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Doctor; application for a permit to temporarily exercise the medical profession

If you want to practice medicine in the Federal Republic of Germany without a license to practice medicine, you need a permit.

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Regierung von Oberbayern - ZAABY – Zentrale Anerkennungsstelle für Approbationsberufe in Bayern

Regierung von Oberbayern

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Maximilianstraße 39
80538 München

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80534 München

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Procedure details

Anyone wishing to practise medicine in the Federal Republic of Germany requires a license to do so. If you wish to practise the medical profession, you generally require a license to practice medicine. If you are not a national of an EU/EEA member state, you are permitted to practise the medical profession temporarily or limited to certain activities on the basis of a revocable permit. It may only be issued for a maximum total duration of two years. In Bavaria, the government of Upper Bavaria is responsible for issuing the license for work in the administrative districts of Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, Swabia and Upper Palatinate, as well as the government of Lower Franconia for work in the administrative districts of Upper Franconia, Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia.

In certain cases, nationals of an EU/EEA state or Switzerland may practice the medical profession in the Federal Republic of Germany without a license to practice medicine or without a permit to temporarily practice the medical profession, provided that they are temporarily and occasionally active as providers of services within the meaning of Article 57 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. However, you are subject to a registration obligation. The competent government (see above) will inform you whether you require a permit.

In principle, the most important requirement is that you can prove that you have completed a full course of medical training in accordance with the law of the country in which you completed your training.

Further requirements are

  • that you have not been guilty of any conduct that makes you unworthy or unreliable to practise the medical profession (reliability),
  • you are not unfit in terms of health to practise the medical profession (medical fitness) and
  • you have the knowledge of the German language required for practicing the profession (language skills).

  • Birth certificate/parentage certificate or extract from the parents' family register
    (certified copy)
  • if the name used differs from that on the birth certificate: proof of a change of name (e.g. marriage certificate)
    (certified copy)
  • valid proof of identity (e.g. passport)
    (certified copy)
  • complete and personally signed curriculum vitae

    (tabular and chronological list of the training courses completed and the relevant gainful activities pursued, stating the periods (month/year) and enclosing the relevant supporting documents)

  • Proof of impunity
    • Submission of criminal record extracts from all countries outside Germany in which the applicant has resided for more than six months in the last five years.
    • The criminal record extracts must not be older than three months at the time of submission.
    • Certified copies of these extracts must be submitted.
  • Proof of your completed education (certified copy)
    • Proof of education such as diploma
    • If applicable, further country-specific certificates
    • Proof of entitlement to practise the medical profession in the country of training and/or country of origin
  • if applicable, certificate of good standing (certified copy)

    (Required from all countries where the health professional activity has already been exercised in the last five years. This certificate must not be older than three months at the time of its presentation).

  • Proof of the language skills required for practicing the profession
    (Proof can be provided in different ways. You can find more information on this under "Special instructions").
  • On separate request:
    • Certificate of good conduct of document type "O", if the applicant has already stayed in Germany for more than six months in the past or has had or still has a residence in Germany.
      • In Germany, this must be applied for at the registration office of the place of residence, stating the purpose "Permission to practice medicine". The certificate of good conduct is sent directly to the competent authority by the Federal Office of Justice.
      • It must not be older than one month at the time of submission.
    • Medical certificate (original)
      This must be issued and signed by a general practitioner or internist practicing in Germany or another state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or in Switzerland and bear a practice or clinic stamp. If the practice or clinic stamp is not available in German, a German translation of the stamp is required.

You must submit the application for the permit together with the required documents to the responsible government.

We recommend that you seek advice beforehand.

  • The Koordinierungs- und Beratungsstelle Berufsanerkennung (KuBB) supports and advises employers and individuals seeking recognition on the recognition of foreign qualifications. Further information can be found under "Further links".
  • The Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) serves as a central point of contact for applicants throughout the entire recognition procedure. Further information can be found under "Further links".
  • For assistance with the application procedure/entry, you can also contact the International Placement Services (ZAV) . Further information can be found under "Further links".

The costs depend on the period of validity of the permit. EUR 100 is charged for each year or part thereof.

There are no deadlines to be met.

The granting of a license to practice medicine or a professional permit requires, among other things, that you have the necessary knowledge of the German language to practice your profession. The 87th Conference of Health Ministers in 2014 agreed in a key points paper on the requirements for knowledge of the German language and how this knowledge can be demonstrated. The following applies:

1. the required German language skills are deemed to be proven for applicants for whom the licensing authority determines without doubt that German is spoken and written fluently (e.g. as a native language) or that the completion of medical, dental, pharmaceutical or psychotherapeutic training (proof of training) was obtained in German.

2. proof of the required German language skills is generally deemed to have been provided if the applicant has completed at least ten years of general schooling at a German-speaking school or has completed at least three years of vocational training in German.

3. if proof is not deemed to have been provided in accordance with 1. or 2. above, the language skills required for practicing the profession shall be deemed to have been proven by submission of a certificate of successful completion of the specialist language test at the Bavarian Medical Association.

4 Specialist language tests taken at the Medical Association or the competent authority of another country, as well as specialist language tests from other examination institutions, are recognized as proof, provided that it is guaranteed that the examination there is equivalent to the specialist language test at the Bavarian Medical Association. Whether this requirement is met in individual cases must be clarified in advance with the relevant professional licensing office.

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A license or permit is not required for merely temporary and occasional medical activities (services). For the provision of services, it is sufficient to register with the competent authority and submit certain documents (see "Related topics").

Supplement: Regierung von Oberbayern

Example of a sample application [File format: pdf]

Tutorial "Certified copy" [File format: mp4]

Further information on the application procedure can be found in the FAQ - Answers to frequently asked questions - Government of Upper Bavaria

Administrative court action

Status: 01.07.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Gesundheit, Pflege und Prävention
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