Your recognition procedure as Midwife (m/f)

in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

The profession of Midwife (m/f) is regulated in Germany.

Recognition of your professional qualification is necessary for you to be able
to work in the profession in Germany. You are also able to apply for
recognition after you enter the country. See “My other options” for further
information.

Download: 21.10.2024

Quick-Info

Name of the procedure

There are two necessary procedures. The first procedure is called:

Assessment of equivalence (in German: Feststellung der Gleichwertigkeit).

Once equivalence has been successfully determined, you must apply for the second
procedure. This procedure is called:

Issuing of authorisation to use the professional title (in German: Erteilung

der Erlaubnis zum Führen der Berufsbezeichnung).

Requirements for recognition

For the assessment of equivalence:

Equivalence of your professional qualification

For authorisation to use the professional title:

Equivalence of your professional qualification

Personal aptitude
Medical fitness
Knowledge of German

Knowledge of German
 For authorisation to use the professional title, you need knowledge of
German at language level B2 of the Common European Reference
Framework for languages.
You are not required to provide a language certificate when applying. You
can provide evidence of knowledge of German at a later point in time.

Duration

One month at the latest following receipt of your application by the

competent authority: The competent authority will notify you of receipt of the
documents. They will inform you if documents are missing. The procedure
begins when the documents are complete.
After 4 months at the latest you will receive notice containing the result. In
specific cases the competent authority may extend the procedure.

Costs

Recognition procedure: maximum €277,50

There may be additional costs for an examination from the Central
Assessment Agency for Healthcare Professions (GfG): 515 Euro
There may be additional costs, e.g. for certifications or compensation
measures.

It may be possible for costs to be paid via financial support. You can apply for
financial support if you live in Germany and before you submit your application.

Documents for my application

Required documents
For the assessment of equivalence
(at the Bezirksregierung Münster)

Application form from the competent authority

Proof of identity (e.g. passport or personal identification)
Marriage certificate (if your name has changed through marriage)
Curriculum vitae
Evidence of your professional qualification (e.g. certificates, certificate of
entitlement)
Evidence of the content and duration of your training (e.g. diploma
supplement, transcript of records)
Evidence of your professional experience (e.g. employment references)
Are you coming from a third state and are you not yet living or working in
the EU, the EEA or in Switzerland? In this case, you must provide evidence
that you would like to work in your profession in Germany. Evidence may
include:
Job applications and invitations to interviews
Evidence of your application for a work visa
Personal declaration of your intentions
Information about an application for recognition already submitted. In this
case state to which authority you applied.

For authorisation to use the professional title

Application form from the competent authority

Proof of identity (e.g. passport or personal identification)
Recognition notice
Evidence of your personal aptitude: Certificate of good conduct from
Germany and your country of origin (e.g. criminal record extract, certificate
of good standing). The documents must be no more than three months old
when the application is submitted.
Evidence of your medical fitness: doctor's certificate from Germany and from
your country of origin. The documents must be no more than three months
old when the application is submitted
Evidence of your knowledge of German: language certificate

Bezirksregierung Münster

Application form - in German (31.05.2024)

Translations and certifications

The competent authority will inform you as to which documents you must produce
as originals or submit as copies. Some copies must be officially certified. We
recommend that you do not send originals by post.

You must submit your documents in German. Sworn or authorised translators

must prepare the translations.
My steps to recognition

I apply to the competent authority. How does this work?

You may also apply if you are not yet living in Germany.

You can send the application by post to the competent authority. Do not
send originals.
You may be able to send the application via email. Ask your competent
authority before you do. Later on in the recognition procedure, you may be
required to submit original copies or certified copies of the documents.
You are sometimes able to apply online. Later on in the recognition
procedure, you may be required to submit original copies or certified copies
of the documents. Use the federal state internet portal for the online
application. You will then leave our information page: To the internet portal
of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The competent authority is processing my application. What does

that mean?

Application for recognition

The competent authority receives the application. After one month at the latest, it
will confirm that the application has arrived. Once the competent authority has
received all the documents from you, it processes your application.

The competent authority carries out an equivalence assessment: It compares your

professional qualification with the German professional qualification. As part of
this, the competent authority takes into account your professional experience,
other certificates and other qualifications.

The competent authority then checks other requirements for use of the
professional title. This includes, e.g. your personal aptitude, your medical fitness
and your knowledge of German.

The recognition procedure takes a maximum of 4 months. In specific cases the

competent authority may extend the procedure. At the end, the competent
authority sends you a notice containing the result.

Application for authorisation to use the professional title

If the equivalence assessment is successful, you apply for authorisation to use

professional title. You apply to the relevant district government
("Bezirksregierung"). The district government then checks the notice and the
further requirements. In most cases you must provide evidence of your knowledge
of German, your personal suitability and your medical fitness.

The competent authority informs me of the result in a notice. What

are the possible outcomes?
Outcome: Recognition

Your professional qualification and the German professional qualification are

equivalent. You receive authorisation to use the professional title. You receive a
certificate for this. You also meet all further requirements. Your professional
qualification is recognised. Professionally you have the same rights as a person
with the German professional qualification.

Outcome: No recognition because the professional qualification is not

equivalent.

There are substantial differences between your professional qualification and the
German professional qualification. You are not able to compensate for these
differences with your professional experience and other knowledge of the
profession. Your professional qualification is therefore not equivalent to the
German professional qualification. Your professional qualification is not recognised.

In most cases you are able to complete a compensation measure. This allows you to
compensate for the substantial differences.

Outcome: No recognition because you do not meet all the requirements.

Your professional qualification is equivalent. You have applied for authorisation to

use the professional title. However, you do not meet all other requirements to
use the professional title. You may still need to provide evidence that you e.g. are
personally apt or have knowledge of German. Your district government
("Bezirksregierung") will inform you of which evidence is missing.

You are able to take legal action against the decision of the competent authority.
Details on this procedure can be found in the legal redress advice (German:
“Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung”) at the end of your notice. We recommend that you
speak to a counselling centre first before challenging the decision or taking legal
action.

I receive no recognition. What can I do?

Compensation measures

If your professional qualification is not equivalent you can complete a

compensation measure. A compensation measure allows you to compensate for
substantial differences. Substantial differences are listed in your notice.

There are a range of compensation measures:

Adaptation period
Knowledge test

If you successfully complete the compensation measure, you receive a certificate. If

your professional qualification is now equivalent, you will receive notice of the
equivalence.

The notice enables you to apply to your district government ("Bezirksregierung")

for authorisation to use the professional title. The district government checks the
further requirements (e.g. personal aptitude or medical fitness). If you meet all
requirements, your professional qualification is recognised. You receive
authorisation to use the professional title. Professionally, you then have the same
rights as a person with the German professional qualification.

Do you come from a third country? You are permitted to enter Germany for a
compensation measure. Please seek advice if you have questions, or find out more
about entry e.g. via the hotline Working and Living in Germany .

Counselling

If you do not meet all requirements, you can find out from the district
government ("Bezirksregierung") about the options available to you. Were you not
able e.g. to provide evidence of your personal aptitude or your knowledge of
German? The district government can help you with this.

My other options

Recognition partnership

Do you need recognition in order to work in Germany? You can also apply for
recognition after entering the country. For this you need a recognition partnership
with your future employer in Germany.

The following requirements apply to a recognition partnership:

You have completed training of at least two years or a degree.

Your qualification is recognised by the state in the country of training. The
Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) will confirm this for you.
You need German language skills at least at level A2 of the Common
European Reference Framework for languages.
You have found an employer.
Further ways to work in Germany

You may also be able to work in a non-regulated profession in Germany without

recognition:

This is possible, for example, with completed training and professional

experience. What's also important is how much you earn, whether you have a
contract of employment, whether you speak German and how old you are.
We recommend that you complete the Quick-Check here, this will provide all
the information: Make-it-in-Germany.com.
This is possible, for example, with a higher education qualification: Find out
whether it is comparable to a German higher education qualification. There
are two ways of checking this.
anabin database: You will find universities in the database. Your university
must be recognised in the database (H+). AND your higher education
qualification must be assessed as equivalent. This then means that your
qualification is equivalent to a German higher education qualification. Save as
a PDF. This is evidence. Further information and a guide is available at Make-
it-in-Germany.com.
Statement of Comparability: What if your university or qualification are not in
anabin? In this case you can apply to the Central Office for Foreign Education
(ZAB) for an individual statement of comparability. The statement of
comparability is a document that confirms the equivalence of your higher
education qualification with a German higher education qualification.

Working without recognition

Partial access to the profession

Did you complete your professional qualification in an EU country, the EEA or in

Switzerland? If so, you can work in the profession without recognition. However,
you need so-called partial access to the profession . You must apply for partial
access to the profession from the competent authority.

With partial access to the profession, the following applies:

You are not permitted to perform all activities in the Profession.

You are only permitted to use the professional title from your country of
training.

You need to meet the following requirements for partial access:

With your professional qualification, you are able to work without restrictions
in your country of training.
Your professional qualification is not equivalent to the German professional
qualification. The substantial differences are large. In this case a
compensation measure comprises the full German training.
Automatic recognition is not possible for your professional qualification.
Your professional qualification includes at least one so-called reserved
activity (in German: vorbehaltene Tätigkeit) in the German professional
qualification. Only specially trained individuals are permitted to carry out
reserved activities.
You are medically fit.
You are personally apt.
You have specific knowledge of German.

Procedure for Ethnic German Resettlers

As an Ethnic German Resettler, you can select between two procedures for
vocational recognition:

You apply for the procedure described here.

You apply for the procedure under Section 10 of the Federal Expellees Act
(German: “§10 Bundesvertriebenengesetz, BVFG”).

You can decide this. Your competent authority will advise you.

Counselling

Do you have any questions? Do you need help with the application? Seek
advice! You will find your councelling centre one step back under
Counselling offers.
Do you have questions regarding entry or residence? For more information
see Make-it-in-Germany.com.

Further information
Info and links

The following applies until the end of 2024: You can apply for the German
(male) professional title Entbindungspfleger. Then the regulations of the
Hebammengesetz (HebG) in the version of 31 Dezember 2019 apply. Your
competent authority will inform you about the details.
For the application for authorisation to use the professional title: Find your
responsible district government for your place of work here (in German)

Legal basis

Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7

September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications
Hebammengesetz (HebG) (in German)
Studien- und Prüfungsverordnung für Hebammen (HebStPrV) (in
German)

Alternatively until end of 2024:

Hebammengesetz (HebG) in the version of 31 Dezember 2019 (in German)

Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung für Hebammen und
Entbindungspfleger (HebAPrV) in the version of 31 Dezember 2019 (in
German)

last update on: 31.05.2024

Link to page

The competent authority

Bezirksregierung Münster

Domplatz 1-3
48143 Münster

View on Google Maps

 +49 251 411 2444

 E-Mail

www.bezreg-
muenster.de/de/gesundheit_und_soziales/zag/servicestelle_pug

Your contact
Servicestelle PuG
Telefonische Sprechzeiten
Montag - Freitag:
10:00 - 14:00 Uhr