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Licence to practice medicine issued by EU/EEA/Switzerland
Service Description
The profession of doctor is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to be able to work as a doctor in Germany without restriction, you need to have a license to practice medicine. Approbation is the state authorization to practice 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.
To obtain the license to practice medicine, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized.
In the recognition procedure, the competent body 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 license to practice medicine.
As a rule, a professional qualification from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland is automatically recognized when you apply for a license to practice 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 training state, your professional qualification is automatically recognized.
If your professional qualification is not from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, other regulations apply.
In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must fulfill other requirements for the issuance 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.
Process flow
Application
You submit an application for licensure as a physician to the competent office. You can hand in the application with the documents to the competent office or send it by mail. Do not send originals. Sometimes you can send the application electronically. The competent body will inform you. The competent office will then check whether your education corresponds to the German education and whether all other requirements are met.
Automatic recognition
As a rule, the automatic recognition procedure applies if you began your vocational training after your country of training joined the EU/EEA. This means that if you also meet all other requirements, your professional qualification will be recognized without an individual equivalence test.
Certificate of conformity
Professional training that you started before the EU/EEA accession of your training state (or that does not correspond to the legal designations) can also be automatically recognized. To do so, you must submit a certificate from the competent authority of your training state stating that your professional qualification meets the minimum standards of the EU ("certificate of conformity"). If your professional qualification does not meet the minimum standards, you must provide proof of your professional experience. You must have worked as a physician in your country of origin for an uninterrupted period of 3 years in the 5 years preceding your application. This must be confirmed to you 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. In doing so, the competent body compares 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 recognized. The authority can confirm the result to you in writing. You still have to fulfill the other requirements and prove your language skills. Then you will be granted your license to practice 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 be that the essential differences cannot be compensated by this knowledge. The competent authority will tell you the essential differences and why you cannot make up the essential differences through your work experience.
The decision of the competent body will also state the level of your education and the level required in Germany. You will then not be allowed to work as a doctor in Germany.
Qualifying examination
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 main differences in 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 license to practice medicine.
Who should I contact?
Please contact the Thuringian State Administration Office.
Requirements
- 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 to 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.
Which documents are required?
The responsible 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 physician
- Information as to whether you have already applied for a license to practice medicine in Germany
- Do you not yet live or work in Germany? Then you may have to prove 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 body will inform you:
- Certificate of conformity
If there is no certificate of conformity: Evidence of the content and duration of your training (e.g. list of subjects and grades, study book, diploma supplement, transcript of records). - Certification in accordance with § 14b of the Federal Medical Code that the applicant has actually and legally practiced the medical profession for at least three uninterrupted years during the last five years prior to issuance of the certificate.
You usually hand in these documents later. The competent office 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 later during the Approbation procedure. In addition, you must take a medical language test at level C1 during the Approbation procedure.
The competent office will inform you which documents you have to submit as a simple copy, as a certified copy or as an 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.
What are the fees?
The procedure is subject to a fee. The responsible office will inform you about the costs. The costs generally depend on the effort required for processing.
The costs for the approbation are 230,00 Euro.
Additional costs may arise (e.g. for translations or certifications). These costs vary individually.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
None.
Sometimes documents are still missing in the procedure. The responsible office will then inform you by when you must submit the documents. The procedure may be prolonged as a result.
Processing duration
Processing Time: 3 MonthsThe competent office will confirm that your application and documents have arrived after a maximum of one month. The competent office will inform you if any documents are missing. In the case of automatic recognition, the procedure takes a maximum of 3 months.
What else should I know?
Freedom to provide services
You would like to offer services in Germany only sometimes and for a short time? Then you usually do not need the state permission. You must meet these requirements:
- You must be established in another state of the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
- You must prove 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 for the result of the examination.
Procedure for late repatriates
As a late repatriate, you can choose to 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.
Author
Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training
The text was automatically translated based on the German content per DeepL.
Technically approved by
Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training
Federal Ministry of Health
Professionally released on
Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)
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