Working as a hairdresser in Germany

I need to know rather urgently if hairdressers from the UK or other EU member states have to do any extra training or get some kind of German qualification before they can work in in Germany.

Anyone got any ideas?

I know they don't need work permits. Just need info about the cross over of English qualifications to Germany.

Hi

This Government document states that to set up a business in such a job (electrician, mechanic, hairdresser, baker, butcher... this is the case for 53 specific jobs but not all jobs), you must have a so-called "Meisterbrief".
This remains intact.
No "Meisterbrief", no self-employment.
What you are able to do is to apply for a Meisterbrief without having to study for it if you have six continuous years of experience in that specific job within the EU as an EU or EEA citizen. The length, the lack of breaks and the content of the experience will be checked closely by the relevant Guild (Handelskammer). You can get around this restriction on opening a business by employing someone with a Meisterbrief should you not have the 6 years continuous.
Ah I've just spotted that you are from NZ, the above info is for EU citizens.
German Embassy in Wellington gives a link to the German Foreign Office. Your best bet is to contact them regarding this issue.
Katrina

Cool thanks Katrina ...info is not for me...i am just doing the leg work. Was just wondering if anyone had experiences in the trade industry, how easy it is for them to work in Germany if had done all their training in the UK.

cheers

Time to revive this topic - does anyone have experience as a hairdresser here? In the past or present? How necessary was German?

Well, I have experience as a customer. I remember getting a haircut in Korea many years ago, and trying to make the hairdresser understand what I wanted. The result was quite scary. So I figure that for similar reasons, many customers in Munich might get turned off if their hairdresser can't communicate with them in German. Not that it requires fluency, but surely some conversational ability should be there, no?
(I take it you're asking on someone else's behalf, right? )

Yes, I'm asking on someone's behalf. Conversational ability is there, as well as the jargon, but not fluent enough to be chatty or such things. Good point though; it should be enough in instil confidence.

Any other comments?

My current hairdresser is Turkish. He's certainly not chatty (not sure if his German is not good enough, or if he's just the silent macho type). Doesn't seem to make him unpopular with his clients, as far as I can tell.