Approbation als Tierärztin oder Tierarzt bei Berufsqualifikation aus Drittstaaten Erteilung

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

The profession of veterinarian is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to work as a veterinarian in Germany without any restrictions, you need a license to practice. The license to practice is the state approval for the profession. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a veterinarian without a license to practice. You can also obtain a license to practice 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 a license to practice medicine, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized. In the recognition procedure, the competent authority compares your professional qualification with the German professional qualification and checks the equivalence. The equivalence of the professional qualification is an important prerequisite for obtaining a license to practice.

In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must also meet other requirements for the license to be issued. Further requirements include, for example, sufficient German language skills and health suitability.

If your professional qualification comes from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, other regulations apply.
In principle, you can also apply for the procedure from abroad.

• You have a professional qualification as a veterinarian from a third country.
• You want to work as a veterinarian in Germany.
• You can provide proof of competence in the federal state of Bremen.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable to work as a veterinarian and have no criminal record.
• Health suitability: You are mentally and physically fit 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.

Application
You submit an application for a license to practice as a veterinarian to the competent authority. The application must be submitted electronically. The original documents must be presented at a personal appointment.
The competent authority will then check whether your training corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements have been met. The license to practice medicine can only be granted if your training from a third country is equivalent to German training.

Examination of equivalence
The competent authority compares your professional qualification with the German professional qualification. The competent authority 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 in writing. You must still meet the other requirements and provide proof of your language skills. You will then be granted a license to practice as a veterinarian.

Are there any significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? You may be able to compensate for the differences with your professional experience, other veterinary knowledge or skills. You must provide evidence of your professional experience. Knowledge and skills must be certified by an authority in the country in which you acquired the knowledge or skills.

However, it is possible that the essential differences cannot be compensated for by this knowledge. The competent authority will tell you the main differences and why you cannot compensate for the main differences with your professional experience. The decision from the competent authority will also state the level of your training 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 test to compensate for the main differences. The knowledge test is based on the final examination as a veterinarian in Germany.
If you pass the knowledge test and meet all other requirements, you will be licensed as a veterinarian.

Temporary professional license

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

• Proof of your professional qualification
• Health suitability
• Personal aptitude
• German language skills: You must provide proof of the German language skills required to practise the profession.

You can apply for a professional license from the competent authority.

Certificate of equivalence

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

Procedure for ethnic German repatriates

As a late repatriate, you can go through the recognition procedure either in accordance with the laws mentioned here or in accordance with the Federal Expellee Act. You can decide for yourself. The responsible office will advise you which procedure is right for you.

Legal remedy

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (for example, by lodging an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first speak to the responsible office before taking legal action against the decision.