You are already a qualified teacher in your country (of origin) and would like to resume teaching in Schleswig-Holstein?
Anyone who
has completed a professional teaching qualification in their country of origin,
resides in Schleswig-Holstein or
would like to work in the school system of Schleswig-Holstein,
may apply for recognition of their (foreign) teaching qualification
Info Documents
Info Application
Info Data protection
The listed documents and a completed application for the recognition of your foreign teaching qualification can be submitted in paper form as certified or simple copies. Certified documents can be requested if necessary.
After assessing the teaching qualification from the country of origin, the authority issues a decision. This decision specifies the classification for a teaching degree in Schleswig-Holstein and, if applicable, the significant differences between the training programs.
In order to achieve equality, compensatory measures (adaptation course/„Anpassungslehrgang“ or aptitude test/„Eignungsprüfung“ are proposed in this decision. Only after successfully completing a compensatory measure equivalence with the corresponding teaching profession will be achieved.
In individual cases, direct equal treatment is also possible. In this case, no compensatory measures are necessary.
The duration of the adaptation course („Anpassungslehrgang“) is a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 36 months.
A fixed-term training contract is concluded for this period. Employees receive remuneration based on Amount of trainee remuneration for the respective teaching degrees.
Participants are assigned to a training school, where they teach classes (observation and independent teaching) and also attend classes at the Institute for Quality Development in Schools in Schleswig-Holstein (IQSH).
The aptitude test („Eignungsprüfung“) consists of a graded lesson per subject or subject area, an verbal test in the form of a case-based task from the field of education, diagnostics or school development, and an oral examination in school law.
According to § 5 of the „Landesverordnung zur Gleichstellung von ausländischen Lehrkräfteberufsqualifikationen vom 21. Juli 2025“, it is mandatory to seek advice on the requirements, procedure and content of the aptitude test („Eignungsprüfung“) and the professional part of an adaptation course („Anpassungslehrgang“) in a personal consultation. The consultation interview is carried out by the Institute for Quality Development in Schools Schleswig-Holstein (IQSH) in 24119 Kronshagen after applying for the adaptation course (“Anpassungslehrgang”) or the aptitude test (“Eignungsprüfung”).
Due to the job-specific language requirements for the teaching profession, participation in a compensatory measure requires knowledge of the German language at least at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Language skills at level C2 of the CEFR should be aimed for.
The application documents for the adaptation course can be found here: read more
Information sheet and application form for admission to the adaptation course for teaching at general education schools (PDF, 503KB, file is accessible)
Please complete, sign and send to:
Ministerium für Allgemeine und Berufliche Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur
III 25 – (APL)
Brunswiker Straße 16
24105 Kiel
Applications for an aptitude test („Eignungsprüfung“) can also be sent to the above address. Please include your full name, date of birth, place of birth, current address and, most importantly, the teaching degree (if you had a choice according to your Decision of recognition).
Once you have successfully completed the compensatory measure, you can apply via the ‘online Stellenmarkt Schule’.
Anerkennung internationaler Lehramtsqualifikationen
