Healthcare professions; application for permission to use the professional title in the case of foreign training

If you have completed training abroad and would now like to work in Germany under a protected professional title in a healthcare profession, you will need a permit.

You need permission to use the professional title if you wish to work in the Federal Republic of Germany under one of the following protected professional titles listed in alphabetical order:

• Anesthesia technical assistant
• Dietary assistant
• Occupational therapist
• midwife
• Speech therapist
• Massage therapist and medical bath attendant
• Medical-technical assistant for functional diagnostics or medical-technical assistant for functional diagnostics
• Medical technologist for functional diagnostics or medical technologist for functional diagnostics
• Medical-technical laboratory assistant
• Medical technologist for laboratory analysis or medical technologist for laboratory analysis
• Medical-technical radiology assistant or medical-technical radiology assistant
• Medical technologist for radiology or medical technologist for radiology
• Medical technologist for veterinary medicine or medical technologist for veterinary medicine
• Emergency paramedic
• Surgical technology assistant
• Orthoptist
• Pharmaceutical-technical assistant
• Physiotherapist
• Podiatrist and medical chiropodist
• Veterinary medical technical assistant or veterinary medical technical assistant

The use of the professional titles is subject to licensing, but not the professional activity itself. However, the protection of the professional title also indirectly protects the practice of the respective profession to a certain extent, as qualified healthcare professionals are usually employed to carry out their work. For some healthcare professions, the activity as such is also protected in addition to the professional title: In the field of obstetrics (midwives) and in the professions of medical-technical assistants, emergency paramedics and nurses, certain activities are reserved for license holders.

For persons with domestic training, emergency paramedics and nursing staff, information is provided under "Related topics".

The prerequisite for being granted permission to use the professional title is that you are professionally, personally and health-wise suitable and have the necessary knowledge of the German language to exercise the profession.

Professional aptitude

Professional aptitude can be assumed if you have fully completed the relevant vocational or university training abroad and the equivalence of your level of training is given. Training courses completed in other countries or professional experience gained in other countries must be taken into account when assessing the equivalence of the level of training.

Personal aptitude (reliability)

You can only be granted permission to use the professional title if you have not been guilty of any conduct that would make you unreliable to exercise the profession. This must be proven by a current official certificate of good conduct, which must only be submitted on separate request.

Health suitability

You must also be medically fit to exercise the profession. This must be proven by a current medical certificate, which must only be submitted on separate request.

Language skills

According to the professional laws of the healthcare professions, the granting of a license to use the professional title requires, among other things, that the applicant has the necessary knowledge of the German language to practice the profession (see e.g. Section 2 (1) No. 4 of the Masseur and Physiotherapist Act). To this end, the 92nd Conference of Health Ministers on June 5/6, 2019 unanimously adopted key points for checking the German language skills required to practice the profession in the healthcare professions. 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 training in the healthcare profession (training certificate) was obtained in German.
2. As a rule, proof of the required German language skills is deemed to have been provided if the applicant has completed at least ten years of general education at a German-speaking school or at least three years of vocational training in German or has successfully completed a programme run, supported or recognized by a federal or state authority for the recruitment of foreign specialists in healthcare professions, which also includes a vocational German course (at least level CEFR B2, for speech therapists level CEFR C2).
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 are deemed to have been demonstrated by submitting a certificate of successful completion of the specialist language test to the Bavarian State Office for Nursing.
4. Specialist language tests taken at 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 State Office for Nursing. Whether this requirement, which must be proven by the applicant, is met in individual cases must be clarified in advance with the responsible professional licensing office if necessary.

As part of the professional licensing procedure, one of the above-mentioned certificates must be submitted to the competent authority to prove that the applicant has the German language skills required to practice the profession.

In Bavaria, a specialist language test for all healthcare professions (excluding nursing) has been set up at the Bavarian State Office for Nursing. This is based on CEFR level B2 (C2 for speech therapists). It is a face-to-face examination that takes place at the Bavarian State Office for Nursing in Amberg.

If you require a specialist language test, you can take this at the Bavarian State Office for Nursing.

You can find more information on the specialist language examination under "Further links" under the keyword "Specialist language examination - Bavarian State Office for Nursing (LfP)".

The costs for the procedure for granting permission to use a professional title range from EUR 40 to EUR 500, depending on the individual case.

Those interested in recognition who only have limited financial resources of their own can apply for a grant for professional recognition. Information on applying for the recognition grant can be found under "Further links".

If you are required to take a specialist language examination, there are also fees for taking the examination. The examination fee is 350 EUR.

A list of potential costs can be found in the information sheet of the Bavarian State Office for Nursing (see "Related links").

Information on the documents to be submitted can be found in the application forms; further information can be obtained from the authority responsible for professional licensing.