Approbation als Ärztin oder Arzt beantragen

If you want to practise the medical profession in Germany without restrictions, you need a state license, the Approbation.

After successfully completing your medical studies and specialist training, you can apply for a license to practice medicine. Once you have been granted a license to practice medicine, you are entitled to practice the medical profession in Germany independently and on your own responsibility.

The license to practice medicine is issued for an unlimited period of time and is valid for the entire Federal Republic of Germany.

• Identity document
• Birth certificate or a current extract from the parents' family register
• Marriage certificate/registered civil partnership, if applicable (proof in case of name change)
• Current, signed curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Extract from the Federal Central Register (document type O)
• Examination certificate
• Doctoral certificate, if applicable;
• Declaration of no criminal record: Written, informal declaration with the following wording: "I hereby declare that I have no criminal record and that there are no pending criminal proceedings or investigations against me by the public prosecutor's office." (Date and signature)
• Declaration as to whether the applicant is subject to criminal proceedings before a court or a public prosecutor's investigation
• Medical certificate, which must not be older than one month, stating that the applicant is not medically unfit to exercise the profession

The license to practice medicine is granted upon application if you:

- have not been guilty of any conduct that makes you unworthy or unreliable to practise the medical profession

- are not unfit in health terms to practise the profession,

- have successfully completed medical training in the Federal Republic of Germany (6 years of medical studies),

- have the knowledge of the German language required for practicing the profession.

Is based on the respective administrative fee schedule of the federal state or on the fee statutes of the authorities responsible under federal state law.

• You submit the application for licensure including all required documents to the competent authority
• You will then be informed within four weeks whether your application is complete or whether you need to submit further documents.
• Once your license has been granted, you will receive a license certificate.

If the documents are complete, the procedure takes a maximum of three months.

You do not have to observe any statutory deadlines when submitting your application.

• Administrative court action
• Appeal (depending on the federal state)

- Licensing as a doctor

- In order to be able to work as a doctor in Germany, a special professional license, the Approbation, is required

- The license to practice medicine is issued upon application

- Competent authority: Depends on the state law

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: No

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance necessary: No