Guards / Insurance Advisors / Insurance Intermediaries / Financial Investment Intermediaries / Fee-based Financial Investment Advisors / Real Estate Loan Intermediaries; Recognition of foreign professional qualifications

• They submit an "application for recognition of foreign certificates of competence and training" to the competent authority.
• For professional qualifications from EU/EEA/Switzerland:
  You can submit the application and documents directly to the competent authority or to a Point of Single Contact. You can also submit the application electronically via the Point of Single Contact.
• The competent authority will then compare your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification and check its equivalence. If your professional qualification is equivalent, it will be recognized. You will then receive the notification of equivalence (notification of recognition) by post or electronically.
• If your professional qualification is not equivalent, it will not be recognised. You will then receive a notification of the differences in your professional qualifications. You then have the right to a compensatory measure: this can be the "specific competence test" or the "supplementary information". The competent authority will inform you about the options. If you successfully complete the compensatory measure, you will receive the notification of equivalence.
• With the notification of equivalence, you can apply for permission for the corresponding trade. For this, you will need to submit another application.
• You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority. The decision will then be reviewed. We recommend that you first talk to the competent authority before taking legal action against the decision.

The competent authority will tell you which documents you need to submit. Important documents are in general:

• Proof of identity (officially certified copy of identity card or passport)
• List in tabular form with your education and professional experience (curriculum vitae)
• Proof of training
• Proof of relevant professional experience
• Other qualifications
• If the profession is regulated in your country of training: a certificate stating that you are allowed to practice the profession in your country of training

The competent authority will tell you which documents you need to submit in the original or as a certified copy.
You must submit your documents in German. Translations must be carried out by publicly appointed or authorised translators.