Approbation Ärztin oder Arzt aus Drittstaaten Erteilung

Would you like to work as a doctor in Germany? Then you need a state license, the approbation. You can also obtain a licence to practise medicine with a foreign professional qualification. To do this, you must have your professional qualification recognised.

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 a licence to practise medicine. The approbation is the state approval for the profession. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a doctor without a licence to practise 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 countries that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

In order to obtain the licence to practise 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 approbation.

In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must also meet other requirements for the granting of the license to practice medicine. Other requirements are, for example, 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 about which documents you need to submit. Important documents are in general:

• Proof of identity (e.g. passport or ID card)
• Certificate of citizenship and marriage certificate if your name has changed as a result of marriage
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of your professional qualification (e.g. certificates, professional certificate)
• Proof of the content and duration of your training (e.g. Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records)
• Proof of your professional experience in your profession (e.g. job references)
• Information on whether you have already applied 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.
• Do you not yet live or work in the EU, EEA or Switzerland? Then you have to prove that you want to work in the profession in Hesse. Evidence can be: applications for a job as well as job acceptance,
• Proof of your application for an entry visa for employment or personal declaration
• Proof of your personal suitability: extract from the criminal record or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin. The proof must be no more than 3 months old at the time of application.
• Proof of your health suitability: Medical certificate. The proof must be no more than 3 months old at the time of application.
• Proof of your German language skills: Language certificate.
  The prerequisite for the licence to practise medicine is 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 process.

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

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

• You have a professional qualification as a doctor from a third country.
• You want to work as a doctor in Hesse.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable to work 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 level. As a rule, these are 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 competent authority will inform you about the costs. The costs generally depend on the amount of work involved.

In addition, there may be additional costs (e.g. for translations or certifications). These costs vary from person to person.

Application

You submit an application for a licence to practise medicine with the competent authority. If you have not yet established a further contact with offices in Hesse, please first contact the Central Service Centre for Professional Recognition at the Federal Employment Agency (ZSBA). You can submit the application with the documents to the competent authority or send it by post.

The competent authority will then check whether your training corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements are met. The licence to practise medicine can only be granted if your education from a third country is equivalent to your German education.

Equivalence test

The competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification. The competent authority will check whether you have obtained the right to practice your profession independently in the country of study with your degree. 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 exam

If your professional qualification is equivalent and you meet the other requirements, you will be granted a licence to practise 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 must provide proof of 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 not be possible to compensate for the essential differences by this knowledge. The competent authority will tell you the main differences and why you cannot compensate for the significant differences through your professional practice.

The decision from the competent authority also states the level of your training and the level required in Germany. You will then 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 exam.

If you pass the knowledge test and meet all other requirements, you will be granted a licence to practise medicine.

None.

Sometimes documents are still missing from the procedure. The competent authority will then inform you by when you have to submit the documents. As a result, the procedure may be prolonged.

Professional License

With the so-called professional permit, you can work for a limited period of time under the constant supervision of a licensed doctor without a license to practice medicine. In order to obtain a professional licence, you must also submit the documents required for the application for a licence to practise medicine.

You can apply for the professional permit at the competent authority.

Certificate of equivalence

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

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

• Doctor with training from third countries, professional qualification recognised
• 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.
• 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 countries that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

Please contact the Hessian State Office for Health and Care (HLfGP).

Since 01.01.2023, the Hessian State Office for Health and Care (HLfGP) has been responsible.