Promotion of the Recognition of Professional Qualifications Acquired Abroad and Skilled Worker Potentials in Vocational Training (Scholarship Program)
The State of Hamburg supports the recognition of foreign professional qualifications as well as part-time training through interest-free loans, grants, and scholarships. Applications must be submitted prior to the start of the procedure or training.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Promotion of the equivalence of professional qualifications acquired abroad in Germany through support of recognition procedures as well as financial assistance for part-time training for individuals who have increased financial needs due to their age, nationality, or lack of federal funding entitlements.
Eligible expenses
- Translation and procedural costs
- Compensatory measures (adaptation courses, examinations)
- Language courses
- Travel and incidental expenses
- Course and tuition fees
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Eligible to apply
- Individuals
Funding requirements
- Primary residence in Hamburg and professional qualification acquired abroad
- German/EU citizenship or valid residence permit/asylum status without imminent deportation
- No other employment or training support (subordinate granting)
- Pursuit of part-time training or exclusion from federal funding due to age or nationality
- Proof of no entitlement to BAföG or vocational training allowance
Documents required for application
- Proof of professional qualification acquired abroad
- Hamburg registration certificate
- Income and asset statements
- Part-time training contract
Description
In Hamburg, interest-free loans, grants, and scholarships open up diverse opportunities to have professional qualifications acquired abroad recognized as equivalent in Germany and to support part-time training programs. The program targets individuals with their main residence in Hamburg who can either provide proof of a foreign qualification or have increased financial needs during part-time training due to their age, nationality, or lack of entitlement to federal funding. This initiative promotes equal opportunities and sustainable integration into the labor market by reducing financial barriers and facilitating recognition procedures. Funding is provided depending on individual circumstances and is granted subsidiarily to other funding instruments.
Eligible expenses include translation and procedural costs, compensatory measures such as adjustment courses and examinations, language courses, travel and incidental expenses, course and tuition fees, as well as childcare costs. Additionally, a monthly scholarship based on the parent-independent BAföG maximum rate can be applied for, which is granted in equal parts as a grant and an interest-free loan. A one-time grant of up to €4,000 and an interest-free loan of up to €6,000 (in exceptional cases up to €10,000) support applicants over a project duration of up to 36 months. Approval requires the application to be submitted before the start of the recognition or training process, along with the submission of proof of qualification, a registration certificate, current income and asset statements, and – in the case of part-time training – the corresponding training contract.