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Selected service: Apply for an exemption permit for persons from other EU/EEA countries and Switzerland to be entered in the register of craftsmen
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Apply for an exemption permit for persons from other EU/EEA countries and Switzerland to be entered in the register of craftsmen

Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Schleswig-Holstein (Linie6PLus)

Service Description

Are you from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland and would like to practice a craft requiring a license in Germany? Then you can have your professional experience and training certificates recognized in Germany under certain conditions.

You must be registered in the Register of Craftsmen if you wish to operate a craft requiring a license in Germany.
This also applies if

  • you wish to carry out a significant part of a craft requiring a license on a self-employed basis.
  • you want to carry out several trades requiring a license on a self-employed basis. In this case, you need to be entered in the register of craftsmen for each craft requiring a license.

Registration in the Register of Craftsmen is possible for

  • natural or legal persons and
  • partnerships with legal capacity.

In addition to the business, the management of the business is also entered in the register. The management of a skilled crafts business must meet the professional requirements (proof of qualification) for practising the skilled crafts requiring a license. Both owners of a skilled crafts business and employed persons are eligible as management. Proof of qualification can be provided in the form of a master craftsman's certificate for the respective trade or an equivalent domestic or foreign professional qualification. For nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, there are special recognition regulations in this respect as part of a procedure for the granting of an exemption permit.

In principle, you can obtain an exemption permit by having your training certificates and/or professional experience recognized. The periods of professional experience to be proven can be shortened by providing proof of training in a skilled trade.

Recognition of professional experience:
When recognizing professional experience, proof must be provided that at least essential activities of the trade have been carried out over certain periods of time. For example, at least six years of uninterrupted full-time work as a self-employed person or self-employed person or company manager or company manager within the last ten years may be sufficient. Recognition of practical professional experience is not possible if the applicant wishes to work in a healthcare trade (optician, hearing aid technician, orthopaedic technician, orthopaedic shoemaker, dental technician).

Recognition of formal professional qualifications:
Recognition of formal professional qualifications documented by training certificates or certificates of competence is possible for all craft trades requiring a license. The prerequisite is the acquisition of a corresponding qualification in an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland. In detail, the recognition regulations differentiate according to whether the profession or at least the training in the country of origin is also regulated or not. If the content of the training differs from that of the domestic reference qualification (master craftsman's certificate) or if the profession in the country of origin does not include essential activities that are the subject of the profession in Germany, the applicant may choose to participate in an adaptation period or take an aptitude test.

Note: Alternatively, professional qualifications can also be recognized on the basis of an equivalence assessment. This procedure is regulated in Section 50c of the Crafts Code (HwO) and applies regardless of nationality requirements and for all professional qualifications, regardless of where they were acquired.


Competent authority

The Chamber of Skilled Crafts in whose district the main commercial establishment is located is responsible. If this place of business has not yet been determined, the Chamber of Skilled Crafts in whose district the applicant's place of residence is located is responsible. In the case of procedures for the granting of an exemption permit or determination of equivalence from abroad, the Chamber of Skilled Crafts in whose district the future place of business is located is responsible.

Requirements
  • You must be a citizen or national of a member state of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
  • Recognition of professional experience:
    You must provide evidence of one of the following requirements regarding your professional experience, taking into account any training:
    • You have worked continuously for at least 6 years as a self-employed or self-employed person or as a person responsible for a business. You have not ended your activity more than 10 years before submitting your application.
    • You have been self-employed or self-employed for at least 3 consecutive years or have been responsible for a business. You have previously completed at least three years of training in the trade.
    • You have worked for at least 4 years without interruption as a self-employed or self-employed person or as a manager or manager of a business. You have previously completed at least two years of training in the trade.
    • You have worked as a self-employed person for at least 3 years without interruption and as an employee for at least 5 years. You have not ended your activity more than 10 years before submitting your application.
    • You have held a managerial position in a company for at least 5 consecutive years. Of these 5 years, your work was characterized by technical tasks and responsibility for at least one department of the company for at least 3 years. You have also completed at least three years of training in the trade.
  • Recognition of formal professional qualifications:
    Recognition of formal professional qualifications documented by training certificates or certificates of competence is possible for all skilled trades requiring a license. The prerequisite is the acquisition of a corresponding qualification in an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland. In detail, the recognition regulations differentiate according to whether the profession or at least the training in the country of origin is also regulated or not. If the content of the training differs from that of the domestic reference qualification (master craftsman's certificate) or if the profession in the country of origin does not include essential activities that are the subject of the profession in Germany, participation in an adaptation period or taking an aptitude test may be considered at the applicant's discretion.
Which documents are required?
  • Application for exemption authorization for entry in the register of craftsmen
  • Proof of professional experience and / or training qualification
What are the fees?

The specific fee can be found in the Chamber of Crafts' schedule of fees, which is available on the Chamber's website.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

You can only practice a craft requiring a license if you are entered in the register of craftsmen. An exemption permit must therefore be applied for in good time.

Processing duration

There are statutory deadlines for the exemption procedure. The competent authority must confirm receipt of the documents to applicants within one month and inform them whether any documents are missing. A decision on the application must be made no later than three months after submission of the complete documents. This period may be extended by one month if this is justified in individual cases, in particular due to the scope or the factual or legal difficulties of the case. It may then be necessary to take part in an adaptation period or pass an aptitude test.

Legal basis
Appeal

Legal action can be taken against a rejection of an application for entry in the Register of Craftsmen. Depending on the federal state in which the application was submitted, a preliminary procedure must first be carried out. Information on the existing legal remedies can be found in the information on legal remedies in the notices.

Applications / forms

Yes

What else should I know?

If the professional qualification was acquired outside the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, but has already been recognized in one of these countries and the profession has been practiced full-time for at least three years, you can also apply for an exemption permit for entry in the register of craftsmen.

Author

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Technically approved by

The Senator for Economics, Labor and Europe of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen

Professionally released on

08.09.2022

Teaser

Are you from another EU/EEA country or Switzerland and would like to practice a craft requiring a license in Germany? Then you can have your professional experience and training certificates recognized in Germany under certain conditions.

Competent authority

The Chamber of Skilled Crafts in whose district the main commercial establishment is located is responsible. If this place of business has not yet been determined, the Chamber of Skilled Crafts in whose district the applicant's place of residence is located is responsible. In the case of procedures for the granting of an exemption permit or determination of equivalence from abroad, the Chamber of Skilled Crafts in whose district the future place of business is located is responsible.

Requirements

  • You must be a citizen or national of a member state of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
  • Recognition of professional experience:
    You must provide evidence of one of the following requirements regarding your professional experience, taking into account any training:
    • You have worked continuously for at least 6 years as a self-employed or self-employed person or as a person responsible for a business. You have not ended your activity more than 10 years before submitting your application.
    • You have been self-employed or self-employed for at least 3 consecutive years or have been responsible for a business. You have previously completed at least three years of training in the trade.
    • You have worked for at least 4 years without interruption as a self-employed or self-employed person or as a manager or manager of a business. You have previously completed at least two years of training in the trade.
    • You have worked as a self-employed person for at least 3 years without interruption and as an employee for at least 5 years. You have not ended your activity more than 10 years before submitting your application.
    • You have held a managerial position in a company for at least 5 consecutive years. Of these 5 years, your work was characterized by technical tasks and responsibility for at least one department of the company for at least 3 years. You have also completed at least three years of training in the trade.
  • Recognition of formal professional qualifications:
    Recognition of formal professional qualifications documented by training certificates or certificates of competence is possible for all skilled trades requiring a license. The prerequisite is the acquisition of a corresponding qualification in an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland. In detail, the recognition regulations differentiate according to whether the profession or at least the training in the country of origin is also regulated or not. If the content of the training differs from that of the domestic reference qualification (master craftsman's certificate) or if the profession in the country of origin does not include essential activities that are the subject of the profession in Germany, participation in an adaptation period or taking an aptitude test may be considered at the applicant's discretion.

Which documents are required?

  • Application for exemption authorization for entry in the register of craftsmen
  • Proof of professional experience and / or training qualification

What are the fees?

The specific fee can be found in the Chamber of Crafts' schedule of fees, which is available on the Chamber's website.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

You can only practice a craft requiring a license if you are entered in the register of craftsmen. An exemption permit must therefore be applied for in good time.

Processing duration

There are statutory deadlines for the exemption procedure. The competent authority must confirm receipt of the documents to applicants within one month and inform them whether any documents are missing. A decision on the application must be made no later than three months after submission of the complete documents. This period may be extended by one month if this is justified in individual cases, in particular due to the scope or the factual or legal difficulties of the case. It may then be necessary to take part in an adaptation period or pass an aptitude test.

Legal basis

Appeal

Legal action can be taken against a rejection of an application for entry in the Register of Craftsmen. Depending on the federal state in which the application was submitted, a preliminary procedure must first be carried out. Information on the existing legal remedies can be found in the information on legal remedies in the notices.

Applications / forms

Yes

What else should I know?

If the professional qualification was acquired outside the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, but has already been recognized in one of these countries and the profession has been practiced full-time for at least three years, you can also apply for an exemption permit for entry in the register of craftsmen.

Author

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Technically approved by

The Senator for Economics, Labor and Europe of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen

Professionally released on

08.09.2022

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