Work through the exceptions: exemption and the EU route
If none of the four routes fits, two ways out remain: the exceptional permit and the rules for nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland.
✓ Verified: 11/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
The restricted permit is underrated: often what you need is the right to a specific slice of work rather than the whole craft, and evidencing a slice is markedly easier.
An exemption application is not a free-form letter but a dossier: certificates, confirmations, a description of your experience, client references. The denser the dossier, the shorter the correspondence.
Useful Tools
- Anerkennung in Deutschland education
Federal portal on recognition of foreign qualifications: which authority handles your profession and what to submit.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When is an exceptional permit granted? ▾
In exceptional cases where the knowledge and skills necessary for independent practice are evidenced; previous professional experience and activities are taken into account. An exceptional case exists where sitting the master examination would be an unreasonable burden for the applicant.
Can the permit cover only part of the craft? ▾
Yes. It may be granted with conditions, for a limited time, and restricted to a substantial part of the activities belonging to a trade in Anlage A. In that case evidence of the knowledge and skills for that part suffices.
Who decides, and what is the role of the chamber? ▾
The higher administrative authority on the application of the trader, after hearing the craft chamber. The states may designate a different authority by regulation.
What if it is refused? ▾
The administrative court route is open against the decision — and open to the chamber as well, which is joined to the proceedings. A refusal is therefore not the end but a stage of its own.
What applies to nationals of the EU, EEA and Switzerland? ▾
The statute provides a separate framework: the conditions for an exceptional permit when establishing a business in Germany, rules for cross-border services without an establishment, and the European Professional Card procedure.