International Applicants
Information for physicians, medical professionals, and pharmaceutical personnel from abroad.
General Information About the Recognition Process
• Those currently living abroad can receive counseling from the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) of the Federal Employment Agency.
• Important: Germany has 16 federal states, and each state has its own regional licensing authority (State Examination Office) responsible for the respective recognition procedures.
Note: North Rhine and Westphalia are divided—there are therefore 17 licensing authorities in total.
• A medical license (Approbation) in Germany is the state-issued and unrestricted authorization to independently practice an academic healthcare profession (human medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, psychotherapy, pharmacy).
• Upon request, the ZSBA issues a "location notation" that is accepted by most state licensing authorities, meaning you indicate your preferences for where you would like to work in Germany—and in the best case, you can even present an employment contract.
• The State Examination Office in the federal state where you wish to work is then responsible for further processing.
More information at: Central Service Center for Professional Recognition
Residence Permits
• For questions regarding visas, residence permits, and the EU Blue Card, you can find information on Make it in Germany, the German government's portal for skilled workers from abroad. A visa must be applied for at the German Embassy in your home country before entering Germany.• The "EU Blue Card" is a special residence permit for foreign academics or individuals with comparable qualifications who wish to take up qualified employment in Germany.
More information at: EU Blue Card
Recognition of Medical License (Academics)
Where was the degree completed?
EU: Belgium, Bulgaria (since 2007), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Croatia (since 2013), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania (since 2007), Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus
EFTA: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein
• In these countries, there are uniform standards for professional qualifications, so the equivalence of degrees from these countries can often be automatically recognized.
Important: the recognition process often takes months and many documents are required for full recognition! See "Application Documents"
• No visa or residence permit is required.
• Nationality is irrelevant.
• However, a professional language examination must be taken.
Important: When was the degree program started?
• Automatic recognition only applies if the country where the university is located was already part of the EU at the time of study.
• Those who began their studies at the respective university before this date will need additional documents, such as a certificate of conformity, which must be issued by the competent authority of the country of training.
• Alternatively, you can also demonstrate that you have worked continuously as a physician in an EU country for at least 3 years.
• ATTENTION: If you are a German citizen but studied in an EU country abroad, you must also have your training recognized. For a place of study within the EU, the equivalence of the degree can be automatically recognized.
Non-EU Members, Non-EU Countries, and Others
For these countries, individual assessment is required to determine whether the university degree is comparable to a German medical degree or not:
Albania, Andorra, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Canada, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican City, United Kingdom, United States of America
Application Documents: What Is Required to Work in Germany as an Academic?
Professional Knowledge: How Is the Equivalence of a Degree Assessed?
Option 1: Document Review
• First: What documents are required? See "Application Documents"
More information at: Application Documents
• Generally, it is verified whether the curriculum of the foreign university covers the same content as a German medical degree.
• Frequently, the documents are not in German and must first be translated. You bear the costs for this.
More information at: Recognition of Medical License
Option 2: Knowledge Assessment
• This option can be chosen as an alternative to document review, for example, to save the costs of a translator.
• It is also possible if you cannot provide important documents as an academic (e.g., lost during flight from a crisis area).
• The knowledge assessment may also be necessary in addition to document review if substantial differences between the study content in the country of origin and in Germany were identified during the document review.
More information at: Recognition of Medical License
• To prepare for the knowledge assessment, there is the option to initially work with a temporary professional permit limited to 2 years under the supervision of a licensed physician.
• Additionally, various institutes throughout Germany offer preparatory courses for the knowledge assessment.
Medical Professionals: Language Skills and Personal Requirements
What language skills are available?
• In addition to recognition of the medical degree, there are further requirements to be allowed to work as a physician in Germany:
• Foreign physicians must also have good German language skills for the medical license. Specifically, this means: You must pass a professional language examination at level C1 CEFR. This examination is conducted by the responsible State Medical Association.
• To register for this examination, general German language skills at level B2 CEFR are required.
• Health and personal suitability are also important: Among other things, it is verified whether the physician has a criminal record or whether he or she cannot practice the medical profession for health reasons. An application for a medical license can also be rejected on these grounds.
Overview of Language Levels
B1
Can understand the main points when clear standard language is used and when it concerns familiar matters from work, school, leisure, etc. Can handle most situations encountered while traveling in the language area.
Can express themselves simply and coherently on familiar topics and personal areas of interest.
Can report on experiences and events, describe dreams, hopes, and goals, and give brief reasons or explanations for plans and views.
B2
Can understand the main content of complex texts on concrete and abstract topics; also understands specialized discussions in their own field of expertise.
Can communicate so spontaneously and fluently that a normal conversation with native speakers is readily possible without great effort on either side.
Can express themselves clearly and in detail on a wide range of topics, explain a viewpoint on a current issue, and state the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
C1
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and also grasp implicit meanings.
Can express themselves spontaneously and fluently without having to search for words noticeably often. Can use the language effectively and flexibly in social and professional life or in education and study.
Can express themselves clearly, in a structured manner, and in detail on complex subjects, using various means of text cohesion appropriately.
C2
Can understand virtually everything they read or hear effortlessly. Can summarize information from various written and oral sources, reproducing reasons and explanations in a coherent presentation.
Can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently, and precisely, and can make finer nuances of meaning clear even in more complex situations.
This page is an independent information resource and does not replace legal advice. It provides an overview of important regulations, requirements, and options for finding employment in the healthcare sector in Germany and the prerequisites required.