Many doctors from abroad already work in Germany. In 2022, approximately 60,000 medical professionals were reported by the German Medical Association. Young doctors are in high demand due to demographic changes and a shortage of doctors. If medical students have completed their studies abroad, they must have their medical license recognized in Germany. However, what is the situation for medical students who started their studies abroad and now want to move to Germany?
Apply for recognition at the State Examination Office
Foreign medical students who wish to continue studying medicine in Germany must have their academic achievements recognised. The legal basis for this process is § 12 of the Medical Licensing Regulations (“Approbationsordnung für Ärzte“, ÄApprO). If foreign students have already been admitted to a German university, the State Examination Office (“Landesprüfungsamt”) responsible for recognition is the one located in the state where the university is located. If you were born abroad and have not yet been admitted to a German university, the North Rhine-Westphalia State Examination Office is responsible for recognition.
Recognition is based on the equivalence of foreign academic achievements with German academic achievements. To achieve this, foreign students should have certificates or transcripts of courses and seminars, detailed module descriptions, and proof of language proficiency. If they are not available in German or English, they usually need to be translated. The students themselves bear the costs for this. The process of recognising foreign academic achievements can take varying amounts of time depending on the federal state. It is generally advisable to contact the respective state examination office in good time to prepare all the necessary documents and meet any deadlines.
This is a list of state examination offices for all federal states where you can study medicine and obtain more information.
- Landesprüfungsamt Baden-Württemberg
- Landesprüfungsamt Bayern
- Landesprüfungsamt Berlin
- Landesprüfungsamt Brandenburg
- Landesprüfungsamt Hamburg
- Landesprüfungsamt Hessen
- Landesprüfungsamt Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Landesprüfungsamt Niedersachsen
- Landesprüfungsamt Nordrhein-Westfalen
- Landesprüfungsamt Rheinland-Pfalz
- Landesprüfungsamt Saarland
- Landesprüfungsamt Sachsen
- Landesprüfungsamt Sachsen-Anhalt
- Landesprüfungsamt Schleswig-Holstein
- Landesprüfungsamt Thüringen
Recognition is granted upon application. Depending on the federal state, a fee may be required. The State Examination Office of North Rhine-Westphalia charges administrative fees ranging from 40 to 70 euros. These fees are only applicable if the submitted academic achievements are also recognized.
Foreign students should submit the following documents with their application for the recognition of their academic achievements:
- Application form
- Single copy of identity card/passport/birth certificate
- Single copy of enrolment certificate(s) from the home university
- Notarised (and translated) copy of the overview of subjects and grades/transcript of records
Once the documents have been checked and the foreign students have received a letter of recognition, they can use it to apply for a place to study medicine at a German university if they do not have one yet. For further information on the application process, please refer to the universities’ websites. Many universities also offer consultation hours or help with questions.
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Übersetzt mit KI / DeepL Translate
