There are more and more foreign specialists on the German job market. According to the Institute for Labor Market and Career Research (IAB), their number has grown from 1.8 million to 4.3 million in the last decade. And, as experts predict, in the context of demographic changes in Germany, the importance of these experts will only increase. However, many migrants find it more difficult to find a job than Germans – even if they have similar language skills, qualifications and work experience.

At the IAB, this is largely explained by the lack of documents recognized in Germany on education received abroad. IAB officials studied the benefits of confirming professional qualifications in Germany for foreigners.

Who recognizes diplomas in Germany

In 2012, the verification and recognition procedures in Germany of qualifications obtained in one of the EU countries or outside the EU were unified. And in 2020, access to the German labor market has been further simplified. So that as many foreigners as possible can benefit from this, last year a service was opened in Bonn that offers expert advice and support. The diploma verification can cost from 100 to 600 euros.

According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, in 2019, only for professions that require a state permit at the federal level, about 33,000 foreigners applied to the relevant departments with such an application. Three quarters of applications are from professionals from outside the EU, mainly medical personnel. In half of the cases, the qualification was fully recognized as equivalent to German. Another 10,000 applications were considered at the state level (these professions include, in particular, engineers and teachers). A third of orders were shipped from abroad.

It is not just for so-called regulated professions, such as doctors, nurses and educators, that the qualification test according to German standards is required. Vocational training under the dual system in Germany is more standardized than, say, in English-speaking countries. Therefore, workers and artisans also need to confirm a professional education diploma. “But in other specialties, recognition of a degree is an important criterion for employers, which helps to assess knowledge and skills,” note the authors of the IAB study.

With a recognized degree, it’s easier to find a job

Scientists have analyzed how the recognition of a foreign degree in Germany affects the chances of finding a job and salary. To this end, they studied how the situation of migrants changed before, during and after the recognition of qualifications. These data were compared with those who did not apply for recognition or whose diploma was not validated.

The first conclusion of the study is that the recognition of qualifications increases the chances of finding a suitable job in the first month. Already 12 months after receiving a positive response from the department that reviewed the documents, they were 17% higher. After three years, the rate reached 25%. This is evidenced by analyzing data from over 1200 people. Researchers attribute the positive effect to access to a wider range of vacancies, including in regulated professions.

Another bonus – higher salary

Recognition of qualifications has a positive effect on wages, although not as much as on job chances. In the salary comparison, only those who work full-time were considered. One year after the recognition of a diploma, an average salary increase of eight percent is observed. And within three years, the salary difference in relation to the situation prior to the recognition of the diploma is 20%.

With the recognition of a diploma, foreigners also benefit financially.

Scientists also compared the difference in salaries of German citizens and specialists with foreign passports and diplomas. This took into account the level of education, gender and time of moving to Germany, as well as the characteristics of the labor market in the German regions. The results of the mathematical modeling showed that in the first years after the move, migrants who did not confirm their degree received, on average, 39% less than Germans. After 15 years, the difference is reduced to 21%, but until the end of active life it does not disappear. In the case of those who intend to recognize the diploma, the situation in the first years is similar, and their salary is almost a third less than that of the Germans. But soon after the qualifications are recognized, the difference disappears. And years later, the salary of foreign specialists is even a little higher. Thus, analysts emphasize, employers encourage confirmation of qualifications.

Doctors earn more

Recognition of a diploma opens access to regulated professions. One year later, the chances of finding a job in one of them increase by 10%, after three years the difference is around 18%. Scientists also analyzed data on areas of activity. In the case of doctors, veterinarians, pharmacists and other medical professionals whose qualifications have been confirmed in the medical chamber, the probability of employment increases by 50% and the salary is more than three times higher!

Those who receive a positive response from the chamber of commerce (for example, a cook or an accountant) can count on an almost 26% increase in the likelihood of finding a job, but there is no significant change in salary. In the case of artisans, the chances are higher by almost 10%, and the salary is higher by a third of what it was before the recognition of the diploma. It is also interesting that in the case of unregulated specialties, diploma holders can expect a salary increase of half, and the chances of finding a job in Germany are 11% higher.