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Visa for recognition of foreign qualifications/ Visa for employment within the framework of a recognition partnership
If you have applied for recognition of your professional qualification and this was turned down due to the fact that you lack some qualification, you can apply for a Visa to go to Germany and undertake the necessary qualifications.
Once you have completed your further education and your training has been fully recognized, you can then apply for permanent residence in Germany.
Please note that there are university degrees that are considered vocational training in Germany.
General Information
If you have applied for recognition of your professional qualification and this was turned down due to the fact that you lack some qualification, you can apply for a Visa to go to Germany and undertake the necessary qualifications.
Once you have completed your further education and your training has been fully recognized, you can then apply for permanent residence in Germany.
Please note that there are university degrees that are considered vocational training in Germany.
The official website of the Federal Government of Germany Make it in Germany contains a lot of helpful information about working and living in Germany and for this specific visa category.
- The competent authority for the recognition procedure in Germany determined by way of an assessment notice that you are missing certain theoretical and/or practical skills required to fully recognise your qualifications.
- You have successfully registered for a relevant qualification programme. If you are required to take company training courses, the company in question needs to put forward a training plan outlining the measures to be taken to make up for the deficits identified by the competent authority. Moreover, the training plan must also indicate the salary the company will pay you over the course of the practical training courses. In such cases, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) must approve of the qualification programme.
- Generally speaking, you must possess German language skills at a minimum level of A2 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
- You can provide proof of your living costs being covered for the duration of your stay. You can prove this in the form of a blocked account (in principle at least €1,027 per month, amount valid for the year 2023) or a formal letter of obligation.
- If you are looking to work in an unregulated profession, you can make up for the identified deficits by obtaining employment as a skilled worker in your intended profession (Section 16d (3) Residence Act - AufenthG). For this purpose, additional requirements must be met:
- You must have an actual job offer.
- The competent authority determined by way of an assessment notice that you require predominantly practical skills to be able to receive full recognition.
- A training plan detailing how the major differences are to be balanced out.
- Your future employer must ensure by way of a work contract that they will support you in obtaining the required professional recognition during your stay in Germany.
Required Documents for a visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications
Section 16d para. (1) of the Residence Act
To apply, you will need the following original documents plus one set of copies to present at your appointment at the Embassy. We highly recommend to use the information sheet as a checklist and bring it as a print out for your appointment. Please pay attention that all Tanzanian documents issued by an authority of the state needs to be Legalizations
DO NOT STAPLE DOCUMENTS
Please sort the individual sets in the order listed below.
Information Sheet
In your application form (VIDEX) you enter all the information about your entry and your stay in Germany. You must complete this form and print it out once, sign and date it.
If you are a minor, your legal representatives must sign the application and declare their consent.
A recent biometric photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light background)
Information on biometric photos can be found here
Your passport must be signed and valid for at least one year from the date your visa is issued.
Please note that the document must still have at least two blank pages (if the decision is positive, your visa will be affixed here later).
Do you not have Tanzanian citizenship?
If you are not a Tanzanian citizen, please provide us with your Tanzanian residence permit.
Proof of your residence in Tanzania can be, for example, a copy of your electricity bill, water bill or gas bill.or a rent contract.
For non- Tanzanian nationals: Tanzanian residence permit
Please sign the attached declaration and bring the original to your appointment
Employers in Germany can apply for pre-approval from the ZAV (International Placement Services) before applying for a visa in Germany. If you have this document, please submit it.
Further information can be found here.
Please have this form together with the supplementary sheet A completed by your future employer. The information on the job description must indicate the planned activity! It is also helpful to additionally include the work contract
Form: download here and supplementary sheet A
Should you not be employed, please provide proof of qualification measure (course)
You have successfully registered for an appropriate qualification measure.
If this is the case, please provide the professional development plan as set out by the company.
The specific measures that will be taken to meet the post-qualification needs to be identified in the recognition notice. The professional development plan should also state what salary the company will pay you during the practical training course as well as who will train you.
Only language certificates from ALTE-certified providers will be accepted.
As a rule at least A2, while in the care and health sector at least B1
If a German course is planned as part of the qualification measure: Confirmation of registration from the language school stating the number of hours per week of the booked course (intensive course with at least 18 hours per week) and confirmation of payment of the course fee.
If stated in the deficit notification: registration for assessment text and where applicable registration for preparatory course for the assessment test
These must amount to at least € 1,027 net per month, to be proven by a blocked account or a formal letter of obligation (‚Verpflichtungserklärung‘) issued by the Alien’s authority where the guarantor resides as well as contain proof of financing to be able to return to Tanzania. Concerning the formal letter of obligation, it is essential that it contains ‘Arbeitsplatzsuche/Job Seeker’ as reason for reason of stay. Furthermore, it has to be established that ‘Bonität nachgewiesen’/Finances proven. It is not sufficient to confirm that ‘financing is believable’/Bonität glaubhaft gemacht.
In the case of financing in the form of a blocked account: Open the blocked account in good time BEFORE applying for a visa. When applying for a visa, only the official opening confirmation stating the total amount paid in and the monthly amount available will be accepted. A confirmation without stating these amounts is not sufficient. The deposit or transfer receipt without the bank confirmation is not sufficient.
Should you be able to receive financing during the recognition measure this could also be regarded as proof of sufficient means of subsistence.
Persons with statutory health insurance cover are adequately insured from the first day of work. Please provide proof of your statutory insurance cover.
If you arrive before the statutory health insurance cover begins, you must take out appropriate supplementary insurance.
If a long or permanent stay is planned, some travel health insurance policies may exclude insurance cover in their terms and conditions. This restriction may also apply to an “incoming” insurance policy, so please ensure that your supplementary insurance policy provides adequate cover. Further information here.
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Notification by the German agency responsible for recognition of vocational qualifications on the need for adjustment or compensatory measures to establish the equivalence of the vocational qualification or to issue a work permit (original and one copy)
More information on recognition: www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de and https://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/de/index.php
Proof of qualification, for example, diplomas, certificates and proof of completion (original and one copy). Tanzanian documents need to be legalized, documents not in English or German need to be accompanied by an official translation.
Curriculum Vitae
Please provide us with your CV in English or German. Please use the Europass format.
Information on the Europass format: Europass.
In certain cases, additional documents may be required.
Visa for employment within the framework of a recognition partnership
Within a recognition partnership, you can complete the recognition procedure with the support of your employer AFTER entering Germany and start working at the same time.
More information can be found on the website ‘Make-it-in Germany’.
What is a recognition partnership?
The recognition partnership enables skilled workers to enter Germany BEFORE their Tanzanian qualification is recognized if they want to pursue qualified employment. Instead of recognition notices, there is a written agreement between employer and employee, in which it is assured that the process to determine the equivalence/recognition of the qualification acquired abroad will be initiated domestically. There is no template for this. It can be a single letter or a paragraph in the employment contract. The visa is issued for 12 months and can be extended twice in Germany for one year each.
What are the requirements for a recognition partnership?
In addition to the agreement to enter into the recognition partnership, the qualifications of the specialist are still checked and verified to a limited extent: a foreign university degree or foreign vocational training of at least two years needs to be provided. This university degree or professional training certificate must be state-recognized in the country in which it was acquired. This is proven by a certificate from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). You must find out more about the procedure for applying for this certificate on the ZAB website - they have not yet posted any information, but this will happen in the next few weeks. Please also find information of the Service Centre for Professional Recognition via their portal.
Required Documents for a visa for employment within the framework of a recognition partnership
Section 16d (3) of the Residence Act (AufenthG)
To apply, you will need the following original documents plus one set of copies to present at your appointment at the Embassy. We highly recommend to use the information sheet as a checklist and bring it as a print out for your appointment. Please pay attention that all Tanzanian documents issued by an authority of the state needs to be legalised.
DO NOT STAPLE DOCUMENTS
Please sort the individual sets in the order listed below.
Information Sheet
In your application form (VIDEX) you enter all the information about your entry and your stay in Germany. You must complete this form and print it out once, sign and date it.
If you are a minor, your legal representatives must sign the application and declare their consent.
A recent biometric photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light background)
Information on biometric photos can be found here
Your passport must be signed and valid for at least one year from the date your visa is issued.
Please note that the document must still have at least two blank pages (if the decision is positive, your visa will be affixed here later).
Do you not have Tanzanian citizenship?
If you are not a Tanzanian citizen, please provide us with your Tanzanian residence permit.
Proof of your residence in Tanzania can be, for example, a copy of your electricity bill, water bill or gas bill.or a rent contract.
For non- Tanzanian nationals: Tanzanian residence permit
Please sign the attached declaration and bring the original to your appointment
You have a concrete job offer from an employer in Germany. It will usually be qualified employment. This means that you will need a higher education degree or qualified vocational training to do this work. Auxiliary tasks will not be sufficient for this purpose. There is an exception for employment in regulated professions where a licence to practise is required (e.g. doctor, health professionals in nursing). In this case, you can work as an assistant until you obtain your licence to practise.
You have a foreign higher education degree or a professional qualification requiring at least two years of full-time training. Your higher education degree or professional qualification must be recognised by the government of the country in which you obtained it.
For your visa application, you need evidence of positive information regarding your professional qualification or a digital Statement of Comparability regarding your higher education degree. You can submit an application to the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) to receive either of those documents.
Please have this form together with the supplementary sheet A completed by your future employer. The information on the job description must indicate the planned activity! It is also helpful to additionally include the work contract.
Form: download here and supplementary sheet A
Please provide the signed and written agreement with your future employer stating that you will have the opportunity to complete the recognition procedure as part of your employment relationship. It needs to state clearly that the employer will be able to amend the deficit within a period of three years. This agreement may also be included in your employment contract.
If the desired qualified employment requires a license to practice the profession, information has to be provided concerning the following:
Is there a collective agreement or is the employer bound by the regulations of equal committees? Are the working conditions determined on the basis of canon law and the employment takes place under the respective conditions and so that the employment leads to the desired targeted occupation, even depending on classification and remuneration
Or
If the desired qualified employment requires a license to practice the profession, information that the employer is a nursing facility approved in accordance with Section 72 SGB XI and that the employment leads to the desired target occupation, including classification and remuneration.
Only language certificates from ALTE-certified providers will be accepted.
You have German language skills at level A2 or above of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Please note that, depending on the profession, a higher level of German may be required for participation in qualification measures in Germany.
If a German course is planned as part of the qualification measure: Confirmation of registration from the language school stating the number of hours per week of the booked course (intensive course with at least 18 hours per week) and confirmation of payment of the course fee.
Persons with statutory health insurance cover are adequately insured from the first day of work. Please provide proof of your statutory insurance cover.
If you arrive before the statutory health insurance cover begins, you must take out appropriate supplementary insurance.
If a long or permanent stay is planned, some travel health insurance policies may exclude insurance cover in their terms and conditions. This restriction may also apply to an “incoming” insurance policy, so please ensure that your supplementary insurance policy provides adequate cover. Further information here.
In certain cases, additional documents may be required
Processing time:
Due to the regular need for approval from the authorities in Germany, you should generally allow six to eight weeks for your visa application to be processed (calculated from the time you submit the complete application documents to the diplomatic mission abroad).
Please do not request a status update – these will not be answered but ignored.
Fees
Appointments
Appointments are made via an online system. It is not possible to make an appointment by telephone. You can find all information here