Ukrainian teachers in NRW: how to work in a school and which documents are required
Ukrainian educators can work in schools in North Rhine-Westphalia not only as teachers. NRW also offers employment opportunities in educational and social-pedagogical roles, including positions in multidisciplinary teams supporting newly arrived children and young people. This guide explains who can apply, where to find vacancies, which documents may be required, and which routes into the NRW school system are available.
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia explicitly provides opportunities for Ukrainian educators to work in schools. Employment may be possible either as a teacher (Lehrkraft) or as other educational or social-pedagogical staff.
One of the main aims of these roles is to support children and young people who have recently arrived in NRW as they settle into a new school and continue their education. Particular attention is given to pupils who are attending a German school for the first time or whose German is not yet sufficient to participate fully in lessons.
Official information from Bezirksregierung Arnsberg: Ukrainian teachers in NRW
What kind of work can Ukrainian educators do?
The available roles are not limited to traditional classroom teaching. Depending on the applicant’s qualifications, the specific vacancy and the needs of the school, tasks may include:
supporting pupils in learning German while also drawing on their first languages;
providing in-class support as part of the school’s educational staff;
organising group activities and integration programmes both in and outside school;
supervising and supporting pupils during excursions, career-orientation placements and other extracurricular activities;
helping parents and pupils make use of opportunities to participate in school life;
bringing the perspectives and needs of newly arrived children and young people into school committees and structures.
Where the necessary requirements are met, the role may also include independent teaching duties.
Official description of the role of Ukrainian educators in NRW schools
Who can apply?
One particularly important point is that not every vacancy requires a Ukrainian teaching qualification to have already been fully recognised in Germany.
Vacancies for teachers may be open to applicants who obtained a teaching qualification in Germany or abroad. Depending on the position, other suitably qualified candidates may also be considered.
Potential applicants may include:
Separate qualification requirements apply to educational and social-pedagogical positions. For example, some roles in multidisciplinary teams (multiprofessionelle Teams) may be open to applicants with a degree in social pedagogy, social work or a relevant educational vocational qualification.
This means that an unfinished recognition procedure (Anerkennung) does not automatically exclude an applicant from working in a school. The requirements of the specific vacancy are decisive.
Information for Ukrainian applicants — Bezirksregierung Arnsberg
Where can vacancies be found?
The main official portal for temporary school vacancies in NRW is VERENA.
Applicants interested in roles supporting the integration of newly arrived pupils should pay particular attention to vacancies listed as:
“Fachkraft für Multiprofessionelle Teams zur Integration durch Bildung für neu zugewanderte Schülerinnen und Schüler”
Applicants can, of course, also apply for other suitable positions advertised through VERENA.
VERENA — official vacancy portal for schools in NRW
No suitable vacancy? Contact schools directly
This is one of the most practically useful points in the official NRW guidance.
Applicants may contact schools directly to ask about possible temporary employment opportunities.
School headteachers may also approach suitable candidates directly.
For this reason, it can be worthwhile not only to monitor VERENA but also to identify schools in your city or region and submit a speculative application (Initiativbewerbung).
Official information on applying directly to schools
What level of German is required?
There is no single general requirement such as B2 or C1 for all of the roles described above.
As a rule, German language skills are required. The specific level is determined according to the role and duties and is agreed with the relevant school management.
For certain positions, documented English language skills may also meet the requirements.
Other routes into the teaching profession — for example, full recognition of a teaching qualification, specific lateral-entry programmes or standard teaching posts — may have higher language requirements.
Applicants should therefore always check the language requirements for the individual vacancy or programme.
Can I work with a residence permit under Section 24 of the Residence Act?
Yes, provided that the residence document permits employment.
Before starting work, applicants must provide proof of residence status under Section 24 of the German Residence Act (§ 24 AufenthG) with permission to work.
Alternatively, a Fiktionsbescheinigung containing the wording
“Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt”
(“gainful employment permitted”)
may be accepted.
Employment may not be taken up during a visa-free short-term stay alone.
Official information for Ukrainian applicants
What if some educational documents are missing?
As a general rule, qualifications must be demonstrated by diplomas, certificates or other appropriate documentation.
However, the official NRW guidance also takes account of situations in which certain documents cannot be provided because of circumstances related to the war in Ukraine.
In such cases, under certain conditions, applicants may be able to provide a credible written declaration confirming the qualification concerned.
The final decision is made as part of the individual recruitment procedure.
Which additional documents may be required?
Proof of measles protection
Before starting work at a school, applicants are generally required to provide evidence of adequate protection against measles, for example through vaccination, proof of immunity or a medical contraindication to vaccination.
Temporary special rules apply to appointments with contracts running no later than 31 July 2027. Under certain conditions, a missing measles vaccination may be completed within three months.
The specific requirements should be clarified with the responsible district government (Bezirksregierung) or local education authority (Schulamt).
Extended certificate of good conduct
Before working with pupils, applicants are generally required to submit an extended certificate of good conduct (erweitertes Führungszeugnis) under Section 30a BZRG.
If the person has lived in Germany for more than four months, the certificate must generally be obtained before employment begins.
The application normally requires a written request from the authority or employer asking for the certificate.
German Federal Office of Justice — information on certificates of good conduct
Ukrainian criminal-record extract
Applicants may also be required to provide a document covering criminal-record information for the period of their previous residence in Ukraine.
A Ukrainian criminal-record extract can be obtained online through the official electronic services of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs or through the Diia app.
Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Temporary special rules also apply to employment contracts running no later than 31 July 2027. Under certain conditions, the Ukrainian document may be submitted later or temporarily replaced, until the end of the probationary period, by a notarised affidavit.
The precise conditions should be clarified with the responsible Bezirksregierung or Schulamt.
What is Seiteneinstieg?
Those who want not only to work temporarily in a school but also to build a long-term career in the NRW school system should consider the Seiteneinstieg, or lateral-entry route into teaching.
Under certain conditions, schools may employ applicants who have not completed the traditional German teacher-training pathway.
Different qualification routes are available for lateral entrants, including:
After completing the Pädagogische Einführung, applicants may, subject to the relevant conditions, obtain an Unterrichtserlaubnis, or permission to teach a particular subject.
The OBAS route can, where all requirements are met, lead to a state examination and the full teaching qualification (Lehramtsbefähigung).
Ministry of School and Education NRW — Seiteneinstieg
Where can applicants obtain advice?
Advice on entering the school system is available from the Beratungsstelle für Lehrämter an Schulen.
Telephone: 0231 9369 7770
Advisory services are also available through all five district governments:
Arnsberg
Detmold
Düsseldorf
Cologne
Münster
For applicants living in the Cologne/Aachen region, the responsible authority is Bezirksregierung Köln.
Contact details and official information for Ukrainian applicants
How to get started
Prepare a German-language CV together with documents confirming your education and professional experience.
Check VERENA regularly, including vacancies in multidisciplinary teams.
Do not rely only on advertised vacancies — contact schools directly and submit speculative applications.
Check every vacancy carefully, as requirements regarding qualifications, education and language skills may vary significantly.
If your goal is a long-term career as a teacher in NRW, also explore Seiteneinstieg and the recognition of foreign teaching qualifications.
Key point
A teaching or educational qualification obtained in Ukraine can be used in several different ways within the NRW school system.
An incomplete recognition procedure does not automatically mean that employment in a school is impossible.
Options may include teaching positions, work in multidisciplinary teams, educational and social-pedagogical support roles, direct applications to schools and different lateral-entry routes.
The decisive factors are always the requirements of the individual vacancy, the applicant’s documented qualifications and the decision of the responsible hiring authority.
Information current as of 7 October 2026.
Official sources
Bezirksregierung Arnsberg — Ukrainian teachers
Information for Ukrainian applicants
VERENA — vacancies in NRW schools
Ministry of School and Education NRW — Seiteneinstieg
German Federal Office of Justice — certificate of good conduct
Compiled by Anastasiia Malyshenko
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