Procedure descriptions
Doctor, dentist, pharmacist, psychological psychotherapist, child and adolescent psychotherapist with foreign professional training - apply for a licence to practise
The licence to practise entitles you to use the corresponding professional title and to practise the profession.
Citizens of the European Union or the European Economic Area who only wish to work in Germany temporarily and occasionally do not require a licence to practise. However, they must register their activity with the competent authority. Further information can be obtained from the competent authority.
Under certain circumstances, you may also initially receive a professional licence that is restricted in terms of time and specialisation.
Seek free advice on the recognition of your foreign professional qualification. You have a legal right to this counselling. The specially trained staff at the advice centres listed below will discuss with you what options are available with your qualification and which procedure seems to make the most sense. They will also support you in making an application and compiling the necessary documents.
Responsible department
State Recognition Centre for Healthcare Professions (LAfG) in the Stuttgart Regional Council
Details
Prerequisite
- Foreign professional qualification as
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Pharmacist
- Psychological psychotherapist or psychological psychotherapist
- Child and adolescent psychotherapist
- Psychotherapist
- personal reliability
- health suitability
- sufficient knowledge of the German language: at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and specialised language skills at least level C1, confirmed by an examination of the respective professional chamber
Note: Your nationality, the origin of your qualification and your residence status have no legal significance.
Procedure
The competent body will check whether your qualification obtained abroad is equivalent to the corresponding German qualification.
Your qualification will be recognised as equivalent if there are no significant differences between your foreign qualification and the corresponding German qualification.
In addition to your education, the professional experience you have gained in Germany or abroad will also be taken into account. Any significant differences identified can be compensated for by relevant professional experience.
You will be granted a licence to practise if your qualification is recognised as equivalent and the other requirements are also met.
If there are significant differences between your qualification and the German reference qualification, you can take an examination in order to achieve equivalence. You can obtain further information from the competent authority
Automatic recognition (not for psychotherapists):
For qualifications from member states of the European Union, signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and equivalent countries such as Switzerland, the following generally applies:
Your qualification will be recognised without an individual equivalence assessment if the certificate was issued after the accession of the country of training.
Qualifications issued before the cut-off date are generally recognised automatically if you submit a certificate from the competent authority of the country of training stating that the training completed before accession meets the minimum standards of Directive 2005/36/EC. Further information can be obtained from the competent authority.
Deadlines
none
Required documents
- Proof that the applicant intends to practise the profession in Baden-Württemberg. Suitable documents must be submitted for this purpose, e.g. confirmation/expression of interest from the future employer or proof of close family ties, proof of counselling or a so-called location note; in the case of a previous application and residence in another federal state: job confirmation
- Registry office documents on name, place and date of birth (e.g. birth/marriage certificate, extract from the family register)
- Proof of citizenship (passport, identity card, residence certificate)
- Current, complete curriculum vitae in tabular form with precise details of your educational and professional background
- Proof of training (certificates, diploma, licence to practise, registration, overview of subjects and studies, specialist examination, specialist internship, etc.)
- Other certificates of competence, if applicable
- Proof of relevant professional experience (e.g. job reference, work book, index)
- Proof of German language skills from a recognised language institute at least at level B2 (can be submitted later)
- Current certificate of good conduct from the home country (can be submitted later)
- for proof of personal reliability:
- If resident in Germany: Certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority (can be submitted later)
- If you live abroad: Documents from your home country that prove your personal reliability
- Informal declaration that there has been no final court conviction or penalty order in any country
- Certificate of Good Standing from the country in which the profession is currently practised or was last practised;
- if the profession has not yet been practised: informal declaration that the profession has not yet been practised
- Current medical certificate stating that you are not unfit for the profession (dated, stamped and signed by the doctor)
The competent authority may request further documents.
Please note: Only send officially certified copies and not originals! An officially certified copy in the original language and an officially certified copy of a German translation are required for foreign-language documents. Translations must be carried out by a publicly appointed or sworn interpreter or translator.
Costs
- EU: EUR 300.00
- EU before date of accession: EUR 350.00
- Third countries: EUR 450.00
The administrative fee may increase in the event of additional expenses.
Processing time
- Automatic recognition procedure: usually less than three months
- Otherwise: several months
The period begins with the receipt of the complete documents.
Miscellaneous
You must take an examination at the respective chamber of medical professions to prove your specialised language skills at level C1. The competent body will register you with the chamber, which will then contact you.
The language test costs
- EUR 250.00 for pharmacists
- EUR 420.00 for doctors
- EUR 450.00 for dentists
If you do not pass the exam, you can retake it. However, you will have to pay the fee again for each examination.
You do not have to prove your language skills if you have one of the following qualifications:
- a degree from a German-speaking university
- a qualification from at least ten years of general education at a German-speaking school
- a qualification from at least three years of vocational training in German
Further information can be obtained from the competent authority and the respective Chamber of Healthcare Professions.
Legal basis
- Richtlinie 2005/36/EG des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates
- Berufsqualifikationsfeststellungsgesetz Baden-Württemberg
- Bundesärzteordnung
- Approbationsordnung für Ärzte
- Gesetz über die Ausübung der Zahnheilkunde
- Approbationsordnung für Zahnärzte
- Bundesapothekerordnung
- Approbationsordnung für Apotheker
- Psychotherapeutengesetz
- Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung für Psychologische Psychotherapeuten
- Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung für Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapeuten
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 27.03.2025