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The location is used to determine the responsible office for the selected administrative service. In most cases you can enter your place of residence to find the competent authority. However, there are also cases in which a different location must be specified. Here are some examples:

Birth certificateYou want to get married and need a birth certificate. You live in Hanover, but you were born in Celle. You must therefore state your place of birth, i.e. Celle.

Business registrationYou would like to register a business in Braunschweig. Your place of residence is Hanover. You must therefore state the location of your future business, i.e. Braunschweig.

Apply for a building permitYou would like to build a house in Wunstorf and therefore apply for a building permit. Her place of residence is currently Hanover. You must indicate the place where the house is to be built. In this case it is Wunstorf.

Foreign professional qualification Recognition as a social worker


If you want to work in Germany as a social pedagogue (B.A.) / social pedagogue (B.A.) or as a social worker (B.A.) / social worker (B.A.), you usually need the corresponding state recognition in the form of the authorization to use the professional title "State-approved social pedagogue (B.A.)" or "State-approved social pedagogue (B.A.) / "State-approved social worker (B.A.)".


Social work is a regulated profession. Even with a relevant undergraduate university degree obtained abroad, you can apply for state recognition in Germany.

Who should I contact?

The responsibility lies with the universities in Lower Saxony that offer a B.A. course in the field of social work in accordance with § 1 SozHeilKindVO:

  • University of Applied Sciences Emden / Leer
  • Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts
  • University of Applied Sciences HAWK Hildesheim / Holzminden / Göttingen
  • University of Hildesheim
  • University of Lüneburg
  • Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences
  • Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Vechta
 

Responsible authorities


Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
Address: Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg
Timetable
Telephone: 04131 6770
Fax: 04131 6771090
Address: Albrechtstr. 30, 49076 Osnabrück
Telephone: 0541 9690
Address: Driverstraße 22, 49377 Vechta
Telephone: 04441 15-0
Telephone: +49 4441 15373
Address: Constantiaplatz 4, 26723 Emden
Telephone: 04921 8070
Address: Ricklinger Stadtweg 118/120, 30625 Hannover
Postal address: Post Office Box 92 02 51, 30441 Hannover
Telephone: 0511 92960
Address: Friedrichswall 1, 30159 Hannover
Postal address: Post Office Box 1 01, 30001 Hannover
Telephone: 0511 120-5521
Address: Universitätsplatz 1, 31141 Hildesheim
Address: Hohnsen 4, 31134 Hildesheim
Address: Salzdahlumer Str. 46/48, 38302 Wolfenbüttel

Applications / forms

Online service for Lower Saxony: yes

Which documents are required?

You will need the following documents:

  • Tabular list of your completed courses of study and gainful employment
  • Indication of your contact details (address, current place of residence / e-mail)
  • Proof of identity
  • Certified university degree or bachelor's degree certificate including an overview of subjects and grades or other evidence of competence and training / transcript of records / Diploma Supplement on studying abroad
  • Certificate of authorization to practice the profession
  • Proof of relevant professional experience (e.g. employment contracts, internship certificates, job references) with information on the regular weekly working hours, the areas of activity completed, assessments of the activities and the respective total duration of the professional activities, or other evidence of competence, insofar as these are necessary to determine equivalence
  • Explanation of whether and to which body you have already submitted an application for a determination of equivalence and, if applicable, a decision on the determination of equivalence
  • A current, extended certificate of good conduct or proof that an extended certificate of good conduct in accordance with § 30a of the Federal Central Register has been applied for at the registration office for submission to the university

All documents must be submitted in the original or as a certified copy and in German. If the documents are written in another language, you may also need a translation by a publicly appointed translator.

Additional documentation may be required. At the time of application, knowledge of the German language at least at language level B2 is recommended.

What are the fees?

Fees may apply, please contact the competent authority.

Process flow

For state recognition, the competent authority will check on the basis of your submitted documents whether and to what extent your foreign qualification is a German qualification for the profession of social pedagogue (B.A.) /the social pedagogue (B.A.) or the social worker (B.A.) /of the social worker (B.A.). This review is based on defined formal and content-related criteria, such as the content and duration of university studies. Your relevant professional experience will be taken into account as well as other relevant qualifications.

Important note: For academic qualifications, you can apply for a basic assessment of your university degree by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). The assessment by the ZAB does not replace the procedure for state recognition to be applied for here (content review by a competent university).

Further information can be found on the "Recognition in Germany" portal. This internet portal provides quick and easy answers to questions about recognition, for example:

  • Do I have to have my professional qualification recognised?
  • Is the recognition worth it for me?
  • May I submit the application? Do I have a formal right to it?
  • Who should I contact?
  • What does the procedure look like?
  • What documents are required? What form do the documents have to have?
  • How long does the procedure take?
  • How much does the procedure cost?
  • Which laws are relevant to my case?

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

There are no deadlines to be observed. The deadline for submitting the application begins with the confirmation of the competent authority that the required documents are complete.

Legal basis

The decision is made in accordance with §§ 1 - 3 dof the Ordinance on the State Recognition of Professional Qualifications in the Field of Social Work, Curative Education and Education in Childhood (SozHeilKindVO) of 17 May 2017 (Nds. GVBl. p. 155), last amended by Ordinance of 20 March 2018 (Nds. GVBl. p. 42 ).

Appeal

The decision can be appealed.

Supporting institutions

The service centres of the "Integration through Qualification" network (IQ Network) will be happy to advise and support you before, during and after the recognition procedure.

Source: Serviceportal Niedersachsen (Portalverbund des Bundes und der Länder)