Work Licence
Limited or Unlimited?
In order to work as physician, dentist, psychological psychotherapist, child and adolescent psychotherapist or pharmacist in Germany, an application for a national work permit is necessary. This is either the so called “Approbaton” or “the “Berufserlaubnis”.
"Approbation"
The "Approbation" presents the unlimited work licence for physicians, dentists, psychological psychotherapists, child and adolescent psychotherapists or pharmacists in Germany and has to be applied at the corresponding authorities. With the "Approbation" you have the right to work without area or time restrictions as employed or settled physician in Germany - no matter in which federal state you have applied for it.
Basically everyone is entitled to apply for the “Approbation” independent of the country of origin. However, in order that the application has success the most important aspect beside the required German skills is the equivalence of the standard of education. The content of the education at the foreign country must be equivalent to the German standard of education. The German standard of education corresponds to the minimum requirements of the relevant EU Directive.
EU contracting member state: The equivalence of the standard of education is automatically accepted. Only in some special cases (countries) it needs to be shown a special certificate which certifies that your diploma, and thus your medical training, corresponds to the minimum requirements of the relevant EU Directive and is therefore equivalent to a training completed in the EU (“Certificate of Conformity”).
No EU contracting member state: The equivalence of the standard of education must be proved. The competent authority will examine if there are significant differences between the abroad completed medical education by the applicant and the German medical standard of education, and if so, for example, whether these are offset by job experience. If not, the applicant must pass a test, which refers to the content of the state exam.
"Berufserlaubnis"
A "Berufserlaubnis" is a temporary and local limited work license for physicians, dentists, psychological psychotherapists, child and adolescent psychotherapists or pharmacists in Germany and can be applied to the corresponding German authorities in the concerned federal state. It is only available for a certain time frame and can only be used in the federal state in which you have applied for it. In most cases this profession permit will be issued for four years. Normally the Berufserlaubnis can be granted only for a maximum of 2 years (10 paragraph 2 sentence 2 BÄO)
A further extension of the work permit or the grant of a further license to practice will only in exceptional cases and only in specific individual cases or for reasons of medical services performed. In the latter case, must be in the medical field, in which the doctor wants to work, an equivalent level of training compared to a graduate of a German medical school be established.
Important: For both the "Approbation" and the "Berufserlaubnis" you will need to present a number of official documents at the German authorities. It can be a complex procedure for someone who has never been in touch with the German public sector before. But together with us you don't have to worry. If we find a position for you, we will help you and initiate the procedure for you.