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Recognition of international school qualifications

German

In Austria, various authorities/bodies are responsible for the recognition of international educational qualifications:

  • School qualifications: technical, engineering, and arts and crafts schools; business administration and business schools; schools of tourism, fashion, and art and design; schools for economic and social professions; colleges of agriculture and forestry; sports teaching and physical education; academic secondary schools, 8th year of education; completion of compulsory schooling, 9th, 10th or 11th year of education
    Competent authority: BMBWF
  • Kindergarten teaching and social pedagogy diplomas (early childhood education)
    Competent authority: BMBWF
  • Higher education qualifications: universities, universities of applied sciences, university colleges of teacher education – with the exception of kindergarten teaching and social pedagogy diplomas
    Competent authority: National Academic Recognition Information Centre (ENIC-NARIC Austria)
  • Vocational training (apprenticeships)
    Competent authority: Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy
  • Teacher training courses
    Competent authority: BMBWF, boards of education, university colleges of teacher education
  • Vocational qualification in a healthcare profession

School qualifications

In the formal recognition procedure for international school qualifications, a distinction is made between:

Assessments

In an assessment pursuant to the Recognition and Assessment Act (AuBG), a simplified procedure is used to determine whether an international educational programme is comparable to an Austrian educational programme and if so, to which programme.
In most cases, assessment is sufficient. More information about assessments

Validation

Validation is a detailed procedure in which all individual examinations taken are reviewed. Under Article 75 (1) of the School Education Act, qualifications can only be validated if credible evidence can be presented that validation is required in order for the applicant to gain a particular eligibility or entitlement (in order, for example, to take up employment in an occupation that is legally regulated in Austria) and that the specified prerequisites are met. More information about validation

Procedure for recognition of professional qualifications

A procedure for the recognition of professional qualifications is required if the certificate was issued in an EU/EEA country and the applicant is seeking employment in a legally regulated profession.

The competent authority for this procedure is the office of the state government or the board of education – depending on the way in which the division of responsibilities is organised – in the federal state in question. You can find information about the procedure on the website of the relevant office of the state government (in German only) or at www.berufsanerkennung.at.
Holders of certificates from third countries (non-EU/EEA countries) must apply for validation of their qualifications in order to work in a regulated profession.

To find out which form of recognition is appropriate for your profession, please visit www.berufsanerkennung.at. 

Recognition for admission to a higher education institution

Due to various agreements, no assessment or validation is required for most higher or further education courses (universities, universities of applied sciences, university colleges of teacher education, post-secondary vocational education and training (VET) colleges and adult education courses).
The education institution in question is entitled to make its own admission decisions.
Please contact the admissions office at the relevant education institution directly.