Bundesportal | Doctor with training from third countries, recognition of professional qualification

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Saxony-Anhalt

Last update or date of publication

December 7, 2021

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The profession of doctor is regulated in Germany. This means that in order for you to be able to work as a doctor in Germany without restriction, you need your license to practice medicine. The approbation is the state admission to the profession. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a doctor without a license to practice medicine.

Even with a professional qualification from a so-called third country, you can obtain a license to practice medicine in Germany. 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 the license to practice 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 its equivalence. The equivalence of the professional qualification is an important prerequisite for the granting of the license to practice medicine.

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

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

You can also apply for the procedure from abroad.

The competent authority will inform you which documents you have to submit. Important documents are generally:

Proof of identity (e.B. passport or identity card)
Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
Curriculum vitae
Proof of your professional qualification (e.B certificates, professional certificate)
Proof of content and duration of your training (e.B Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records)
Proof of your professional experience in your profession (e.B. job references)
Information as to whether you have already submitted an application for a licence to practise medicine in Germany
You must prove that 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 have to prove that you want to work in the profession in Germany. Proofs can be: applications for a job, proof of your application for an entry visa for gainful employment or personal declaration

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

Proof of your personal suitability: Extract from criminal record or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin. The proof may not be more than 3 months old when the application is submitted.
Proof of your fitness for health: Medical certificate. The proof may not be more than 3 months old when the application is submitted.
Proof of your German language skills: Language certificate.
Prerequisite for the approbation are general German language skills at level B2. You can also submit the required proof of language proficiency during the approbation procedure. In addition, you must take a medical language test at level C1 during the approbation procedure.

The competent authority will inform you which documents you must submit as a simple copy, as a certified copy or in the original.

If your documents are not available in German, you must submit German translations of your documents. Translations must be carried out by translators who have been publicly appointed or authorised.

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Preconditions

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 for working as a doctor and have no criminal record.
Health suitability: You can work mentally and physically as a doctor.
You have german language skills at the required language level. These are 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.

Hints

Professional license

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

Proof of your professional qualification
Health suitability
Personal suitability
Knowledge of German: You must prove language skills at level B2 and take a specialist language test at level C1

You can apply for a professional licence at the competent authority.

Equivalence notice

In the approbation procedure, the equivalence of your training is checked (recognition procedure). You can request a separate decision for the result of the examination.

Procedure for ethnic German repatriates

As a ethnic German repatriate, you can either go through the recognition procedure according to the laws mentioned here or according to the Federal Displaced Persons Act. You can decide for yourself. The responsible body will advise you on which procedure is right for you.

The competent authority will inform you about the costs. The costs generally depend on the effort required for processing.

In addition, additional costs may arise (e.B. for translations or certifications). These costs vary from person to person.

Basis for legal action

§ 2 ff. Bundesärzteordnung

§ 37 et seq. Licensing Regulations for Physicians

Legal Remedies

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (e.B. lodge an objection). The decision is then reviewed. Details can be found in the notice of appeal at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first talk to the competent authority before taking legal action against the decision.

Procedure

Application

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

The competent authority then checks whether your training corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements are met. The approbation can only be granted if your training from a third country is equivalent to the German training.

Equivalence test

The competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification. The competent body 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 test

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

Are there 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 must prove your professional experience. Knowledge and skills must be certified by an authority of the state in which you acquired the knowledge or skills.

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

The decision of the competent authority also states the level of your training and the level that is necessary in Germany. You are then not 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 receive the license to practice medicine.

Deadlines

None.

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

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