Entry in the register of craftsmen with a foreign professional qualification on the basis of an equivalence assessment

Responsibility lies with the Chamber of Crafts in whose district the commercial establishment is located.

• As part of the equivalence assessment, it is checked whether the training certificate acquired abroad - taking into account other certificates of competence - is equivalent to the domestic master craftsman's examination in the desired craft.
• If necessary, the applicant's knowledge and skills can be verified by means of suitable procedures such as work samples, technical interviews and practical and theoretical examinations.
• If the proven professional qualifications are not equivalent, participation in an adaptation period or taking an aptitude test may be considered in order to compensate for the deficits identified.

1. Sole proprietorship:

• Copy of identity card or comparable identification document
• Presentation of the notice of equivalence assessment
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen)

2. Companies under civil law (GbR):

• Copies of the identity card or comparable identification documents of the partners or authorized representatives
• Copy of the articles of association (if not concluded informally)
• Presentation of the notice of equivalence assessment
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen)

3. Commercial partnerships with legal capacity - general partnership (OHG), limited partnership (KG) and corresponding foreign company forms:

• Copies of the identity cards or comparable identification documents of the shareholders or persons authorized to represent the company
• for proof of the company's legal form if the company is based in Germany:
  • for companies entered in the commercial register: extract from the register, for OHGs additionally a copy of the articles of association
  • if no entry has been made in the register: copy of the articles of association
• for proof of the legal form of the company in the case of foreign legal forms:
  • Extract from the relevant foreign register for companies entered in registers, otherwise - copy of the articles of association
• Presentation of the notice of equivalence determination
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted after entry in the register of craftsmen)

4. Legal entities - limited liability company (GmbH), limited liability entrepreneurial company (UG), public limited company (AG), registered cooperative (eG):

• Copies of the identity cards or comparable identification documents of the persons authorized to represent the company
• for proof of the company's legal form:
• for companies based in Germany: extract from the commercial or cooperative register
• for foreign legal forms: Extract from the relevant foreign register
• Copy of the business registration (can be submitted subsequently after entry in the register of craftsmen)
• Details of the company management

5. If a manager is employed, the following documents must also be submitted:

• Declaration of management
• Proof of management activity (copy of employment contract)
• Proof of social insurance for the plant manager
• Submission of the notice of equivalence assessment

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

You can apply for entry in the Register of Craftsmen in writing or, in some cases, online at your local Chamber of Crafts. Please obtain information about the procedure from the relevant Chamber of Skilled Crafts. You can also have the necessary documents sent to you.

• Submit your application documents to your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
• The Chamber of Skilled Crafts will check your application for completeness and, based on the certificate, whether the focus of the qualification corresponds to the trade you wish to pursue.
• In cases of doubt, you can submit evidence of individual achievements (such as seminar papers or dissertations) during your training as well as framework curricula and training regulations for the examination.
• If you meet the registration requirements, you will be notified in advance of your expected registration.
• Once you have been registered, you will receive a written certificate from your local Chamber of Skilled Crafts. Your business will receive the so-called craftsman's card.
• If the registration is rejected, you will receive a notification from the local Chamber of Skilled Crafts.

You can only practice a craft requiring a license if you are entered in the register of craftsmen. The determination of equivalence prior to the actual entry in the Register of Craftsmen is time-consuming and should therefore be applied for in good time.

• The competent authority must confirm receipt of the documents within 2 weeks and inform you whether any documents are missing.
• If the documents are complete, a decision on your application should be made within 2 months.
• The deadline can be extended once if this is justified due to the special nature of the matter.

In addition, the deadline may be extended if additional information on the content and duration of the submitted training certificate is required.

• List of all trades requiring a license

§ Section 6 of the Crafts Code (HwO)

§ Section 7 of the Crafts Code (HwO)

§ Section 50c of the Crafts Code (HwO)

In Lower Saxony, the legal remedy is to take legal action before the competent administrative court, as there is no longer any provision for preliminary proceedings under administrative law.