Cross-reference over every profile in this repo. For non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals — EU citizens need none of this and can simply take a job.
If this file and a profession file disagree, the profession file is the source of truth.
The rule that catches everyone
Unregulated does not mean paperwork-free.
Nobody needs professional recognition to cook, drive a forklift, or process invoices — those occupations are not regulated. But the skilled-worker residence permit requires a recognised qualification regardless of whether the profession itself is regulated.
The practical consequence: an employer will happily hire you, and the Ausländerbehörde will then refuse the permit. Sort recognition before you sort the job, even in free professions. Experience alone, however long, does not substitute.
The routes
| Paragraph | Route | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| §18a AufenthG | Skilled worker with vocational training | Recognised Ausbildung-equivalent qualification + job offer |
| §18b AufenthG | Skilled worker with academic training | Recognised/comparable degree + job offer |
| §18g AufenthG | EU Blue Card | Degree + salary above an annually-set threshold; lower threshold for shortage occupations |
| §19c(2) AufenthG | IT specialists without a formal degree | Documented IT experience + job offer above a salary floor. No German requirement since the 2023 reform |
| §18d AufenthG | Researchers | A hosting agreement with a recognised research institution. Carries EU mobility for research stays elsewhere |
| §16a AufenthG | Vocational training (Ausbildung) | Training place + B1–B2 German for Berufsschule |
| §16d AufenthG | Entry to pursue recognition | Recognition procedure underway + a plan to close gaps |
| §16d(3) AufenthG | Anerkennungspartnerschaft | Since March 2024: enter with A2 German and a contract, pursue recognition after arrival |
| §20a AufenthG | Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) | Points-based; enter to look for work |
| §26(2) BeschV | Westbalkanregelung | Nationals of six Western Balkan states: any job, qualified or not, with approval. Annual quota |
Two mechanisms worth knowing independently of route:
- anabin / ZAB — the database and authority that assess whether a foreign degree is comparable to a German one. Needed for §18b and the Blue Card.
- IHK FOSA — assesses foreign vocational qualifications for equivalence. Needed for §18a in the commercial, logistics, hospitality and IT trades.
- Beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren — an employer-initiated accelerated procedure that can compress processing substantially. Ask your employer to run it.
The table
| Profession | English | Primary route | Blue Card? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softwareentwickler/in | Software Developer | §18g or §19c(2) | Yes, easily | §19c(2) is the underused route for self-taught developers — no degree, no German |
| Arzt / Ärztin | Physician | §16d → §18b | Yes, comfortably | Approbation first; Berufserlaubnis is the interim |
| Zahnarzt / Zahnärztin | Dentist | §16d → §18b | Yes, comfortably | Automatic EU recognition; the two-year Vorbereitungszeit still applies before an own licence |
| Psychotherapeut/in | Psychotherapist | §16d → §18b | Yes in clinic employment | No automatic EU recognition; a Kassensitz is a separate, rationed licence |
| Apotheker/in | Pharmacist | §16d → §18b | Borderline in Offizin, yes in industry | Approbation, plus a separate Betriebserlaubnis to own a pharmacy |
| Ingenieur/in | Engineer | §18g | Yes | Shortage field lowers the threshold; anabin check on the degree |
| Wissenschaftliche/r Mitarbeiter/in | Research Associate / Academic Staff | §18d — the researcher permit | Yes at full-time E 13; no at 50% | Hosting agreement, EU mobility. A Stipendium is not employment and carries no social insurance |
| Architekt/in | Architect | §18b | Yes at experienced level, often not at entry pay | Automatic EU recognition — the only non-medical profession with it. Third-country: Architektenkammer, individually |
| Bauzeichner/in | Construction Draughtsperson / BIM Modeller | §18a or §16a | No | IHK FOSA. If you hold an architecture or engineering degree, check §18b first — this role is easy to get stuck in |
| Pilot/in | Airline Pilot | No clean route — employer-arranged permit | No | An ATPL is not a vocational qualification, so §18a fits badly; EASA licence + EU right to work is the norm |
| Fluglotse / Fluglotsin | Air Traffic Controller | No practical route into training | No | One employer, an age limit in the mid-twenties, and a security clearance — EU right to work in practice |
| Industriekaufmann/-frau | Industrial Clerk | §18a | Possible at senior level | Degree holders can reach the threshold; entry pay cannot |
| Spedition und Logistikdienstleistung | Freight Forwarding Clerk | §18a | Specialist/management only | Most foreigner-friendly of the non-IT roles |
| Pflegefachfrau/-mann | Registered Nurse | §16d or §16d(3) | No — below threshold | Anerkennungspartnerschaft lets you enter at A2; accelerated procedure widely used |
| MT / MTA | Medical Technologist | §16d → §18a | No | Shortage lists help; recognition is state-bound |
| ATA / OTA | Anaesthesia and Surgical Assistants | §16d → §18a | No | A recognition procedure has existed only since 2022 — before that there was nothing to apply for |
| Hebamme | Midwife | §16d → §18b | Possible — it is now a degree | Automatic EU recognition; the 2020 academisation moved this off the §18a route |
| Feuerwehrmann / Feuerwehrfrau | Firefighter | Recognise a trade first, then apply | No | No firefighting qualification is recognised; the volunteer service needs nothing |
| Zollbeamte/r | Customs Officer | Beamten appointment, not a visa route | No | EU/EEA/Swiss nationals are eligible under §7 BBG — a lower bar than policing |
| Steuerbeamte/r | Tax Official | Beamten appointment, not a visa route | No | §7 BeamtStG; varies by Bundesland for posts exercising state authority |
| Notfallsanitäter/in | Paramedic | §16d → §18a | No | Also needs a C1 driving licence, which a third country’s generally cannot be exchanged for |
| Erzieher/in | Early Years & Social Education Practitioner | §16d → §18a | No | Choose the Bundesland before starting — procedures differ in substance |
| Sozialarbeiter/in | Social Worker | §16d → §18b | Borderline — not at entry pay | Degree comparability and a separate state Anerkennung; SGB VIII is the gap every time |
| Lehrer/in | Teacher | §16d → §18b | Possible at A13/E13 | Recognition is achievable; Verbeamtung is not, without EU citizenship |
| Physiotherapeut/in | Physiotherapist | §16d → §18a | No — below threshold | Ordinary skilled-worker permit only |
| Logopädie / Ergotherapie | Speech and Occupational Therapy | §16d → §18a | No | Regulated, no automatic EU recognition; practice ownership is uncapped, unlike psychotherapy |
| Pflegefachassistenz / Pflegehelfer/in | Nursing Assistant | §16d(3), §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | A one-year qualification supports no §18a — it is below the two-year minimum |
| PTA — Pharmazeutisch-technische/r Assistent/in | Pharmaceutical Technical Assistant | §16d → §18a | No | Regulated, but no automatic EU recognition — every application is assessed individually |
| MFA — Medizinische/r Fachangestellte/r | Medical Assistant | §18a | No | Equivalence sits with the Ärztekammer, not IHK FOSA — the most common wasted application |
| Steuerfachangestellte/r | Tax Clerk | §18a | No | Foreign accounting qualifications transfer poorly; C1 German is the real gate |
| Fachkraft für Schutz und Sicherheit | Security Specialist | §18a | No | Recognisable, unlike the §34a courses |
| Sicherheitsmitarbeiter/in | Security Officer, Door Supervisor, Night Guard | §26(2) BeschV, or qualify first | No | §34a compliance is not a qualification — no §18a route on its own |
| Bankkaufmann/-frau | Bank Clerk | §18a | Specialist/corporate only | To advise, you also need Sachkunde + BaFin registration — separate from the visa |
| Wirtschaftsprüfer/in | Statutory Auditor | §18b | Yes, comfortably | EU auditors sit an aptitude test, not the full exam. ACCA/CPA confer nothing here |
| Notar/in | Civil-Law Notary | A public office, not a visa route | No | EU citizens may be appointed since the 2011 ECJ ruling; third-country nationals may not. Both German state exams required |
| Immobilienkaufmann/-frau | Real Estate Manager / Agent | §18a or §16a | No | IHK FOSA. The §34c permit belongs to the business, not to you — unlike BaFin registration |
| Versicherungen und Finanzanlagen | Insurance and Financial Services Agent | §18a or §16a | Senior head-office roles only | IHK FOSA. Tied agents need no permit; brokers need their own, plus PI insurance and a register entry |
| Rechtsanwaltsfachangestellte/r | Legal Secretary / Paralegal | §18a | No | Equivalence sits with the Rechtsanwaltskammer, not IHK FOSA |
| Kaufmann/-frau für Büromanagement | Office Management Clerk | §18a | No | Foreign business degrees often only partly equivalent to a dual qualification |
| Elektroniker/in EGT | Electrician | §18a or §16a | No | Employment needs no recognition; self-employment needs the Meister |
| Elektroniker/in Betriebstechnik | Industrial Electrician | §18a or §16a | No | Industrial, not Handwerk — confers no right to open a business |
| Elektroniker — Automatisierung, GSI, Industrieelektriker | Electronics Technician (other specialisations) | §18a or §16a | No | Elektrofachkraft status is the real barrier, not the paperwork; the 2-year tier still meets §18a |
| Mechatroniker/in | Mechatronics Technician | §18a or §16a | No | The most internationally portable trade qualification here |
| Industriemechaniker/in | Industrial Mechanic | §18a or §16a | No | Welding certificates do not transfer — expect to re-sit them |
| Zerspanungsmechaniker/in | Precision Machinist / CNC Machinist | §18a or §16a | No | Highly portable; watch being hired as a semi-skilled Maschinenbediener instead |
| Werkzeugmechaniker/in | Tool and Die Maker | §18a or §16a | No | Portable, and German toolmaking carries reputation abroad |
| Konstruktionsmechaniker/in | Structural Metalworker / Fabricator | §18a or §16a | No | Welding certificates must be re-sat to EN standard — the biggest practical obstacle here |
| Anlagenmechaniker/in SHK | Plumbing, Heating & AC Technician | §18a or §16a | No | Same Handwerk split as above |
| Kfz-Mechatroniker/in | Vehicle Mechatronics Technician | §18a or §16a | No | Equivalence sits with the Handwerkskammer; HV qualification does not transfer |
| Forstwirt/in | Forest Worker | §18a or §16a | No | Equivalence sits with the Landwirtschaftskammer or a state body — a third system |
| Landwirt/in | Farmer / Agricultural Worker | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Landwirtschaftskammer, not IHK FOSA. Seasonal work is a separate, limited permission that leads nowhere |
| Gärtner/in | Horticulturist / Landscape Gardener | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Landwirtschaftskammer; chainsaw and climbing certification must be re-sat in Germany |
| Winzer/in | Winegrower | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Landwirtschaftskammer — or the DLR in Rheinland-Pfalz, which has no chamber |
| Tierwirt/in | Livestock Farmer | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Landwirtschaftskammer. Eastern Germany is where the employed jobs are |
| Pferdewirt/in | Equine Professional | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Riding qualifications and FN Trainer licences are not vocational qualifications and support no permit |
| Fachkraft Agrarservice | Agricultural Contracting Technician | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Landwirtschaftskammer. The C/CE licence and Code 95 are the practical obstacle, not the recognition |
| Fischwirt/in | Fisheries and Aquaculture Worker | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | The most fragmented competent authority in the green sector; maritime certificates are separate and partly portable |
| Hauswirtschafter/in | Home Economics / Institutional Housekeeping | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Landwirtschaftskammer — for a job in a care home. Counter-intuitive, and worth checking before filing |
| Metallbauer/in | Metalworker / Structural Smith | §18a or §16a | No | Handwerkskammer equivalence; self-employment needs the Meister, unlike its industrial twin |
| Maurer/in | Bricklayer / Mason | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Handwerkskammer equivalence. Check whether you are employed or posted — it changes your social insurance |
| Zimmerer / Zimmerin | Carpenter | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Handwerkskammer equivalence; German building physics is where assessments find the gap |
| Dachdecker/in | Roofer | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Handwerkskammer equivalence; fall-protection training is German and must be re-sat |
| Gerüstbauer/in | Scaffolder | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Documented German erection training is required whatever your qualification; posted work is common |
| Straßenbauer / Beton- und Stahlbetonbauer | Road Builder; Concrete and Reinforced Concrete Worker | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Handwerkskammer or IHK FOSA depending on whether your qualification is Handwerk or industrial |
| Tischler/in — Schreiner/in | Joiner / Cabinetmaker | §18a or §16a | No | Handwerkskammer equivalence; search both titles, they are regional variants |
| Raumausstatter/in | Interior Furnisher / Soft Furnishings Fitter | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Handwerkskammer equivalence; the 2020 Meisterpflicht applies to you — grandfathering protects only existing businesses |
| Fliesen-, Platten- und Mosaikleger/in | Tiler | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Beware “self-employment” offers — this is the trade Scheinselbstständigkeit is documented in |
| Fleischer/in — Metzger/in | Butcher | §18a or §16a | No | Three regional titles; check whether a vacancy is Handwerk or industrial |
| Bäcker/in | Baker | §18a or §16a | No | Low language bar makes it a realistic entry occupation |
| Friseur/in | Hairdresser | §18a or §16a | No | Handwerkskammer equivalence; Stuhlmiete needs Handwerksrolle entry |
| Konditor/in | Pastry Chef / Confectioner | §18a or §16a | No | Patisserie skill transfers internationally better than most trades here |
| Fachinformatiker/in | IT Specialist, dual-trained | §16a | Not without a degree | Train here, paid, at B1–B2 German |
| Hotelfachmann/-frau | Hotel Specialist | §18a, §26(2) BeschV, §16a | No | Westbalkanregelung heavily used in the sector |
| Koch / Köchin | Chef / Cook | §18a, §26(2) BeschV, §16a | No | IHK FOSA recognition is mandatory for §18a — experience will not do |
| Restaurant- und Veranstaltungsgastronomie | Restaurant Specialist / Waiter | §18a, §26(2) BeschV, §16a | No | Easy to work unqualified; the visa still needs the qualification |
| Fachkraft für Lagerlogistik | Warehouse Logistics Specialist | §18a, §26(2) BeschV | No | Lowest language bar; Westbalkanregelung common |
| Gebäudereiniger/in | Building Cleaner | §18a, §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | Handwerkskammer equivalence. Anlage B1 — self-employment needs no Meister, one of the easiest routes here |
| Fachkraft für Veranstaltungstechnik | Event and Stage Technician | §18a or §16a | No | IHK FOSA. The Meister and the rigging Sachkunde are German and do not transfer |
| Reinigungskraft | Cleaner | None | No | Unqualified work supports no skilled-worker permit. Check what your existing permit allows |
| Haushaltshilfe | Domestic Cleaner / Household Help | None | No | No §18a route. Undeclared work can jeopardise residence status — a risk the household does not share |
| Berufskraftfahrer/in | Professional Truck / Bus Driver | §18a, §26(2) BeschV | No | The licence, not the visa, is the hard part — see below |
| Triebfahrzeugführer/in | Train Driver | §16a, or §26(2) BeschV | No | The Quereinstieg retraining is below the two-year §18a minimum. The EU licence itself is portable |
Special cases
Where no qualification exists at all. Barkeeper/in is the limit case of the rule above: bartending is not a recognised German occupation, so there is nothing for a foreign qualification to be assessed as equivalent to, and §18a is simply unavailable. The routes are to qualify in a hospitality occupation that does exist, the Westbalkanregelung, or to arrive on some other basis entirely.
Berufskraftfahrer/in is the outlier. The residence permit is comparatively routine; the obstacle is the driving licence. Third-country C/CE/D licences generally cannot be exchanged and require the full German theory and practical test. Non-EU drivers employed by EU hauliers additionally need a Fahrerbescheinigung. Budget months and several thousand euros, and ask about a Bildungsgutschein before paying anything.
Three occupations gate the activity, not the job. Private security is the clearest: §34a GewO requires an Unterrichtung or, for door work, patrols and retail protection, an IHK Sachkundeprüfung, plus a reliability check and Bewacherregister entry — none of which is a qualification for visa purposes. The 3-year Fachkraft is, which is the whole difference for a non-EU candidate.
Two more gate the activity, not the job. A Bankkaufmann/-frau needs no permission to be employed, but giving investment advice requires a Sachkundenachweis and personal BaFin registration under §87 WpHG. A driver needs no professional recognition, but needs a licence Germany may not exchange. In both cases the visa is the easy part.
Handwerk trades split on employment vs. self-employment. The visa treats them as ordinary skilled work. The Handwerksordnung separately requires Meister-level qualification to run a business in an Anlage A trade. Two different systems, two different procedures — people register a business and discover the second one too late.
Some careers are closed regardless of visa. Polizist/in has no recognition procedure at all — you do not bring a foreign police qualification to be assessed, you enter German training from scratch. And appointment needs citizenship: §7 BeamtStG allows EU/EEA/Swiss nationals, but policing exercises state authority, so Bundespolizei and BKA require German citizenship and several Länder do too. For many readers naturalisation is the precondition, not the paperwork.
A residence permit is not the same as full access. A third-country teacher can be recognised, licensed, hired and settled — and still never be made a Beamter, because §7 BeamtStG restricts appointment to EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. The result is permanently lower net pay and the statutory pension instead of Ruhegehalt, for identical work. The same gate applies to policing and the fire service. See beamte-vs-angestellte.
Erzieher/in is state-fragmented. Unlike the federally regulated healthcare professions, recognition rests on sixteen separate Länder laws. The Bundesland choice is a substantive decision, not an administrative one.
Blue Card thresholds reset every January. An offer that qualified in December may not in January. Never rely on a threshold figure written down anywhere — including here — without checking the current year’s value.
Where to start
- anerkennung-in-deutschland.de — identifies the competent authority for your profession and target Bundesland. Start here, always.
- make-it-in-germany.com — the federal portal for visa routes.
- anabin.kmk.org — degree comparability.
- ihk-fosa.de — vocational qualification equivalence.