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Applying for a licence to practise as a doctor
Doctors examine patients, make findings, diagnose illnesses, determine therapeutic measures and carry out medical treatments and interventions.
The profession of doctor is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to be able to work as a doctor in Germany without restriction, you need a licence to practise medicine.
Temporary practice of the medical profession or practice limited to a specific activity is permitted on the basis of a permit, the so-called professional licence. Both the Approbation and the Berufserlaubnis are the state admission to the profession.
The professional permit can be applied for in the state of Berlin in connection with an application for the licence to practise medicine.
In order to obtain the professional permit, it is determined whether the professional qualification you have completed in a so-called third country is complete. Third countries are all states that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
In addition to the completion of the professional qualification, you must also fulfil other requirements for the granting of the permit. Further requirements are, for example, sufficient German language skills and health suitability.
If your professional qualification originates from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, a professional permit will only be granted in rare individual cases. In this case, the regulations on the granting of a licence to practise apply with priority.
You can also submit the application for the procedure from abroad.
Procedure
1. Application
You submit an application for the granting of permission to temporarily exercise the medical profession (professional permit) in addition to the application for the granting of the licence to practise medicine to the competent body. The competent body then checks whether your training has been completed and corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements have been met. If your training has been completed and the other requirements have been met, the professional permit can be granted concurrently with the Approbation as part of the recognition procedure.
2. Verification of the completion of the training
The competent body checks whether your professional qualification from abroad has been fully completed in the country of study or, if applicable, the country of origin and is comparable to the German professional qualification, i.e. a professional aptitude for exercising the profession is given.
3. Possible results of the examination
The profession of doctor is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to be able to work as a doctor in Germany without restriction, you need a licence to practise medicine.
Temporary practice of the medical profession or practice limited to a specific activity is permitted on the basis of a permit, the so-called professional licence. Both the Approbation and the Berufserlaubnis are the state admission to the profession.
The professional permit can be applied for in the state of Berlin in connection with an application for the licence to practise medicine.
In order to obtain the professional permit, it is determined whether the professional qualification you have completed in a so-called third country is complete. Third countries are all states that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
In addition to the completion of the professional qualification, you must also fulfil other requirements for the granting of the permit. Further requirements are, for example, sufficient German language skills and health suitability.
If your professional qualification originates from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, a professional permit will only be granted in rare individual cases. In this case, the regulations on the granting of a licence to practise apply with priority.
You can also submit the application for the procedure from abroad.
Procedure
1. Application
You submit an application for the granting of permission to temporarily exercise the medical profession (professional permit) in addition to the application for the granting of the licence to practise medicine to the competent body. The competent body then checks whether your training has been completed and corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements have been met. If your training has been completed and the other requirements have been met, the professional permit can be granted concurrently with the Approbation as part of the recognition procedure.
2. Verification of the completion of the training
The competent body checks whether your professional qualification from abroad has been fully completed in the country of study or, if applicable, the country of origin and is comparable to the German professional qualification, i.e. a professional aptitude for exercising the profession is given.
3. Possible results of the examination
- If your professional qualification is completed, your foreign professional qualification will be recognised with a view to issuing a professional licence. The authority can confirm the result to you in writing. You still have to fulfil the other requirements and prove your language skills. Then you will be granted the professional permit.
- If you have only completed your studies, but not the compulsory practical part (internship, ordination or similar), you can apply for a professional permit to complete your training. This requires the certificate of completion of the foreign higher education degree as well as a description of which further training sections are to be completed at which training institutions according to foreign training law with a professional permit in Germany. Furthermore, proof of entitlement to limited practice of the medical profession in the previous country of study must be submitted, as well as a certificate from the previous country of study stating that the medical activity completed with the professional permit will be recognised in Germany for the training qualification or will enable the completion of the final examination required under foreign training law.
- It is also possible, if only the studies have been completed but not the compulsory practical part (internship, ordination or similar), for your academic achievements to be credited to a course of study here in order to obtain the degree under German law and thus an EU qualification.
Prerequisites
- Medical training completed abroad
- Health fitness
- Proof of reliability and worthiness for the practice of medicine
- Sufficient knowledge of German level B 2
- Technical language test
- Proof of responsibility
Documents required
- Application for a professional licence in connection with the application for licensure
-
Proof of responsibility for the Land of Berlin
(e.g. confirmation of employment, proof of habitual residence in the Land of Berlin/
main residence if applicable, applications for vacancies in the Land of Berlin, invitations to interviews). - Curriculum vitae in tabular form with signature and date
- Proof of identity (valid identity card or passport)
-
Certificate of birth
(in the event of a change of name, e.g. due to marriage, also this document) -
Certificate of good conduct for presentation to an authority
To verify personal reliability, information from the Federal Central Register (certificate of good conduct) is required for submission to an authority (document type O).
The information must not be older than three months. -
Certificate of Good Conduct/Certificate of Clearance of Offences
of the police or judicial authorities of the home country, if applicable, of the study country (if presented, not older than 3 months) -
Certificate of good standing/ Certificate of good standing
of the competent authority of the country in which the profession was practised (if presented, not older than 3 months) -
Medical certificate from a doctor licensed in Germany
(not older than 3 months if presented) -
Evidence of completed education (third country)
(see checklist for persons with third-country education) -
Certificate B 2 on knowledge of the German language
(from telc, TestDaF or Goethe-Institut - not older than 3 years).
It is not necessary to submit the language certificates at the time of application. -
Specialist language test - Level C 1 (Berlin Medical Association)
It is not necessary to submit the language certificates at the time of application. - Doctoral certificate (if available)
-
Official certification of copies
If copies are submitted, they must be officially certified. In the case of copies without official certification, the simultaneous submission of the originals is required.
Forms
Fees
EUR 150.00
Legal basis
Average time to process request
approx. 3-4 months, if all documents are complete
More information
- Explanation Approbation and contact persons Training outside the European Union (third country)
- Explanation Approbation and contact persons Training in the European Union (EU)
- Information on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications ("Recognition in Germany")
- Financial assistance in the recognition procedure
- Publicly appointed translators in Germany
Hinweise zur Zuständigkeit
Permission to temporarily exercise the medical profession in connection with the application for a licence to practise medicine is only granted by the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs.