Having a foreign qualification recognised (Anerkennung) is one process, but the German it asks for is not the same for everyone. For most non-regulated jobs no level is set at all; for nurses it is B2, and doctors need B2 plus a C1 medical language exam. This guide shows where you stand and which Goethe or telc certificate proves your level.
Professional recognition sets the German level by profession — B2 for nursing, B2 plus a C1 medical language exam for doctors — so check your profession's authority first.
Source: anerkennung-in-deutschland.de ·
Germany splits jobs into two groups, and the group decides whether recognition is compulsory and whether German is part of it. The official portal Anerkennung in Deutschland, run by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), explains both.
The activity is protected by law. Doctors, nurses and teachers are typical examples. You may only work in the profession once your qualification is recognised, and in many of these professions a specific level of German is a condition for the licence to practise.
This covers about 330 occupations of the dual training system. Recognition is not required to work in them, and in most cases no particular German level is set for recognition. It can still help: a recognition notice shows employers what your qualification is worth.
Not sure which group you belong to? The portal's Recognition Finder (Anerkennungs-Finder) names your German reference occupation, tells you whether a language level is needed for it and which one, and gives you the contact details of the authority that handles your case.
The table brings together the levels confirmed for the most common cases. The authority of the federal state (Land) that decides your case always has the last word, so check its list of accepted certificates before you book an exam.
| Profession or route | German level | Certificates named |
|---|---|---|
| Non-regulated occupations (for example most trades) | Usually none for recognition | — |
| Nurse | B2 | Goethe B2, telc B2 (including telc B2 Pflege), ÖSD B2 |
| Physiotherapist, midwife and other health professions | B2, certificate no more than 3 years old | Goethe, telc, ÖSD, TestDaF |
| Doctor, dentist, pharmacist | B2 general German, then C1 medical German (Fachsprachprüfung) | Goethe B2, telc B2, ÖSD B2 |
| Teacher | C2 in general; C1 in Bavaria and Saxony | Goethe C2, telc C2, telc C1 Hochschule, DSD II |
| Entering Germany for a training scheme as part of recognition | Sufficient German, usually A2 | Goethe or telc certificate |
| Entering Germany to look for qualified work | Generally at least B1 | Goethe or telc certificate |
For doctors there is a change on the way: from 01.11.2026 non-EU doctors must also pass the knowledge test (Kenntnisprüfung). Our Approbation guide explains the two language steps in detail.
Your qualification is compared with one German occupation. The Recognition Finder shows which one, and whether it is regulated.
Advice services help you prepare the application. You need proof of your qualification and the other documents the authority lists.
Within one month at the latest, the authority confirms it has received your documents and tells you if anything is missing. The decision (Bescheid) follows within 3 to 4 months at the latest. If documents are missing, a skills analysis (Qualifikationsanalyse) can sometimes replace them.
The decision does not have to be all or nothing. If part of your training matches the German one and another part shows substantial differences, a regulated profession offers a compensation measure (an adaptation period or an aptitude test), and a non-regulated occupation can end in partial recognition. The procedure itself costs money; financial support exists, but you must apply for it before you apply for recognition, so ask about it and about the authority's fee first. In regulated professions the language certificate is usually one of the conditions for the licence, so plan your exam alongside the application rather than after it.
Two entry routes carry their own language rule, separate from the level your profession needs later:
If you enter to complete a qualification measure that closes the gaps found in your recognition procedure, you need sufficient German, which usually means A2. You still need the level your profession sets before you can practise.
Skilled workers who enter to search for a qualified job generally have to show German at level B1 or higher.
A nurse who arrives with A2 therefore still has to reach B2 before the licence is issued. If you would rather train in Germany from the start, compare this path with a vocational training programme in our Ausbildung visa guide.
B2 is the level most health professions ask for, and both Goethe and telc certificates are on the lists. The two exams test the same level in different ways.
Four separate modules. Reading has 5 parts and 30 items in 65 minutes; Listening 4 parts and 30 items in about 40 minutes; Writing 2 tasks in 75 minutes; Speaking 2 parts of about 15 minutes. You pass a module with 60 of 100 points, and you can book or retake a single module on its own.
One exam with a written and an oral part, 300 points in total (225 written, 75 oral). You need 60 percent in the written part and 60 percent in the oral part, each on its own. The written part includes a language-elements section (Sprachbausteine).
Exam fees are set locally by each Goethe-Institut or telc exam centre, so check the price list where you plan to sit the exam. Teachers aiming for C1 or C2 will find the state rules in our teacher recognition guide.
It depends on your profession. In most non-regulated occupations no particular German level is set for recognition. In many regulated professions, such as doctor or nurse, a specific level is a condition for the licence to practise. The Recognition Finder on anerkennung-in-deutschland.de tells you whether your occupation needs one and which level.
B2. The licence is issued only once you prove B2 German. Goethe B2 and telc B2, including telc B2 Pflege, are accepted, as is ÖSD B2.
No. B2 general German is the first step. After it comes the Fachsprachprüfung, a C1 exam in medical German. From 01.11.2026 non-EU doctors must also pass the knowledge test (Kenntnisprüfung). The same two language steps apply to dentists and pharmacists.
Yes, if you enter for a training scheme that is part of your recognition. For this route you need sufficient German, which usually means A2. You still have to reach the level your profession requires before you can work in it.
Within one month at the latest the authority confirms that it has received your documents and tells you if anything is missing. You receive the decision within 3 to 4 months at the latest.
Both are named on the lists of accepted certificates. Goethe B2 has four separate modules that you can take or retake one by one. telc B2 is one exam, and you must reach 60 percent in the written part and in the oral part separately. Check which certificates the authority of your state lists before you book.
The notice lists the substantial differences. In a regulated profession you can close them with a compensation measure (Ausgleichsmaßnahme), either an adaptation period or an aptitude test, and then receive full recognition. In a non-regulated occupation you may get partial recognition and can work while you catch up.
B2 for the licence, accepted certificates and pay
B2 general German, then the C1 medical exam
B2 for health professions, state by state
C2 in most states, C1 in Bavaria and Saxony
Vocational training in Germany and its German level