Apply for a professional veterinary licence

Veterinarians examine animals, make findings, diagnose diseases, determine therapeutic measures and carry out veterinary treatments and interventions.

The profession of veterinary surgeon is regulated in Germany. This means that you need a licence to practise veterinary medicine in Germany without any restrictions. Temporary practice of the veterinary profession or practice limited to a specific activity is permitted on the basis of a permit, the so-called professional permit. 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.

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 veterinary profession (occupational permit) in addition to the application for the granting of approval as a veterinarian 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 is completed and the other requirements are met, the professional permit can be granted concurrently with the approval 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 authorisation to practise the veterinary profession for a limited period in the previous country of study must be submitted, as well as a certificate from the previous country of study stating that the veterinary activity completed with the professional permit will be recognised in Germany for the training qualification or will enable the final examination required under foreign training law to be carried out.
  • 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

  • A veterinary training completed abroad
  • Health fitness
  • Proof of reliability and worthiness for the practice of the veterinary profession
  • Sufficient knowledge of German level B 2
  • 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.
  • 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.

Fees

EUR 150.00

Average time to process request

approx. 3-4 months, if all documents are complete

Notes on responsibility

Permission to temporarily practice the veterinary profession in connection with the application for licensure is only granted by the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs.

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