Anerkennung for a craft profession is document-heavy. Incomplete files cause the longest delays — not the chamber’s review itself. Start gathering papers before you book an appointment.
Collect your vocational diploma or apprenticeship certificate, any transcript of hours and subjects, and employment references that describe the craft tasks you performed. If your training mixed school and workshop practice, keep both parts visible in the file.
Translations matter. Most Handwerkskammern expect certified German translations of core certificates. Keep originals and translations in the same order. Name files clearly when you submit digitally.
Also gather proof of identity and, where relevant, residence status. Recognition and work authorisation are separate processes, but chambers often ask for both early.
If you trained in a trade that is regulated differently abroad, write a short plain-language description of your daily work. That note helps an assessor map your experience to a German Handwerk profile when titles do not match one-to-one.