Apply for a license to practice as a pharmacist

If you have completed your pharmaceutical training in Hesse or have passed the third section of the pharmaceutical examination in Hesse and would now like to practice your profession as a pharmacist in Germany, you will need a license to practice. The license is issued upon application

After successfully completing your pharmacy studies, you can apply for a license to practice as a pharmacist. Once you have been granted a license to practice as a pharmacist, you are entitled to practice the pharmacy profession in Germany independently and on your own responsibility.

Graduates of pharmacy studies at Hessian universities apply to the Hessian State Office for Health and Care (HLfGP) for a license to practice pharmacy. Once the requirements have been met, the HLfGP issues the license to practice in the form of a certificate.

The licensing regulations for pharmacists list in detail which certificates and information must be enclosed with the application.

Hessian State Office for Health and Care (HLfGP)

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

• Application for license to practice medicine
• Brief curriculum vitae
• Proof of identity
• Official certificate of good conduct, which must not have been issued more than one month prior to submission
• Declaration as to whether the applicant is the subject of pending criminal proceedings or a public prosecutor's investigation
• Medical certificate, which must not be older than one month, stating that the applicant is not medically unfit to exercise the profession

• The license to practice as a pharmacist is granted upon application if the applicant
  • has not been guilty of any conduct which shows that he/she is unworthy or unreliable to practise the profession of pharmacist
  • is not unfit in health terms to practise the profession
  • has passed the pharmaceutical examination within the scope of this Act after a total training period of five years, of which twelve months must be spent on practical training
  • has the knowledge of the German language required for practicing the profession

Objection & legal action (Administrative Procedure Act)

• The application for licensure must be submitted online:
• A confirmation of receipt will be sent by e-mail immediately after submitting the online application.
• If you need to submit additional documents, these should be submitted to the HLfGP within one month of submitting your application
• The certificate can only be sent to you personally by post.
• If you are absent for a longer period of time, it is therefore recommended that you nominate an authorized recipient.

Due to the time limit for individual documents to be submitted, it is advisable to submit the application at the earliest 2 weeks before the last examination date.

Once all the necessary documents have been submitted, the license can be issued within a few days (usually 1 to max. 2 weeks).

Expenses (postage etc.): EUR 6.25

Administrative fine 180,00 EUR