Pharmacists can apply for a license to practice pharmacy if they have completed their pharmaceutical training outside of an EU member state, an EEA member state or Switzerland and wish to practice the pharmacy profession in Bavaria.
Information about the service depends on the selected region. You can change the region. In most cases, you can specify your place of residence or select the place where you want to use the service.
Bavaria
Anyone wishing to work as a pharmacist in Germany after studying pharmacy requires a special professional license - the Approbation.
The government of Upper Bavaria issues the license to practice if the training was completed outside a member state of the European Union (EU) or another contracting state of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and the profession is to be practiced in Bavaria.
(certified copy)
(certified copy)
(certified copy)
(tabular and chronological list of the training courses completed and the relevant gainful activities pursued, stating the periods (month/year) and enclosing the relevant supporting documents)
(certified copy)
(Required from all countries where the health professional activity has already been exercised in the last five years. This certificate must not be older than three months at the time of its presentation).
(original or certified copy)
(in original)
(Proof can be provided in different ways. You can find more information on this under "Special instructions").
The license to practice medicine is subject to various requirements relating to the successful completion of studies, personal and health suitability for practicing the profession and sufficient German language skills.
Applicants who have completed their training outside the European Union and the European Economic Area can only be granted a license to practice if they have an equivalent level of training, provided that all other requirements are met.
If the equivalence of the level of training is not given or can only be determined with unreasonable time or material effort, an equivalent level of knowledge must be demonstrated. This proof is provided by passing a knowledge test that covers the content of the state final examination.
The granting of a license to practice medicine or a professional permit requires, among other things, that you have the necessary knowledge of the German language to practice your profession. The 87th Conference of Health Ministers in 2014 agreed in a key points paper on the requirements for knowledge of the German language and how this knowledge can be demonstrated. The following applies:
1. the required German language skills are deemed to be proven for applicants for whom the licensing authority determines without doubt that German is spoken and written fluently (e.g. as a native language) or that the completion of medical, dental, pharmaceutical or psychotherapeutic training (proof of training) was obtained in German.
2. proof of the required German language skills is generally deemed to have been provided if the applicant has completed at least ten years of general schooling at a German-speaking school or has completed at least three years of vocational training in German.
3. if proof is not deemed to have been provided in accordance with 1. or 2. above, the language skills required for practicing the profession shall be deemed to have been demonstrated by submission of a certificate of successful completion of the specialist language test at the Bavarian State Chamber of Pharmacists.
4 Specialist language tests taken at the Chamber of Pharmacists or the competent authority of another country, as well as specialist language tests from other examination institutions, shall be recognized as proof, provided that it is guaranteed that the examination there is equivalent to the specialist language test at the Bavarian State Chamber of Pharmacists. Whether this requirement is met in individual cases must be clarified in advance with the relevant professional licensing office.
Further information on the application procedure can be found in the FAQ - Answers to frequently asked questions - Government of Upper Bavaria
Tutorial "Certified copy" [file format: mp4]
If you have not acquired your pharmaceutical training in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland and the equivalence of your training or level of knowledge needs to be checked, you will have to pay EUR 400 for your license to practice. In addition, there may be expenses for an expert opinion to determine the equivalence of the level of training or for a knowledge test.
Administrative court action
The application for approval is not subject to a time limit.
