Description
Anyone wishing to work as a doctor in Germany after studying human medicine requires a special professional license - a license to practice medicine. In Bavaria, this is issued by the government of Upper Bavaria and the government of Lower Franconia. If you studied medicine in the administrative districts of Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, Swabia or Upper Palatinate, the government of Upper Bavaria is responsible for you, whereas if you graduated in the administrative districts of Upper Franconia, Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, the government of Lower Franconia is responsible.
The government of Lower Franconia will also grant you a license to practice medicine if you have studied in a member state of the European Union (EU) or another contracting state of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and will be working as a doctor in the administrative districts of Upper Franconia, Middle Franconia or Lower Franconia in the future. If you intend to work in the administrative districts of Upper or Lower Bavaria, Swabia or the Upper Palatinate, please contact the government of Upper Bavaria.
Prerequisites
The license to practice medicine is linked to various requirements relating to the successful completion of studies, personal and health suitability for practicing the profession and sufficient German language skills.
Special notes
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").