Doctor; application for a permit to temporarily exercise the medical profession

Anyone wishing to practise medicine in the Federal Republic of Germany requires a state license to do so. If you wish to practise the medical profession permanently, you generally require a license to practice medicine. If you have completed your training outside of an EU member state, an EEA member state or Switzerland, you are also permitted to practise the medical profession temporarily or limited to certain activities on the basis of a revocable permit (so-called professional license). This permit may only be issued for a maximum total duration of two years. The government of Upper Bavaria is responsible for issuing the permit if you wish to work in Bavaria.

In certain cases, nationals of an EU/EEA state or Switzerland may practice the medical profession in the Federal Republic of Germany without a license to practice medicine or without a permit to temporarily practice the medical profession, provided that they are only temporarily and occasionally active as providers of services within the meaning of Article 57 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. However, you are subject to a registration obligation. The competent government (see above) will inform you whether you require a permit.

• Birth certificate/parentage certificate or extract from the parents' family register

  (certified copy)

• if the name used differs from that on the birth certificate: proof of a change of name (e.g. marriage certificate)

  (certified copy)

• valid proof of identity (e.g. passport)

  (certified copy)

• complete and personally signed curriculum vitae

  (tabular and chronological list of the training courses completed and the relevant gainful activities pursued, stating the periods (month/year) and enclosing the relevant supporting documents)

• Proof of impunity
  • Submission of criminal record extracts from all countries outside Germany in which the applicant has resided for more than six months in the last five years.
  • The criminal record extracts must not be older than three months at the time of submission.
  • Certified copies of these extracts must be submitted.
• Proof of your completed education (certified copy)
  • Proof of education such as diploma
  • If applicable, further country-specific certificates
  • Proof of entitlement to practise the medical profession in the country of training and/or country of origin
• if applicable, certificate of good standing (certified copy)

  (Required from all countries where the health professional activity has already been exercised in the last five years. This certificate must not be older than three months at the time of its presentation).

• Proof of the language skills required for practicing the profession

  (Proof can be provided in different ways. You can find more information on this under "Special instructions").

• On separate request:
  • Certificate of good conduct of document type "O", if the applicant has already stayed in Germany for more than six months in the past or has had or still has a residence in Germany.
    • In Germany, this must be applied for at the registration office of the place of residence, stating the purpose "Permission to practice medicine". The certificate of good conduct is sent directly to the competent authority by the Federal Office of Justice.
    • It must not be older than one month at the time of submission.
  • Medical certificate (original)
    This must be issued and signed by a general practitioner or internist practicing in Germany or another state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or in Switzerland and bear a practice or clinic stamp. If the practice or clinic stamp is not available in German, a German translation of the stamp is required.

An essential prerequisite is that you can provide evidence that you have completed a full course of medical training in accordance with the law of the country in which you completed your training.

Further requirements are that

• you have not been guilty of any conduct that would make you unworthy or unreliable to practise the medical profession (reliability),
• you are not unfit in terms of health to practise the medical profession (medical fitness) and
• you have the knowledge of the German language required for practicing the profession (knowledge of specialist languages).

You must submit the application for the permit together with the required documents to the responsible government.

We recommend that you seek advice beforehand.

• The Koordinierungs- und Beratungsstelle Berufsanerkennung (KuBB) supports and advises employers and individuals seeking recognition on the recognition of foreign qualifications. Further information can be found under "Further links".
• The Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) serves as a central point of contact for applicants throughout the entire recognition procedure. Further information can be found under "Further links".
• For assistance with the application procedure/entry, you can also contact the International Placement Services (ZAV) . Further information can be found under "Further links".

The costs depend on the period of validity of the permit. EUR 100 is charged for each year or part thereof.

The granting of a license to practice medicine or a professional permit requires, among other things, that you have the necessary knowledge of the German language to practice your profession. The 87th Conference of Health Ministers in 2014 agreed in a key points paper on the requirements for knowledge of the German language and how this knowledge can be demonstrated. The following applies:

1. the required German language skills are deemed to be proven for applicants for whom the licensing authority determines without doubt that German is spoken and written fluently (e.g. as a native language) or that the completion of medical, dental, pharmaceutical or psychotherapeutic training (proof of training) was obtained in German.

2. proof of the required German language skills is generally deemed to have been provided if the applicant has completed at least ten years of general schooling at a German-speaking school or has completed at least three years of vocational training in German.

3. if proof is not deemed to have been provided in accordance with 1. or 2. above, the language skills required for practicing the profession shall be deemed to have been demonstrated by submission of a certificate of successful completion of the specialist language test at the Bavarian Medical Association.

4 Specialist language tests taken at the Medical Association or the competent authority of another country, as well as specialist language tests from other examination institutions, are recognized as proof, provided that it is guaranteed that the examination there is equivalent to the specialist language test at the Bavarian Medical Association. Whether this requirement is met in individual cases must be clarified in advance with the relevant professional licensing office.

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A license or permit is not required for merely temporary and occasional medical activities (services). For the provision of services, it is sufficient to register with the competent authority and submit certain documents (see "Related topics").