Approbation als Tierärztin oder Tierarzt bei Berufsqualifikation aus Drittstaaten Erteilung

You would like to work permanently as a veterinarian in Germany? Then you need a state license, the Approbation. You can also obtain the Approbation with a foreign professional qualification. You must have your professional qualification recognized.

The profession of veterinarian is regulated in Germany. This means: In order to be able to work as a veterinarian in Germany without restriction, you need the Approbation. The Approbation is the state authorization for the profession. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a veterinarian without an Approbation. You can also obtain the Approbation in Germany with a professional qualification from a so-called third country. 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 license to practice medicine, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized. In the recognition procedure, the competent body compares your professional qualification 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.

In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must fulfill other requirements for the issuance of the license. Further requirements are, for example, sufficient German language skills and health suitability.

If your professional qualification originates from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, other regulations apply.
You can also submit the application for the procedure from abroad.

• Proof of identity (for example, passport or ID card)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of your professional qualification (e.g. certificates, professional diploma)
• Proof of the content and duration of your education (e.g. Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records)
• Evidence of your relevant professional experience as a veterinarian (e.g. references)
• Declaration that you have not yet applied for a license to practice veterinary medicine in Germany
• You must provide evidence that You are allowed to work in the profession in your country of training.
• You come from a third country and do not yet live or work in the EU, EEA or Switzerland? Then you must prove: You want to work in Germany in the profession. Proofs are, for example, applications for a job, invitations to job interviews or a location note from the Central Service Office for Professional Recognition (ZSBA).

You usually hand in these documents later:

• Proof of your personal suitability: criminal record extract or official certificate of good conduct. 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.
  

You must submit the documents in the form of copies. In certain cases, the competent body may require certified copies of the documents.
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.

• You have a professional qualification as a veterinarian from a third country.
• You want to work as a veterinarian in Germany.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable to work as a veterinarian and have no criminal record.
• Health suitability: You are mentally and physically able to work as a veterinarian.
• You have German language skills at the required level. This is usually language skills at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and medical language skills at level C1.

The costs generally depend on the effort required for processing.

Additional costs may arise (for example, for translations or certifications). These costs vary individually.

Application
You submit an application for licensure as a veterinarian to the competent body.
The competent body then checks whether your training corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements are met. Approbation can only be granted if your training from a third country is equivalent to the German training.

Examination of equivalence
The competent body compares your professional qualification 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 as a veterinarian.

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 veterinary knowledge or skills. 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 not be possible to compensate for the substantial differences with 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.

Knowledge test
If your professional qualification is not equivalent, you can take a compensatory measure. You can take a knowledge examination to compensate for the essential differences. The knowledge examination is based on the final examination as a veterinarian in Germany.
If you pass the knowledge examination and fulfill all other requirements, you will receive your license to practice as a veterinarian.

Temporary professional permit

You can apply for a temporary professional permit if there is a special interest. With the temporary professional permit, you are usually allowed to work without a license for up to 4 years. The professional permit only entitles you to limited activities. You must meet the following requirements for the temporary professional permit:

• Proof of your professional qualification
• Health suitability
• Personal suitability
• German language skills: You must demonstrate the German language skills required to practice the profession.

You can apply for the professional license at the responsible office.

Letter of equivalence

During the licensing procedure, you can also have the equivalence of your training examined. If you have a legitimate interest, you can apply for a separate decision on 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.

You can take legal action (for example, file an appeal) against the decision of the responsible office within a certain period of time. The decision will then be reviewed. Details on this can be found in the appeal instructions at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first talk to the responsible office before taking legal action against the decision.

• Approbation as a veterinarian with professional qualification from third countries Issuance
• To work as a veterinarian in Germany, you need a state license (Approbation).
• With an Approbation, one may work permanently as a veterinarian.
• Even with a professional qualification from a so-called third country, one can receive the license to practice in Germany. Third countries are all countries that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.