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Apply for an approbation to practise as a dentist (third country)
Dentists examine patients, record findings, and diagnose dental diseases, oral diseases, jaw disorders and malocclusions. They determine treatment plans and carry out dental treatments and procedures.
The profession of dentist is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to practice as a dentist in Germany without restriction, you need a license to practice. The license to practice is the state authorization to practice the profession. This means that without a license to practice, you are not permitted to practice as a dentist independently.
You can also obtain a license to practice 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 license to practice and work as a dentist in Germany, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized. As part of the recognition process, you must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge and skills required to practice as a dentist.
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, you may opt for an expert assessment of the equivalence of your professional qualification within four weeks of submitting your application. On the basis of a fee-based expert assessment, the equivalence of your dental training completed abroad with German dental 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 demonstrating equivalent skills and knowledge, further requirements must be met for the license to practice being granted. These include, for example, sufficient knowledge of the German language, medical fitness and personal suitability to practice the dental profession.
You may also submit your application for this procedure from abroad.
Procedure
1. Submission of application
You submit an application for a license to practice as a dentist to the relevant authority. The relevant authority then checks whether your training is equivalent to the German training program and whether all other requirements are met. The license to practice can only be granted if you have successfully passed the knowledge examination or, if you have opted for a prior equivalence assessment, if the equivalence of your training has been established.
2. Knowledge examination
The knowledge examination is modelled on the final examination for dentists in Germany. It consists of a written, an oral and a practical section, which must be taken in sequence. If you pass the knowledge examination and meet all other requirements, you will be granted a license to practice as a dentist.
3. Equivalence Assessment
If you have opted for an equivalence assessment, the competent authority will compare your foreign dental training with dental training in Germany. An expert report, for which a fee is payable, will be commissioned for this purpose.
4. Possible outcomes of the examination
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 license to practice as a dentist.
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 practice dentistry in Germany.
The profession of dentist is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to practice as a dentist in Germany without restriction, you need a license to practice. The license to practice is the state authorization to practice the profession. This means that without a license to practice, you are not permitted to practice as a dentist independently.
You can also obtain a license to practice 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 license to practice and work as a dentist in Germany, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized. As part of the recognition process, you must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge and skills required to practice as a dentist.
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, you may opt for an expert assessment of the equivalence of your professional qualification within four weeks of submitting your application. On the basis of a fee-based expert assessment, the equivalence of your dental training completed abroad with German dental 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 demonstrating equivalent skills and knowledge, further requirements must be met for the license to practice being granted. These include, for example, sufficient knowledge of the German language, medical fitness and personal suitability to practice the dental profession.
You may also submit your application for this procedure from abroad.
Procedure
1. Submission of application
You submit an application for a license to practice as a dentist to the relevant authority. The relevant authority then checks whether your training is equivalent to the German training program and whether all other requirements are met. The license to practice can only be granted if you have successfully passed the knowledge examination or, if you have opted for a prior equivalence assessment, if the equivalence of your training has been established.
2. Knowledge examination
The knowledge examination is modelled on the final examination for dentists in Germany. It consists of a written, an oral and a practical section, which must be taken in sequence. If you pass the knowledge examination and meet all other requirements, you will be granted a license to practice as a dentist.
3. Equivalence Assessment
If you have opted for an equivalence assessment, the competent authority will compare your foreign dental training with dental training in Germany. An expert report, for which a fee is payable, will be commissioned for this purpose.
4. Possible outcomes of the examination
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 license to practice as a dentist.
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 practice dentistry in Germany.
Prerequisites
- Dental training completed in a third country and evidence, through a proficiency test, of the knowledge and skills required to practise the profession; alternatively, evidence that the foreign training programme does not differ significantly from the German training programme
- Health fitness
- Proof of reliability and worthiness for practising the profession of dentist
- Sufficient knowledge of German level B 2
- Technical language test
- Proof of responsibility
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) -
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. -
Specialised language test - Level C 1 (Chamber of Dentists Berlin)
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 ("Recognition in Germany")
- Financial assistance in the recognition procedure
- Publicly appointed translators in Germany
Notes on responsibility
Approbation is only granted by the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs.