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Diploma Social Care Worker – Professional Recognition Procedure

General information

There are four areas of specialisation:

  • Elderly Care (Diploma Social Care Worker – Elderly Care, A)
  • Family Care (Diploma Social Care Worker – Family Care, F)
  • Disability Care (Diploma Social Care Worker – Disability Care, BA)
  • Disability Support (Diploma Social Care Worker – Disability Support, BB)

Diploma Social Care Workers perform all the duties carried out by qualified social care workers. However, they do so on the basis of more advanced, scientifically grounded training, with a higher degree of independence and personal responsibility.

In addition to their direct care responsibilities, Diploma Social Care Workers undertake conceptual and planning tasks relating to the organisation and delivery of care services. They have the skills required to coordinate staff and provide professional guidance to employees and assistants in matters relating to social care. They also contribute to the further professional development of the services offered by their organisation or institution and implement quality development measures and processes, such as reflection and evaluation using recognised methods and instruments.

The scope of work of Diploma Social Care Workers includes an area of independent responsibility. 

For the specialisations of Elderly Care, Family Care and Disability Care, it also includes nursing duties within the scope of authority of a nursing assistant. For the Disability Support specialisation, it includes assistance with basic care.

 

Requirements

Applicants whose professional qualifications are recognised must have sufficient knowledge of German, to the extent necessary for practising the profession.

Unless the applicant can provide proof of authorisation to practise as a Nursing Assistant under the Austrian Health and Nursing Care Act (GuKG), the application for recognition must be submitted together with an application for admission to practise as a Nursing Assistant or for the nostrification (formal recognition) of a foreign qualification pursuant to Sections 87 or 89 of the GuKG. 

This requirement does not apply to applications for recognition as:

  • Diploma Social Care Worker – Disability Support (BB)
  • Qualified Social Care Worker – Disability Support (BB)
  • Home Helper

If full equivalence is established, the competent authority will formally recognise, by means of an official decision, that the training completed abroad is equivalent to the corresponding Austrian qualification. To establish equivalence, the authority may require the applicant to complete supplementary theoretical or practical examinations as a condition of recognition.

Required documents

 

The following documents must be submitted to Department 9 – Health, Health Law Unit, in their original form or as copies certified by a court or notary. Documents that are not in German must be accompanied by a German translation prepared by a court-certified sworn translator.

The required documents are:

  • A fully completed application form
  • Proof of citizenship (passport or identity card)
  • Registration certificate or confirmation of registration as proof of a main residence; confirmation of registration for any authorised recipient of official correspondence; or other evidence of the intended place of residence, professional establishment, place of employment or place of professional activity. This may include proof of an application for a relevant position or confirmation of employment in the Province of Salzburg
  • Curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Certificate confirming successful completion of the training programme (e.g. diploma)
  • Proof of professional authorisation in the country of origin (e.g. certificate of completed professional examinations or registration certificate)
  • Curriculum and syllabus documenting the content and scope of the training completed abroad and demonstrating comparability with the corresponding Austrian training programme. These documents must provide detailed information on the duration of the training and the number of teaching hours allocated to each subject, including individual and total hours, broken down into theoretical and practical training
  • All certificates and transcripts relating to the training, including evidence of courses attended, examinations passed and any academic or research papers completed
  • Where applicable, evidence of internships, specifying the type, duration and workload of the relevant professional activity
  • Where applicable, evidence of previous professional experience in the relevant field, specifying the type, duration and workload of the professional activity, including employment confirmations
  • A medical certificate confirming fitness to practise the profession. The certificate must be no more than three months old when submitted
  • A police clearance certificate or certificate of good conduct from the country of origin. It must be no more than three months old when submitted
  • Marriage certificate or other official documents if the applicant's current name differs from the name stated on the diploma or certificates
  • If already available, a certificate of professional authorisation, nostrification or recognition in Nursing Assistance

 

Procedure

Once all required documents have been submitted in the correct certified form and with the necessary translations, the complete file will be forwarded to the appointed expert for an assessment of equivalence. Following the assessment, an expert report will be prepared, and equivalence will be determined by means of an official decision.

The decision may require the applicant to complete supplementary theoretical or practical examinations in order to establish equivalence.

The staff of the Welcome Center are available to advise applicants on preparing the required documents. They can be contacted at:

Costs and fees

The estimated procedural costs range from EUR 150 to EUR 300.

The actual costs depend on the fees prescribed by law, in particular the Fees Act (Gebührengesetz) and the applicable Salzburg Fees and Charges Ordinance (S.VuK-VO).

Deadlines

There are no specific application deadlines for applicants. If documents are missing, the authority will request that they be submitted.

The authority must decide on applications for recognition of professional training and qualifications within four months of receiving a complete application.

Legal bases

  • Salzburg Social Care Professions Act (Salzburger Sozialbetreuungsberufegesetz – S.SBBG), Provincial Law Gazette No. 34/2009, as amended.
  • Salzburg Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Salzburger Berufsqualifikationen-Anerkennungsgesetz – BQ-AnerG), Provincial Law Gazette No. 35/2017, as amended.

Means of redress or appeal

An appeal against a decision on professional recognition may be lodged with the Salzburg Provincial Administrative Court (Landesverwaltungsgericht Salzburg).

The appeal must be submitted in writing to the authority that issued the decision within four weeks.

The appeal should be addressed to:

Office of the Salzburg Provincial Government
Department 9: Health
Unit 9/01: Health Law
Postfach 527
5010 Salzburg
Austria

The four-week period begins upon service of the written decision.

Further information

Competent Authority
Office of the Salzburg Provincial Government
Department 9: Health
Unit 9/01: Health Law

Competent authority

Zuständige Stelle

Authentication and signature

No data available

Assistance and problem-solving services

Office of the Salzburg Provincial Government
Department 9: Health
Unit 9/01: Health Law

Email: gesundheitsrecht@salzburg.gv.at

EAP Salzburg Link

Link to form

Information on the application form is available through this section of the official website

Responsible for the content

Office of the Salzburg Provincial Government
Department 9: Health
Unit 9/01: Health Law
Postfach 527
5010 Salzburg
Austria

Data protection

General information and contact details concerning data protection, the rights of data subjects and the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection authority are available at: www.salzburg.gv.at/kontakt/datenschutz. 

In accordance with Article 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), applicants are informed that the personal data they provide will be processed.

The personal data included in the application and accompanying documents will be processed for the purpose of conducting and completing the procedure under the Salzburg Social Care Professions Act (S.SBBG), pursuant to Article 6(1)(c) GDPR.

Where special categories of personal data within the meaning of Article 9 GDPR are processed as part of the procedure, such processing will be based on the relevant statutory provisions and the applicable exemption under Article 9 GDPR.

Last update

29.10.2026