Updated: October 1, 2026 · Documents
Degree recognition in Germany: who needs it, what it costs and how long it takes
People come to us with the same question: is recognition of a degree compulsory, and will it cost half a year. The short answer is that it is far from compulsory for everyone, and the timeline depends on which permit you are applying for. For the EU Blue Card, ZAB issues its assessment in two weeks.
Most of the people asking work in IT, and that is precisely the field where formal recognition is usually not required. Here is when it is required by law, when it is simply a convenient document for the consulate, and what to do when something about your degree does not line up in the database.
Who needs recognition and who does not
Professions in Germany fall into two groups, and everything else follows from that.
Regulated professions. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lawyers, teachers, some engineering specialisations, childcare professionals. Without recognition you cannot work in these at all: this is not a formality but admission to the profession. The procedure is called Anerkennung, it is run by the competent authority of the federal state rather than by ZAB, and it looks at the content of your programme rather than at the degree as a whole.
Non-regulated professions. Developers, analysts, product managers, marketers, designers, most engineering roles in commercial companies. An employer may hire you with no recognition at all: it is enough that they consider your qualification suitable.
For the visa the picture is different. Before an authority issues a Blue Card, your degree has to be comparable to a German higher education degree. That is checked through the Anabin database, and if your university or programme is not there, a ZAB assessment is needed. So recognition is required by the immigration procedure, not by the employer.
IT has a separate route: since 2023 the Blue Card can be issued without a degree if you have three years of relevant experience within the last seven and a salary above the threshold. The details are in our piece on the Blue Card.
Anabin: what H+, H+/- and H- mean
Anabin is the database of the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB), listing universities and programmes from many countries. Each university carries one of three ratings.
| Rating | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| H+ | The university is recognised, the degree is comparable | Print the Anabin entry, that is usually enough |
| H+/- | The status depends on the specific programme and circumstances of study | The programme has to be checked, often through ZAB |
| H- | The university is not recognised | A ZAB assessment on the merits, with no guaranteed outcome |
A separate case is when the university is not in the database at all. That is not a refusal: the authority simply has not assessed this institution yet. The next step is the same as for H+/-: an individual assessment by ZAB.
Check the university and the programme, not just the name: the same institution may have been called differently in different years and carry a different status, and Anabin searches by name and period.
Zeugnisbewertung: cost and timing
The assessment of a foreign degree is called a Zeugnisbewertung. It does not grant you a profession; it is an official statement of what your degree is comparable to within the German system.
Cost: €208. That is the ZAB fee itself, excluding document translations and any agent. A replacement copy of a statement already issued costs €104.
Official processing times:
- standard application: 3 months;
- accelerated skilled worker procedure (FEG): 2 months;
- for the EU Blue Card: 2 weeks.
One detail throws most plans off: the clock does not start when you submit the form. It starts once the complete set of documents has been received and the fee has been paid. If you sent a missing certificate three weeks later, those three weeks are not part of the stated time.
ZAB states plainly that times can grow when it receives a lot of applications, and separately that processing cannot be sped up on request. You can check the status of your application in your account on the ZAB website; calls and emails asking when it will be ready do not move the queue.
The most common reasons a degree "does not pass"
The university is not in Anabin. The most frequent situation. It is solved by a ZAB assessment, but that adds three months to the plan, and those months have to be budgeted in advance.
The university carries H+/-. Then being in the database is not enough on its own: the specific programme and the circumstances of study have to be evidenced.
The names do not match. The university was renamed, your diploma says one thing and Anabin says another. Search by the period of study, not only by the current name.
The year of graduation and the year the diploma was issued get mixed up. A small thing, but it sends the application back as a request for more information.
The field in the degree is not the field in the offer. For the Blue Card, the match between degree and position is a condition, not a nice to have. If there is a gap, explain it in the application yourself rather than waiting to be asked.
A case from practice: a problem turned around
To be clear up front: we have not had a finished negative decision reversed. We have had a near case, and it is more useful anyway, because it shows how the question gets settled before it turns into a refusal.
The applicant's university carried H+/- in Anabin. ZAB asked for proof of the state accreditation of the university and of the specific programme as at the year of graduation. The applicant obtained a certificate from the university and sent it in. The case ended positively, though with a delay: while the document was in transit, processing was on hold.
The lesson is simple. With H+/-, or with a university missing from the database, gather the accreditation evidence straight away rather than waiting to be asked. A certificate of state accreditation of the university and the programme for the year of graduation is the document that most often decides the case.
What to do, in order
- Work out whether your profession is regulated. If it is, your counterpart is the state authority, not ZAB.
- Check your university in Anabin by name and period of study. Note the rating.
- With H+, print the entry; that is usually enough for the consulate.
- With H+/-, H- or no entry at all, prepare a ZAB application and budget the time.
- If you are applying for a Blue Card, say so in the application: the processing time drops to two weeks.
- Obtain the accreditation certificate in advance if your university carries H+/-.
Not every document needs a sworn translation, and ZAB has its own list. Which documents to translate and by whom is covered in our piece on sworn translators.
Let's look at your case
In a consultation we will look at your degree, check the university in Anabin and tell you whether you need a ZAB assessment or whether the database entry will do. We will also fit that into the timeline of your application. 45 minutes, €90, credited towards the support package.
FAQ
How much does degree recognition in Germany cost?
A ZAB Statement of Comparability costs €208. That is the authority's fee, excluding translations and any agent. A replacement copy of a statement already issued costs €104.
How long does a ZAB assessment take?
A standard application takes 3 months, the accelerated skilled worker procedure 2 months, and an assessment for the EU Blue Card 2 weeks. The clock starts once the complete set of documents has been received and the fee paid. Times can grow when ZAB receives a lot of applications.
Can ZAB processing be sped up?
Not on request: the authority states plainly that it does not move individual applications forward. The shorter times apply only to the EU Blue Card and to the accelerated skilled worker procedure, so they depend on the legal basis rather than on paying extra.
What does H+/- mean in Anabin?
That the status of the degree depends on the specific programme and the circumstances of study. Being listed is not enough on its own: the programme has to be checked, usually through a ZAB application.
What if my university is not in Anabin?
That is not a refusal, only a sign that the authority has not assessed this institution yet. The next step is an individual ZAB assessment. Budget three months for it unless you are applying for a Blue Card.
Do you need degree recognition to work in IT?
As a rule no: IT is not a regulated profession, and an employer may hire you without recognition. Recognition may still be needed for the visa, to show the degree is comparable, but since 2023 IT specialists can get a Blue Card with no degree at all, on three years of relevant experience within the last seven.