Apply for recognition as a lawyer with a foreign professional qualification

Procedure

• Submit an application to the Judicial Examination Office
• The Judicial Examination Office checks whether you have acquired all the knowledge and skills required to work as a lawyer in Germany during your training.
• In this case your degree will be recognized
• If there are differences, you will have to take an aptitude test.
• The aptitude test consists of a written and an oral part.
• The written part of the examination consists of 2 supervisory papers.
• The oral examination consists of a short presentation and a discussion.
• The examination office will issue a confirmation of successful completion of the qualifying examination. A failed aptitude test may be repeated 2 times.

More information

Competent body
Bremen does not have its own competent body. There is a joint agreement between the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein.

The Berlin Judicial Examination Office is the joint examination office in the area of the contracting states. It conducts the qualifying examination for admission to the bar.
Deadlines
The deadlines vary in the Joint Judicial Examination Offices.
For the states

• Free Hanseatic City of Bremen
• Berlin
• Brandenburg
• Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
• Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
• Lower Saxony
• Saxony-Anhalt
• Schleswig-Holstein

the following applies:
The aptitude test takes place in December. You must submit the application by July 31.