Zulassung als Ärztin oder Arzt in Deutschland mit Berufsausbildung im Ausland beantragen

Would you like to work as a doctor in Germany? Then you need a state license, the Approbation. You can also obtain a license to practice medicine with a foreign professional qualification. To do so, you must have your professional qualification recognized.

The profession of doctor is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to work as a doctor in Germany without any restrictions, you need a license to practice. The license to practice medicine is the state approval for the profession. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a doctor without a license to practice medicine.

You can also obtain a license to practice in Germany with a professional qualification from a so-called third country. Third countries are all states that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

In order to obtain a license to practice medicine, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized.

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 a license to practice.

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

If your professional qualification comes from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, other regulations apply.

You can also apply for the procedure from abroad.

The responsible office will inform you which documents you need to submit. Important documents are generally

• Proof of identity (e.g. passport or identity card)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of your professional qualifications (e.g. certificates, professional certificate)
• Proof of the content and duration of your education (e.g. diploma supplement, transcript of records)
• Proof of your professional experience in your profession (e.g. job references)
• Information as to whether you have already submitted an application for a license to practice in Germany
• You must provide proof: You are allowed to work in the profession in your country of training.
• You do not yet live or work in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland? Then you must provide proof: You want to work in the profession in Germany. Proof can be: Job applications, proof of your application for an entry visa for gainful employment or personal declaration
  

You usually submit these documents later. The responsible office will inform you when you should submit the documents:

• Proof of your personal suitability: criminal record extract or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin. The certificate 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 required for the license to practice medicine. You can also submit the required language certificate during the licensing procedure. You must also take a medical language test at level C1 during the licensing procedure.

The responsible office will tell you which documents you need 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 made by translators who are publicly appointed or authorized.

• You have a professional qualification as a doctor from a third country.
• You want to work as a doctor in Germany.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable to work as a doctor and have no criminal record.
• Health suitability: You are mentally and physically fit 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 responsible office will inform you of the costs. The costs generally depend on the time and effort required for processing.

Additional costs may also be incurred (e.g. for translations or certifications). These costs vary from case to case.

Application

You submit an application for a license to practice medicine to the competent authority. You can submit the application with the documents to the competent office or send it by post. Do not send any originals. Sometimes you can also send the application electronically. The competent body will inform you.

The competent authority will then check whether your training corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements have been met. Approval can only be granted if your training from a third country is equivalent to German training.

Examination of equivalence

The competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification. The competent authority will check 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 recognized. The authority can confirm the result in writing. You must still meet the other requirements and provide proof of your language skills. You will then be granted a license to practice medicine.

Are there any significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? You may be able to compensate for the differences through your professional experience, other knowledge or skills (lifelong learning). You must provide evidence of your professional experience. Knowledge and skills must be certified by an authority in the country in which you acquired the knowledge or skills.

However, it is possible that the essential differences cannot be compensated for by this knowledge. The competent authority will tell you the main differences and why you cannot compensate for the main differences with your professional experience.

If your qualification does not correspond to the training required in Germany, you will not be allowed to work as a doctor in Germany.

Knowledge test

If your professional qualification is not equivalent and you cannot compensate for the differences, you can take a knowledge test. The knowledge test is based on the final examination as a doctor in Germany. The knowledge test is an oral-practical examination.

If you pass the knowledge test and meet all other requirements, you will be licensed to practice medicine.

The responsible office will confirm that your application and documents have been received after a maximum of one month. The competent office will inform you if any documents are missing. If the documents are complete, the procedure will take a maximum of 4 months.

Processing time: 4 months

None.

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

Professional license

With a so-called professional license, you can work for a limited period of time without a license to practice medicine. With a professional license, you may work under the supervision of a person with a license to practice medicine. You may then only be allowed to carry out activities in a specific field of work. You must meet the following requirements for the professional license:

• Proof of your professional qualification
• Health suitability
• Personal aptitude
• German language skills: You must provide proof of language skills at level B2 and pass a specialist language test at level C1

You can apply for a professional license from the competent authority.

Notification of equivalence

During the licensing procedure, the equivalence of your training will be assessed (recognition procedure). You can apply for a separate notification of the result of the examination.

Procedure for ethnic German repatriates

As a late repatriate, you can go through the recognition procedure either in accordance with the laws mentioned here or in accordance with the Federal Expellee Act. You can decide for yourself. The responsible office will advise you on which procedure is right for you.

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (e.g. lodge an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first speak to the responsible office before taking legal action against the decision.

• Doctors with training from third countries, recognition of professional qualifications
• To work as a doctor in Germany, you need a state license (Approbation).
• With a license to practice medicine, you are allowed to work as a doctor.
• You can also obtain a license to practice in Germany with a professional qualification from a so-called third country. Third countries are all countries that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.