Is a BTS a bachelor's degree?

No. A BTS is level 5 and a bachelor is level 6, one full level higher in the European framework.

How do I describe a BTS to a German recruiter?

Say level 5 of the European framework, comparable to a staatlich geprüfter Techniker. Add the field, because German technician titles are field-specific.

Does a BTS give access to a German bachelor programme?

Sometimes, and only by decision of the receiving school. There is no automatic right and no automatic credit transfer.

equivalence

What is a French BTS worth in Germany and the UK?

A BTS is a level 5 qualification. Its counterparts are the German staatlich geprüfter Techniker and the British HND, not the Meister and not a bachelor.

short answer

The brevet de technicien supérieur sits at level 5 of both the French framework and the European one, which is short-cycle higher education. In Germany the closest qualification is the Fachschule Techniker at level 5; in the UK it is the HND, also level 5. It is one full level below a bachelor, so reading it as a German Meister overstates it by one level.

the mapping we use

BTS

France

RNCP / EQF level 5confidence: documented

2 years after the baccalauréat, short-cycle higher education.

staatlich geprüfte(r) Techniker/in

Germany

DQR / EQF level 5confidence: comparable

Same level and same technician purpose; the Meister is one level above at 6.

HND

United Kingdom

RQF / EQF level 5confidence: comparable

The peer most often cited, roughly 120 ECTS of study.

CTeSP

Portugal

QNQ / EQF level 5confidence: comparable

Portugal's own short-cycle option, structurally the nearest match.

This page compares framework levels. It is not a recognition decision: only the national body of the destination country can issue one.

what a recruiter should read into it

Level 5 to level 6 is a real gap: a BTS holder is not a bachelor holder, in any of these countries.
The BUT, which replaced the DUT, is level 6 and not the same thing as a BTS — the two are confused constantly.
For technician and site roles, 2 years of BTS plus 5 years of practice usually beats a fresh level 6 on the same requirement list.

questions people actually ask

Is a BTS a bachelor's degree?: No. A BTS is level 5 and a bachelor is level 6, one full level higher in the European framework.
How do I describe a BTS to a German recruiter?: Say level 5 of the European framework, comparable to a staatlich geprüfter Techniker. Add the field, because German technician titles are field-specific.
Does a BTS give access to a German bachelor programme?: Sometimes, and only by decision of the receiving school. There is no automatic right and no automatic credit transfer.

sources

France Compétences on the national framework and the EQF, the German framework (DQR), and the Europass qualification comparison tool.

What is a French BTS worth in Germany and the UK?

the mapping we use

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what a recruiter should read into it

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other equivalences