Administrative services A-Z

The profession of doctor is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to be able to work as a doctor in Germany without any restrictions, you need a licence to practise medicine. The licence to practise medicine is the state licence to practise the profession. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a doctor without an Approbation.

Even with a professional qualification from a country of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can obtain the Approbation in Germany.

In order to obtain the licence to practise medicine, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognised.

In the recognition procedure, the competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification and checks the equivalence. The equivalence of the professional qualification is an important prerequisite for the granting of the licence to practise medicine.

As a rule, a professional qualification from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland is automatically recognised when you apply for a licence to practise medicine. However, there may be deviations from this rule. This depends on the state in which you completed your training and at what time. If you started your professional training after the EU/EEA accession of your country of training, your professional qualification will be automatically recognised.

If your professional qualification does not originate from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, other regulations apply.

In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must meet other requirements for the granting of the permit. Further requirements are, for example, sufficient German language skills and health suitability.

You can also submit the application for the procedure from abroad.

• You have a professional qualification as a doctor from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
• You want to work as a doctor in Germany.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable for the work as a doctor and have no criminal record.
• Health suitability: You are mentally and physically able to work as a doctor.
• You have German language skills at the required level. This is usually general language skills at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and medical language skills at level C1.

The relevant office will provide information on what documents you need to submit. Important documents are generally:

• Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of education
• Evidence of the content of your education:
  List of subjects you have studied and hours of training you have completed.
  
• Evidence of your relevant professional experience as a medical doctor
• Information as to whether you have already applied for a licence to practise medicine in Germany
• Do you not yet live or work in Germany? Then you may need to provide evidence You want to work in Germany in the profession. Proofs are e.g. applications for a job, invitations to job interviews, personal statement
  
  

You only need to submit the following documents if your professional qualification was completed before a certain date (cut-off date). The competent office will inform you:

• Certificate of Conformity
  If no certificate of conformity is available: Evidence of the content and duration of your training (e.g. list of subjects and grades, study book, diploma supplement, transcript of records).
  
• Certificate in accordance with § 14b of the Federal Medical Regulations that the applicant has actually and lawfully practised the medical profession for at least three uninterrupted years during the last five years prior to the issue of the certificate.
  
  

You usually hand in these documents later. The competent authority will inform you when to hand in the documents:

• Proof of your personal suitability: criminal record extract or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin. The proof must not be older than 3 months at the time of application.
• Proof of your health suitability: Medical certificate. The certificate must not be older than 3 months at the time of application.
• Proof of your German language skills: Language certificate.
  General German language skills at level B2 are a prerequisite for licensure. You can also submit the required language certificate during the Approbation procedure. In addition, you must take a medical language test at level C1 during the licensing procedure.
  

The competent office will inform you which documents you have to submit as a simple copy, a certified copy or the original.

If your documents are not in German, you must submit German translations of your documents. The translations must be done by translators who are publicly appointed or authorised.

The responsible office will inform you about the costs. The costs generally depend on the time and effort required for processing.

Additional costs may arise (e.g. for translations or certifications). These costs vary individually.

Application

You submit an application for a licence to practise medicine to the competent authority. You can hand in the application with the documents to the competent authority or send it by post. Do not send any originals. Sometimes you can send the application electronically. The competent body will inform you. The competent office will then check whether your training corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements have been met.

Automatic recognition

As a rule, the procedure of automatic recognition applies if you started your vocational training after the EU/EEA accession of your country of training. This means that if you also meet all other requirements, your professional qualification will be recognised without an individual equivalence test.

Certificate of conformity

Vocational training courses that you started before the EU/EEA accession of your training state (or that do not correspond to the legal designations) can also be automatically recognised. To do so, you must submit a certificate from the competent authority in your country of training stating that your professional qualification meets the minimum EU standards ("certificate of conformity"). If your professional qualification does not meet the minimum standards, you must provide evidence of your professional experience. You must have worked as a doctor in your country of origin for an uninterrupted period of 3 years in the 5 years preceding your application. This must be confirmed by the competent authority in your country of origin.

Examination of equivalence

If you cannot present a certificate of conformity or do not have enough professional experience, your training must be checked individually. The competent body will compare your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification. The competent body checks whether your professional qualification is equivalent. The professional qualification is equivalent if there are no significant differences between your foreign professional qualification and the German professional qualification.

Possible results of the examination

If your professional qualification is equivalent, your foreign professional qualification will be recognised. The authorities can confirm the result to you in writing. You still have to meet the other requirements and prove your language skills. Then you will be granted your licence to practise medicine.

Are there any significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? Perhaps you can compensate for the differences through your professional practice, other knowledge or skills (lifelong learning). You have to prove the professional practice. Knowledge and skills must be certified by an authority of the state in which you acquired the knowledge or skills.

However, it may not be possible to compensate for the substantial differences with this knowledge. The competent authority will tell you what the substantial differences are and why you cannot make up the substantial differences through your professional experience.

The decision of the competent body will also state the level of your training and the level required in Germany. You will then not be allowed to work as a doctor in Germany.

Aptitude test

If your professional qualification is not equivalent and you cannot compensate for the differences, you can take an aptitude test. The aptitude test examines the essential differences of your professional qualification. The aptitude test is an oral-practical examination.

If you pass the qualifying examination and meet all other requirements, you will be granted a licence to practise medicine.

None.

Sometimes documents are still missing from the procedure. The competent office will then inform you by when you have to submit the documents. This may prolong the procedure.

State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection and Health (LAVG)

Health Department

State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection and Health (LAVG)

State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection and

Health (LAVG)

Department "Health", Division G1

Wünsdorfer Platz 3

15806 Zossen (Wünsdorf district)

Tel. 0331- 8683821

Fax. 0331- 8683826

E- Mail: DezernatG1 @lavg.brandenburg.de

Ask for personal advice on this procedure and your qualifications at an IQ advice center . The advisors will also help you with your documents before you submit your application. The advice is free of charge.

You can also call the hotline of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The hotline will answer your questions on the subject of "Working and living in Germany".
Telephone number: +49 30 1815-1111

Office hours:
Mon. 09:00 - 15:00
Tue. 09:00 - 15:00
Wed. 09:00 - 15:00
Thurs. 09:00 - 15:00
Fri. 09:00 - 15:00

• § 2 ff. Federal Medical Code
• § 36 ff. Licensing regulations for doctors

Freedom to provide services

You only want to offer services in Germany sometimes and for a short time? Then you usually do not need state permission. You must meet these requirements:

• You must be established in another state of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
• You must provide proof of your professional qualification.
• You must notify the competent body of your activity in writing.

The competent body will inform you.

Notification of equivalence

In the approval procedure, the equivalence of your training is examined (recognition procedure). You can apply for a separate notification of the result of the examination.

Procedure for late repatriates

As a late repatriate, you can either go through the recognition procedure according to the laws mentioned here or according to the Federal Expellees Act. You can decide this yourself. The competent office will advise you which procedure suits you best.

• Deadlines in the Federal Medical Regulations
• Information on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications on the Recognition in Germany portal
• Financial aid for the recognition procedure
• Publicly appointed translators in Germany
• Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
• Proceedings under the Federal Expellees Act
• Deadlines in the Federal Medical Regulations
• Information on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications on the Recognition in Germany portal
• Financial aid for the recognition procedure
• Publicly appointed translators in Germany
• Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
• Proceedings under the Federal Expellees Act

Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training

Federal Ministry of Health