Recognition of Ukrainian diplomas and qualifications in Germany: what changed in 2026

In 2026, Germany updated several rules concerning the recognition of Ukrainian educational documents. The changes primarily affect school certificates and access to higher education, while the basic procedure for recognizing professional qualifications (Anerkennung, nostrification) has remained unchanged. Below is exactly what changed, who is affected and how to act.

What changed in 2026

School certificates: individual assessment in NRW from 18 May 2026

In the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), from 18 May 2026, Ukraine has been excluded from the general procedure for recognizing school certificates (Allgemeinverfügung) — due to a change in the assessment criteria. Now Ukrainian certificates are again reviewed and assessed by the Dezernat 48 authority of the Cologne District Government (Bezirksregierung Köln) on an individual basis (Einzelfallentscheidung), rather than under a single template.

A transitional rule is provided: certificates from Ukraine for the academic year up to and including 2022/2023 continue to fall under the previous general procedure. This decision applies to the state of NRW; in other states, the rules for assessing school documents may differ.

Access to universities: the new KMK procedure of 26 February 2026

The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education (KMK) on 26 February 2026 adopted an updated procedure “Access to higher education and admission to universities based on Ukrainian educational documents.” It replaced the previous decision of 3 February 2025 and applies to persons with a residence permit under §24 of the Residence Act (AufenthG) — that is, those with temporary protection.

The key aim of the procedure is to ensure that persons who were unable to complete the academic year or school level due to the war are not placed at a disadvantage during admission to German universities, even if some examination documents are missing.

How recognition works — unchanged in 2026

The structure of recognition in Germany itself has remained the same. It is important to distinguish two tracks:

• Professional qualifications (for example, nurse, electrician, educator) are recognized by the relevant chambers (Kammer) and the competent authorities for the respective profession. This is “nostrification” in the narrow sense — confirmation of equivalence (Gleichwertigkeit).
• Higher education (a university diploma) is assessed by the ZAB — the Central Office for Foreign Education, which issues a statement of comparability (Zeugnisbewertung).

For regulated professions (medicine, nursing care, education, engineering specialties with protected status), recognition is mandatory in order to work in the field. For non-regulated professions (for example, in IT, natural sciences, economics), recognition is not mandatory for employment, but it helps the employer assess the qualification.

Who is affected and how many such cases there are

According to the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB, special analysis of October 2025), in 2024 Ukrainians submitted around 7,300 applications for recognition of professional qualifications — a historic record, with the number of applications rising about fivefold over two years. Ukraine became the second country of origin by number of applications after Turkey.

In about 95% of cases, full or partial equivalence of the qualification was established. The most applications were submitted by engineers (1,644), nurses (1,344) and teachers (1,308). Separately, the ZAB recorded a record 45,100 applications for the assessment of Ukrainian higher education diplomas. The majority of applicants are women (about 71%).

How to act

1. Determine the track. Professional qualification — contact the competent chamber/authority; a university diploma — the ZAB.
2. Prepare the documents. Usually you need a copy of your international passport, a CV (Lebenslauf) in German, and certified translations of your diploma/certificate and of confirmations of work experience.
3. If documents are lost. The ZAB and the authorities provide for an alternative check (a plausibility procedure, a qualification analysis, a qualification examination) if the authenticity of the education can be established.
4. Use the free consultation. The IQ Network (Förderprogramm IQ) and counseling centres help with the procedure; the costs of recognition can be fully or partially covered.
5. Check the rules of your federal state. The change regarding school certificates applies to NRW; in other states, contact your local recognition authority.

Important: this article is for information purposes. The exact document requirements and time frames depend on the profession, the federal state and the specific authority — verify them on official sources (KMK/ZAB, anerkennung-in-deutschland.de, the recognition authority of your federal state) before submitting.