Your recognition procedure as Doctor of medicine (m/f)

in Berlin

What I know already The competent authority

The profession of Doctor of medicine (m/f) is regulated in Germany.

Recognition is necessary in order to be able to work in the profession in Landesamt für Gesundheit und
Germany.
Soziales Berlin
Turmstraße 21
Quick-Info
10559 Berlin
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Name of the procedure
 +49 30 90229 0
This procedure is called: Issuing of Approbation (in German: Erteilung der
Approbation).  E-Mail

Please note: Approbation is the unrestricted authorisation to practise a medical www.berlin.de/lageso/gesundheit/berufe-im-

profession for which an academic qualification is required. gesundheitswesen

Your contact
Requirements for recognition

 E-Mail
Equivalence of your professional qualification
Personal aptitude Telefonsprechzeiten:
Medical fitness
Knowledge of German Dienstag und Donnerstag von 13:00 Uhr bis 15:00 Uhr

Besuchszeiten:
Beratung und Abgabe von Unterlagen ist nur nach
Terminvereinbarung möglich
Knowledge of German
Terminanfragen bitte per E-Mail

You require knowledge of German at level B2 of the Common European

Reference Framework for languages.
You are also required to complete the specialist language examination at
level C1. In most federal states, the specialist language examination is
taken at the respective federal state Chamber of Physicians.
You are not required to provide a language certificate when applying. You
can provide evidence of knowledge of German at a later point in time.

Duration

One month at the latest following receipt of your application by the

competent authority: The competent authority will notify you of receipt of
the documents. They will inform you if documents are missing. The
procedure begins when the documents are complete.
After 4 months at the latest you will receive notice containing the result. In
specific cases the competent authority may extend the procedure.
Costs

You are required to pay for the procedure. The competent authority will
inform you of the exact costs.
Information about financial support

Documents for my application

Overview

Application form from the competent authority

Proof of identity (e.g. passport or personal identification)
Marriage certificate (if your name has changed through marriage)
Curriculum vitae
Evidence of your professional qualification (e.g. certificates, certificate of
entitlement)

For professional qualifications from the EU, EEA or Switzerland:

Certificate of conformity
If there is no certificate of conformity: Evidence of the content and duration
of your training (e.g. list of subjects and grades, study record, Diploma
Supplement, Transcript of Records)
For professional qualifications from third countries:
You will be required to provide evidence that you are permitted to work in
your country of training
Are you not yet living or working in the EU, the EEA or in Switzerland? In this
case, you must provide evidence that you would like to work in your
profession in Germany. Evidence may include:
Job applications and invitations to interviews
Evidence of your application for a work visa
Personal declaration of your intentions
Information about an application for recognition already submitted. In this
case state to which authority you applied.

In most cases these documents are submitted later. The competent authority will
inform you as to when you should submit the documents.

Evidence of your personal aptitude: Certificate of good conduct from

Germany and your country of origin (e.g. criminal record extract, certificate
of good standing). The documents must be no more than three months old
when the application is submitted.
Evidence of your medical fitness: doctor's certificate from Germany and
from your country of origin. The documents must be no more than three
months old when the application is submitted.
Evidence of your knowledge of German: language certificate

Translations and certifications

The competent authority will inform you as to which documents you must
produce as originals or submit as copies. Some copies must be officially certified .
We recommend that you do not send originals by post.

You must submit your documents in German. Sworn or authorised translators

must prepare the translations.
My steps to recognition

I apply to the competent authority. How does this work?

You can submit the application with the documents to the competent
authority.
You can also send the application by post to the competent authority. Do
not send originals.
You may be able to send the application via email. Ask your competent
authority before you do. Later on in the recognition procedure, you may be
required to submit original copies or certified copies of the documents.
You are sometimes able to apply online. Later on in the recognition
procedure, you may be required to submit original copies or certified copies
of the documents. Use the federal state internet portal for the online
application. You will then leave our information page: To the internet
portal of Berlin.

The competent authority is processing my application. What does

that mean?

The competent authority receives the application. After one month at the latest, it
will confirm that the application has arrived. Once the competent authority has
received all the documents from you, it processes your application.

The competent authority carries out an equivalence assessment: It compares

your professional qualification with the German professional qualification. As part
of this, the competent authority takes into account your professional experience,
other certificates and other qualifications.

The competent authority then checks other requirements for use of the
professional title. This includes, e.g. your personal aptitude, your medical fitness
and your knowledge of German.

The procedure takes a maximum of 4 months. In specific cases the competent

authority may extend the procedure. At the end, the competent authority sends
you a notice containing the result.

Following your application for recognition , the competent authority can register
you for the specialist language examination. In most cases the respective federal
state Chamber of Physicians is responsible for the specialist language
examination.

The competent authority informs me of the result in a notice. What

are the possible outcomes?
Outcome: Recognition

Your professional qualification and the German professional qualification are

equivalent. You receive the approbation. You receive a certificate for this. You also
meet all further requirements. Your professional qualification is recognised.

Professionally you have the same rights as a person with the German
professional qualification.

Outcome: No recognition because the professional qualification is not

equivalent.

There are substantial differences between your professional qualification and the
German professional qualification. You are not able to compensate for these
differences with your professional experience and other knowledge of the
profession. Your professional qualification is therefore not equivalent to the
German professional qualification. Your professional qualification is not
recognised. You do not receive approbation.

In most cases you are able to complete a compensation measure. This allows you
to compensate for the substantial differences.

Outcome: No recognition because you do not meet all the requirements.

Your professional qualification is equivalent. However, you do not meet all other
requirements for the granting of approbation (licence to practise medicine). You
may still need to provide evidence that you e.g. are personally apt or have
knowledge of German. The competent authority will inform you of which evidence
is missing.

You are able to take legal action against the decision of the competent authority.
Details on this procedure can be found in the legal redress advice (in German:
Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung) at the end of your notice. We recommend that you
speak to a counselling centre first before challenging the decision or taking legal
action.

I receive no recognition. What can I do?

Knowledge test as a compensation measure

If your professional qualification is not equivalent, you can take a knowledge test .
A knowledge test allows you to compensate for substantial differences.
Substantial differences are listed in your notice.

If you successfully complete the compensation measure, you receive a certificate.

You submit this certificate to the competent authority. The competent authority
checks the certificate and all other requirements (e.g. personal aptitude or
medical fitness). If you meet all requirements, your professional qualification is
recognised. You receive the approbation. Professionally, you then have the same
rights as a person with the German professional qualification.

Do you come from a third country? You are permitted to enter Germany for a
compensation measure. Please seek advice if you have questions, or find out
more about entry e.g. via the hotline Working and Living in Germany .

Counselling

If you do not meet all requirements, you can find out from the competent
authority about the options available to you. Were you not able e.g. to provide
evidence of your personal aptitude or your knowledge of German? The
competent authority can help you with this.

My other options

Working without recognition

Authorisation to practise a profession

Did you complete your professional qualification in the third country? If so, you
are able to work for a limited period without approbation. For this, you are able to
apply for the so-called authorisation to practise a profession . Authorisation to
practise a profession permits you to work under the supervision of a person with
approbation. You may then only be permitted to carry out activities in a specific
area of work. You need to meet the following requirements for authorisation to
practise a profession:

Equivalence of your professional qualification

Personal aptitude
Medical fitness
Knowledge of German

You can apply for authorisation to practise a profession from the competent
authority.

You may also be able to use the authorisation to practise a profession to prepare
for a compensation measure for recognition.

A professional qualification from the EU, EEA or Switzerland rarely provides you
with authorisation to practise a profession .

Procedure for Ethnic German Resettlers

As an Ethnic German Resettler , you can select between two procedures for
vocational recognition:

You apply for the procedure described here.

You apply for the procedure under Section 10 of the Federal Expellees Act
(German: “§10 Bundesvertriebenengesetz, BVFG”).

You can decide this. Your competent authority will advise you.

Further information

Info and links

Information by Marburger Bund (in German)

Legal basis

Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7

September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications
Bundesärzteordnung (BÄO) (in German)
Approbationsordnung für Ärzte (ÄApprO) (in German)

last update on: 23.07.2020