Many doctors come to Germany from abroad - also from countries outside the EU. If they want to work in Germany, they have to have their professional qualifications recognised and apply for a licence to practise medicine.
While the recognition of a medical degree from another EU country works automatically in Germany, it is somewhat more complicated for people from so-called third countries to obtain a licence to practise medicine.
This is because it has to be examined individually whether the university degree is comparable to a German medical degree or not. Significant differences in education can be compensated for by relevant professional experience or other knowledge and skills. Nationality is not important. It only matters at which university and in which country the medical studies were completed.
Recognition of the licence to practise medicine: How is the equivalence of a degree checked?
One way to prove the equivalence of a foreign degree is a document check. This involves checking whether the curriculum of the foreign university covers the same content as a German medical degree. The problem is that the curriculum is often not available in German and must first be translated. The costs for this are borne by the doctor who submitted the application for recognition of the qualification.
Another way to establish the equivalence of the qualification is to take a knowledge test. This option may be chosen as an alternative to the document examination - for example, to save the costs for the translator. However, it is also the method of choice if the doctor is unable to produce important documents, for example because the documents were lost when he or she fled a crisis area. However, the knowledge check may also be necessary in addition to the document check. This happens if the document check reveals significant differences between the study contents in the country of origin and in Germany.
What is the procedure for the knowledge examination?
The knowledge examination is based on the oral-practical examination of the German state examination (M3). The focus is on the concrete diagnosis and the correct treatment of patients. In principle, all contents of the state examination can also be tested in the knowledge examination. The focus is on the subjects of internal medicine and surgery, but emergency medicine, clinical pharmacology and pharmacotherapy, imaging procedures, radiation protection and legal issues of medical practice also play a role. If you pass this examination, you can prove the equivalence of your professional qualification and receive a licence to practise medicine in Germany if the other requirements are also met. The examination does not have to be passed at the first attempt: It is possible to retake the knowledge examination twice.
The fees for the knowledge examination vary between the individual federal states. On average, they are 700 euros, depending on the federal state - but this can change at any time.
In order to prepare for the knowledge examination, it is possible to initially work under the supervision of a licensed doctor with a professional permit limited to two years.
Recognition of the licence to practise medicine: language and personal requirements
In addition to professional knowledge, foreign doctors must also have a good command of the German language in order to be able to practise their profession. In concrete terms, this means that they must pass a specialist language examination at the C1 CEFR level.
This exam is usually administered by the state medical associations. In order to be able to register for this examination, general German language skills at level B2 CEFR are also required. However, the language skills do not have to be proven for the application for a German licence to practise medicine - the certificates can also be submitted later.
Health and personal suitability is also important: here, for example, it is checked whether the doctor has a relevant criminal record or whether he or she cannot practise medicine for health reasons. In these cases, the application for a licence to practise medicine can be rejected.
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