Foreign school-leaving qualifications

A formal recognition process of foreign certificates/educational certificates that demonstrate school-leaving qualifications in the country of issue.

If the pupil intends to continue their education in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, there is no need for a formal recognition process. The decision to integrate into a general education school is made by the school management, in consultation with the parents or guardians or the pupils themselves if they are aged 18 or over.

The only reason for not recognizing a school-leaving qualification is if it is not equivalent to a qualification in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Applications for recognition must be submitted in writing and informally to the Ministry of Education and Child Day Care of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The following documents must be submitted by post (not by email) for recognition:

• Completed application form,
• Proof of identity,
• Current registration certificate (as proof of residence/habitual residence in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, not older than 6 months),
• Tabular CV (focusing on educational history),
• Officially certified copy of the translated certificate along with the original foreign certificate or educational document (translated by a sworn translator/interpreter in Germany),
• If applicable, proof in accordance with the Bundesvertriebenengesetz (Federal Displaced Persons and Refugees Act),
• If applicable, proof of a name change.

Official certifications can be obtained from public institutions or offices of a city or district, or from notaries.

Translations are only considered if the translator/interpreter had access to the original or an officially certified copy of the foreign-language document.

As translations made abroad will not be accepted, the documents must be translated into German by a publicly appointed and sworn translator in Germany, or the accuracy and completeness of the existing translation must be certified by such a translator. An overview of publicly appointed and sworn translators in Germany is available at www.justiz-dolmetscher.de.

If you reside in a federal state other than Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the certificate recognition office of the relevant federal state will be responsible for recognition.

Recognition is not issued as a certificate, but as a formal notification, which also incurs an administrative fee in accordance with the "Verordnung über Kosten im Geschäftsbereich des Ministeriums für Bildung und Kindertagesförderung (Kostenverordnung Bildungsministerium - KostVO BM M-V)“.