Licence to practise medicine for ethnic German repatriates

If you have obtained your professional qualification abroad and would like to work as a doctor in Germany, you can apply for a state licence, the so-called approbation, under certain conditions.

In order to obtain a state licence as a doctor, the so-called approbation, you must have your professional qualification acquired abroad recognised in Germany. In the recognition procedure, the competent authority compares your professional qualification acquired abroad with the German professional qualification and checks its equivalence.

In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must meet other requirements for the issuance of the permit. For example, sufficient German language skills and health suitability are important.

Even with a professional qualification from a so-called third country, you can obtain a licence to practise medicine in Germany. Third countries are all countries that do not belong to the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA), as well as Switzerland.

Hessian State Office for Health and Care (HLfGP)

The competent authority will inform you which documents you need to submit and which documents you need to submit as simple copies, certified copies or originals.

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. Important documents are in general:

EU, EEA, Switzerland

• Proof of identity (ID card or passport)
• Birth certificate as well as marriage certificate if your name has changed due to marriage
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of training
• Proof of the content of your training:
• List of subjects and training hours you have completed
• Proof of your relevant professional experience as a doctor
• Information on whether you have already applied for a licence to practise medicine in Germany
• You don't live or work in Germany yet? Then you may need to prove that you want to work in the profession in Germany. Evidence includes, for example, job applications, invitations to job interviews, personal statement
• 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.

You only need to submit the following documents if your professional qualification was completed before a certain date (deadline) - the competent authority will inform you:

• Certificate
• If you do not have a certificate of conformity: proof of the content and duration of your training (e.g. list of subjects and grades, study book, Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records)
• Certificate in accordance with § 14b of the Federal Medical Code that the applicant has actually and lawfully practised the medical profession for at least three years without interruption during the last five years prior to the issue of the certificate

Third countries

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)
• Birth certificate as well as marriage certificate if your name has changed due to 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.

EU, EEA, Switzerland and third countries

• You have a professional qualification as a doctor from the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or 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.

• Contradiction
• Appeal before the Administrative Court

The procedure depends on the country of study in which you completed your medical training.

EU, EEA, Switzerland

A professional qualification from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland is usually automatically recognised when you apply for a licence to practise medicine. However, there may also be deviations from this rule. It depends on the state in which they completed their education and at what time. If you started your vocational training after the EU/EEA accession of your country of training, your professional qualification will be automatically recognised.

Application
You submit an application for a licence to practise medicine with the competent authority. 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.

Automatic recognition
As a rule, the automatic recognition procedure applies if you started your vocational training after the EU/EEA accession of your country of training. This means that if you also meet all other requirements, your professional qualification will be recognised without an individual equivalence test.

Certificate
Vocational training that you started before the EU/EEA accession of your country of training (or that does not correspond to the legal designations) can also be automatically recognised. To do this, you must submit a certificate from the competent authority of your country of training that your professional qualification meets the minimum standards of the EU ("certificate of conformity"). If your professional qualification does not meet the minimum standards, you will need to provide proof of your professional experience. You must have worked as a doctor in your country of origin for 3 years without interruption in the last 5 years prior to the application. This must be confirmed by the competent authority of your country of origin.

Equivalence test
If you are unable to provide a certificate of conformity or do not have enough professional experience, your training will need to be reviewed individually. The competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification. The competent authority will check 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 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.

Suitability test
If your professional qualification is not equivalent and you cannot make up for the differences, you can take an aptitude test. The aptitude test examines the main differences between your professional qualifications. The aptitude test is an oral-practical exam.
If you pass the aptitude test and meet all other requirements, you will be granted a licence to practise medicine.

Third countries

If your professional qualification comes from a third country, different rules apply to the procedure.

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.

Suitability test
If you have completed your medical training in a third country, but can prove recognition from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, your professional qualification is not equivalent and you cannot compensate for the differences, you can take an aptitude test. The aptitude test examines the main differences between your professional qualifications. The aptitude test is an oral-practical exam.
If you pass the aptitude test and meet all other requirements, you will be granted a licence to practise medicine.
 

There is no deadline.