foreign training as a teacher already from abroad if you have a justified interest in doing so, such as moving to Berlin in the near future. After you have submitted the application with all the required documents, you will receive a written notification of recognition.

Please do not send your application documents by e-mail. Use the service of the Single Point of Contact Berlin for submitting your application and additional documents.

Alternatively, you can send your application by post. In this case, please send your application to:

Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family Affairs
Recognition Office for International Teacher Qualifications
II E 1.11/II E 1.12/II E 1.13
Bernhard-Weiß-Strasse 6
10178 Berlin

Please note that you must sign and submit the completed application form and the data protection declaration in order to apply by post.

non-German Documents

All documents that are not written in German must additionally be supported by a German translation, the documents under no. 05, no. 08 and no. 11 by a sworn translator.

Documents that are not written in Latin script

Translations of foreign documents that are not written in Latin script must additionally contain a transliteration according to the ISO standard.

Format requirements for the online application

Each document must be uploaded as a single document in PDF or JPEG format. Please do not submit merged collective files with all documents in one document, as this makes the processing process more difficult.

Fees and processing times

The processing times are generally as follows:

You have two options for submitting your application:

• Brief assessment notice – a fee of 55.00 euros is charged for this.
• Detailed assessment – a fee of 222.00 euros will be charged for this.

If the examination of your application shows that you do not have a completed foreign teacher training, a fee of 55.00 euros will be charged.

In the recognition procedure, it will be determined whether the training you have proven is actually a completed training as a teacher (brief assessment and detailed assessment).

If the completed training as a teacher is confirmed by the recognition office, you have the opportunity to apply for corresponding job offers as a native speaker teacher (e.g. at the Staatliche Europa-Schule Berlin) or to apply for temporary positions.

If you apply for the detailed assessment, an additional check will be made as to whether the foreign qualification as a teacher corresponds to the Berlin teacher training to such an extent that it can be equated with a Berlin teaching qualification.

If there are differences in training that do not allow for immediate equivalence with a Berlin teaching qualification, you will be given conditions that you must fulfil before full equivalence can be granted, e.g. completion of a practical school adaptation course. You can find more information on educational differences and compensation possibilities in the FAQ list and in the information brochure on this page.

With equalisation, you can be employed for an unlimited period of time at a public school in Berlin, provided that you can prove German language skills at level C 2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) when you are hired.

At the latest when you are hired for an indefinite period in the Berlin school service, you must prove that you have German language skills at level C 2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

You can find various ways of acquiring this language knowledge in the flyer “Language Skills and Pathways”.

If you still have to compensate for educational differences, it is advisable to acquire the language skills by the start of the school-practical adaptation course or the assessment test. This will increase your chances of successfully completing your recognition procedure.

The Recognition Office offers a simplified application procedure to persons who have a special protection status according to Section 24 of the Residence Act and who prove this to the Recognition Office.

As in the regular procedure, the application is submitted either by post to the Recognition Office or online via the service portal Berlin.

The documents to be submitted differ from the regular documents and formal requirements as follows:

• The application procedure is free of charge.
• Completeness of the documents is not required, but a copy/scan or photo of the diploma should be available if possible. In addition, the signature of a written declaration in German and, if possible, the respective national language on the correctness of the information provided and the authenticity of the documents submitted is required.
• Translations and transliterations should be submitted if possible. The translation of the certificate by a sworn translator is not required, but desirable. Typewritten documents are also accepted.
• Applications are not subject to the usual processing time.
• Proof of a language placement test or certificate of participation in a German course (e.g. from a VHS) is required in order to be able to make a decision on the type of decision (short or detailed assessment). For resource reasons, a detailed assessment is only issued in this procedure if language skills of at least C 1 level are proven in this step. For persons with lower language skills, a brief assessment is issued.

Due to the different regulations to the regular procedure, the validity of the notifications issued in this simplified procedure is limited to a maximum of three years and contain a reservation indicating that the information provided is incomplete. An extension within the framework of the regular procedure and against payment of a fee is possible.

The (Second) State Examination for a teaching profession is generally recognised and entitles you to work in Berlin as a teacher at public schools.

The First State Examination for a teaching profession or a “Master of Education” degree obtained in a federal state other than Berlin generally give you access to the preparatory service. Only in exceptional cases can access not be granted, for example if the subjects are not trained in Berlin.

The competent application office decides on admission to the preparatory service.