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Germany · Approbation

Approbation in Germany: your path as a doctor

This page is for doctors who wish to practise medicine in Germany. What matters is the country in which you obtained your medical qualification, not your nationality. There are two paths: a qualification from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, and a qualification from a third country.

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Path A: qualification from the EU, the EEA or SwitzerlandPath B: qualification from a third countryDeutsche Fassung

What changes on 1 November 2026

On 1 November 2026, the German law accelerating the recognition of foreign qualifications in the health professions comes into force. For medical qualifications from third countries:

  • The knowledge test (Kenntnisprüfung) becomes the standard route.
  • The document-based equivalence assessment remains available if you choose it, within four weeks of submitting your application. This choice is binding for the whole procedure.
  • If the equivalence assessment finds substantial differences, you must take the knowledge test.
  • Applications submitted by 31 October 2026 remain subject to the previous rules.

Source: sections 9d and 15 of the German Federal Medical Code (BÄO) as amended by the Act of 22 July 2026, Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 225.

Path A: qualification from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland

  1. You choose the federal state (Land) where you wish to practise and identify the competent Approbation authority.

  2. You apply for the Approbation, which authorises unrestricted medical practice throughout Germany.

  3. Qualifications covered by automatic recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC follow that system. Automatic recognition does not replace the Approbation application or the other requirements, in particular language, good standing and fitness to practise.

  4. You demonstrate the required German language skills. The German Medical Association generally refers to B2 for general German and C1 for medical German. Each Land decides how this is demonstrated.

  5. Once all requirements are met, the authority may grant the Approbation.

  6. Obligations towards the competent state medical chamber (Landesärztekammer) then apply.

  7. Recognition of a specialist qualification is a separate procedure with the Landesärztekammer.

Path B: qualification from a third country

  1. You choose the Land and identify the competent Approbation authority.

  2. You apply for the Approbation with the documents the authority requests.

  3. From 1 November 2026: you demonstrate your knowledge and skills through the knowledge test (Kenntnisprüfung), an oral and practical examination with a patient case. Alternatively, within four weeks of applying, you may choose the document-based equivalence assessment. The authority must inform you of this choice and its consequences.

  4. You meet the Land's language requirements.

  5. In certain cases, a temporary and restricted licence to practise (Berufserlaubnis) may be granted. It is not an Approbation.

  6. Once all requirements are met, the Approbation may be granted.

  7. Recognition of a specialist qualification is a separate procedure with the Landesärztekammer.

Documents

The documents required depend on the country in which you obtained your medical qualification, on the competent German authority and on your individual professional situation. MEDS LINK identifies the applicable official requirements before your application is prepared.

Duration and costs

Fees and related costs vary by Land and by your situation. MEDS LINK tells you the official fees of the competent authority before you apply.

The overall duration depends, among other things, on the Land, the completeness of your documents, the language requirements and any knowledge test. MEDS LINK never guarantees a date for the grant of the Approbation.

What MEDS LINK does

File preparation (optional):

  • Checking where your qualification was obtained and which path applies to you
  • Identifying the Land and the competent Approbation authority
  • Checking the official list of required documents and the language requirements
  • A checklist and a completeness and consistency check before submission
  • Identifying documents that need translation or certification

Positions: where it fits your plans, MEDS LINK introduces you to hospitals and clinics in Germany. You are hired directly by the facility.

Only the competent German authority decides whether a knowledge test is required and whether the Approbation is granted.

Official sources

Contact

For questions about your plans in Germany:

[email protected]