Working as a doctor in Germany

If you qualified as a doctor abroad, you will need to sort out your medical permission as well as your job and residence arrangements. Start with the responsible licensing authority; it can tell you which route fits your qualification.

In short

• Approbation is the full licence for medical practice. In some cases the authority may instead grant a limited Berufserlaubnis; temporary cross-border services can follow separate rules.
• Recognition of your basic medical qualification is part of the licensing process. Permission also depends on requirements such as German language, health and personal suitability.
• Your specialist qualification may need a separate decision from the relevant medical chamber. A job offer, a medical licence and a specialist title are different things.
• If you need a visa or residence title, check it separately. Neither a job offer nor recognition alone gives you permission to live and work in Germany.

Start with the licensing authority

Use the Recognition Finder to find the responsible authority. From 1 November 2026, decisions on recognition for Approbation normally go to the authority in the Land where you usually live, or, if you live abroad, where you plan to practise. The Land where you plan to practise handles a separate Berufserlaubnis application. You can look for vacancies through the Federal Employment Agency while you prepare. Ask the employer about the proposed role, department, working hours and support with licensing and language training.

Tell the authority where you earned your medical qualification and whether another EU or EEA country or Switzerland has already recognised it. Ask which documents, translations and German-language evidence it accepts. For example, Hesse asks applicants with a third-country medical qualification for general German at B2 and a medical language test at C1. Check the evidence your own authority accepts. The recognition guide explains how to check possible funding before paying for the application, a course or translations.

How your medical qualification is assessed

Some medical qualifications from the EU, EEA or Switzerland qualify for automatic recognition of the training when the legal conditions are met. This does not grant Approbation by itself: the authority still checks the other licensing requirements. Your nationality alone does not determine how your qualification is assessed.

For applications filed from 1 November 2026, the usual route under section 9d of the Federal Medical Practitioners Act is a knowledge exam for third-country qualifications. To use this route, your completed qualification must be required for direct access to the corresponding medical profession in the country where you obtained it. Ask the authority how this applies to your qualification.

You can choose a document-based equivalence assessment instead. You must make that choice within four weeks of applying, and it is binding for the procedure. An exam can still be required if substantial differences remain.

For recognition applications for third-country qualifications filed by 31 October 2026, the earlier qualification-assessment rules continue to apply. Tell the authority if another EU or EEA country or Switzerland has already recognised your qualification; a different route may apply.

Other professional permission and specialist titles

The authority may grant a Berufserlaubnis to a person with completed medical training. It can limit the work or workplace, and it is not automatic. Ask the authority what the permission covers, how long it lasts and what you need for Approbation. It is also separate from a visa or residence title.

If you trained in a medical specialty, ask the relevant Ärztekammer about recognition of your specialist qualification and what professional permission and evidence it needs. Do not assume that the basic medical licence alone confirms a specialist title.

Check your residence and offer

EU and EEA citizens and qualifying family members may have free-movement rights; Swiss citizens have a separate agreement. See the free-movement guide. If you need a residence title, the skilled-worker residence guide covers work routes and recognition measures. Check the terms of your own status alongside your professional permission.

For health and care jobs, recruitment in and job placement from countries on the Employment Ordinance’s list may be carried out only by the Federal Employment Agency. The rule concerns recruitment and placement from those countries; it is not a ban based simply on someone’s nationality. Ask the Agency if you are unsure how it applies to an offer.

Before signing, ask who pays for courses, recognition, translations, travel and housing, and read any repayment clause. Check the job’s location, pay, hours, duties and start date against your permissions. The employment-contract guide can help you review the offer.