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Apply for an approbation to practise as a pharmacist (third country)
Pharmacists dispense medicines in pharmacies. They sell medical devices and personal care products. Pharmacists advise customers and healthcare professionals. They manufacture, develop and test medicines.
The profession of pharmacist is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to work as a pharmacist in Germany without restriction, you need a licence to practise. A licence to practise is the state authorisation to practise the profession. This means that without a licence to practise, you are not permitted to work independently as a pharmacist.
You can also obtain a licence to practise in Germany if you hold a professional qualification from a so-called third country. Third countries are all countries that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
To obtain a licence to practise and work as a pharmacist in Germany, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognised. As part of the recognition process, you must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge and skills required to practise as a pharmacist.
For applications submitted after 31 October 2026, proof of the required knowledge and skills must be provided by sitting a knowledge test directly, which relates to the content of the state final examination in Germany.
Alternatively, within four weeks of submitting your application, you may opt for an expert assessment of the equivalence of your professional qualification. On the basis of a fee-based expert assessment, the equivalence of your pharmaceutical training completed abroad with German pharmaceutical training will then be assessed. If the equivalence of your training cannot be established, proof of the necessary knowledge and skills must also be provided by successfully sitting a knowledge test.
In addition to proving equivalent skills and knowledge, further requirements must be met for the granting of a licence to practise. Further requirements include, for example, sufficient German language skills, fitness to practise and personal suitability for the pharmaceutical profession.
You may also submit your application for this procedure from abroad.
Procedure
1. Submission of application
You submit an application for a licence to practise as a pharmacist to the relevant authority. The relevant authority will then check whether your training is equivalent to the German training programme and whether all other requirements are met. A licence to practise can only be granted if you have successfully passed the knowledge test or, if you have opted for a prior equivalence assessment, if your training has been recognised as equivalent.
2. Knowledge test
The knowledge test is modelled on the final examination for pharmacists in Germany. The knowledge examination is an oral examination. If you pass the knowledge examination and fulfil all other requirements, you will be granted a licence to practise as a pharmacist.
3. Equivalence assessment
If you have opted for an equivalence assessment, the competent authority will compare your foreign pharmaceutical training with the pharmaceutical training in Germany. An expert report, for which a fee is payable, will be commissioned for this purpose.
2. Possible outcomes of the assessment
Only if it is established that your training, taking into account professional experience and lifelong learning, does not differ significantly from German training can the equivalence of your training be confirmed. Provided you also meet the other requirements and have demonstrated the necessary language skills, you will be granted a licence to practise as a pharmacist.
If the equivalence assessment finds that, even taking professional experience and lifelong learning into account, there are significant differences between your training and German training, you must demonstrate in a knowledge test that you possess the necessary knowledge and skills to practise the pharmaceutical profession in Germany.
The profession of pharmacist is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to work as a pharmacist in Germany without restriction, you need a licence to practise. A licence to practise is the state authorisation to practise the profession. This means that without a licence to practise, you are not permitted to work independently as a pharmacist.
You can also obtain a licence to practise in Germany if you hold a professional qualification from a so-called third country. Third countries are all countries that do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
To obtain a licence to practise and work as a pharmacist in Germany, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognised. As part of the recognition process, you must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge and skills required to practise as a pharmacist.
For applications submitted after 31 October 2026, proof of the required knowledge and skills must be provided by sitting a knowledge test directly, which relates to the content of the state final examination in Germany.
Alternatively, within four weeks of submitting your application, you may opt for an expert assessment of the equivalence of your professional qualification. On the basis of a fee-based expert assessment, the equivalence of your pharmaceutical training completed abroad with German pharmaceutical training will then be assessed. If the equivalence of your training cannot be established, proof of the necessary knowledge and skills must also be provided by successfully sitting a knowledge test.
In addition to proving equivalent skills and knowledge, further requirements must be met for the granting of a licence to practise. Further requirements include, for example, sufficient German language skills, fitness to practise and personal suitability for the pharmaceutical profession.
You may also submit your application for this procedure from abroad.
Procedure
1. Submission of application
You submit an application for a licence to practise as a pharmacist to the relevant authority. The relevant authority will then check whether your training is equivalent to the German training programme and whether all other requirements are met. A licence to practise can only be granted if you have successfully passed the knowledge test or, if you have opted for a prior equivalence assessment, if your training has been recognised as equivalent.
2. Knowledge test
The knowledge test is modelled on the final examination for pharmacists in Germany. The knowledge examination is an oral examination. If you pass the knowledge examination and fulfil all other requirements, you will be granted a licence to practise as a pharmacist.
3. Equivalence assessment
If you have opted for an equivalence assessment, the competent authority will compare your foreign pharmaceutical training with the pharmaceutical training in Germany. An expert report, for which a fee is payable, will be commissioned for this purpose.
2. Possible outcomes of the assessment
Only if it is established that your training, taking into account professional experience and lifelong learning, does not differ significantly from German training can the equivalence of your training be confirmed. Provided you also meet the other requirements and have demonstrated the necessary language skills, you will be granted a licence to practise as a pharmacist.
If the equivalence assessment finds that, even taking professional experience and lifelong learning into account, there are significant differences between your training and German training, you must demonstrate in a knowledge test that you possess the necessary knowledge and skills to practise the pharmaceutical profession in Germany.
Prerequisites
- A pharmaceutical qualification obtained in a third country, together with evidence of the knowledge and skills required to practise the profession, demonstrated through a knowledge test; alternatively, evidence that the foreign qualification does not differ significantly from the German qualification
- Health fitness
- Proof of reliability and worthiness for the practice of the profession of pharmacist
- Sufficient knowledge of German level B 2
- Technical language test
- Proof of competence
Documents required
- Application for the granting of the licence to practise medicine in the case of training in a third country
-
Proof of responsibility for the Land of Berlin
(e.g. a job offer, a current extract from the register of residents showing your main place of residence, a location certificate from the Central Service Point for Professional Recognition (ZSBA). If applying from abroad, at least three applications for vacant posts in the State of Berlin or invitations to interviews) - A tabular CV bearing your own handwritten signature and the 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, please also provide this certificate) -
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) -
Proof 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. -
Technical Language Test - Level C 1 (Berlin Chamber of Pharmacists)
It is not necessary to submit the language certificates at the time of application. - Doctoral certificate (if available)
-
Format of the documents
Copies of the documents may be submitted. If there are any doubts as to the authenticity of the documents, the originals may be requested and an authenticity check, subject to a fee, may be commissioned.
Forms
Fees
EUR 430.00
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 ("Anerkennung in Deutschland")
- Financial support for the recognition process
- Publicly appointed translators in Germany
Notes on responsibility
Approbation is only granted by the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs.