About the Central Office for Foreign Education
Competence and information center
The Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) is the central German authority for the assessment of foreign education and training qualifications. The ZAB provides information and consultation for public authorities, education institutions, and individuals. It prepares expert assessments, and issues Statements of Comparability as well as Statements on Foreign Vocational Qualifications. ZAB employees have a combined knowledge of 55 languages and expertise in the education systems of over 195 countries worldwide.
German ENIC-NARIC
The ZAB is part of the ENIC-NARIC network. In this network, the national information centers for the academic recognition of educational qualifications from 56 countries work together. Their goals include providing information about the education and training systems of the member states, supporting each other in the assessment of foreign qualifications, and creating a uniform European approach to recognition in higher education.
Services for public authorities and education institutions
The ZAB expert assessment team assists the German federal states’ recognition authorities in assessing foreign qualifications. They provide information and issue expert assessments on academic degrees, and study and exam credits.
ZAB services are called upon by many other organizations, such as higher education institutions, recognition authorities for secondary school qualifications, German missions abroad, federal training assistance offices and courts.
The Expert Center for Health Professions (GfG) is a specialized service within the ZAB for academic medical and healthcare professions.
Certificates for Skilled Workers
The ZAB issues certificates for skilled workers with a foreign qualification who wish to work in Germany.
- The Statement of Comparability for Foreign University Degrees certifies the comparability of a foreign university degree with a German bachelor, master or doctorate. A Statement of Comparability can be used when applying for a visa or an EU Blue Card, or for job applications on the German labor market.
- The Statement on a Foreign Vocational Qualification is a certificate for people from third countries who have completed vocational training abroad and wish to work in Germany. The ZAB reviews certain criteria that must be met in order to obtain a residence permit or visa.
Information portal anabin
In its information portal anabin, the ZAB publishes data on education and training qualifications from abroad. This database contains information on education institutions and qualifications worldwide, details about more than 200 education systems, and sample reports for public authorities.
anabin can be used to independently research and verify the comparability of foreign qualifications with German qualifications. In addition, anabin offers the latest news and useful information on the recognition and evaluation of certificates.
Visit anabin
Find out more about the ZAB
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