Description
You need the permit if you want to exercise an activity under one of the protected professional titles listed in alphabetical order in the Federal Republic of Germany.
- Anesthesiological assistant
- Dietician
- Occupational therapist
- Midwife
- Health and pediatric nurse practitioner
- Health care and nursing assistant
- Speech therapist
- Masseur and medical bath attendant
- Medical-technical assistant for functional diagnostics
- Medical technologist for functional diagnostics
- Medical technical laboratory assistant
- Medical technologist for laboratory analysis
- Medical technologist in radiology
- Medical technologist for radiology
- Surgical assistant
- Orthoptist
- Nursing Assistant
- Pharmaceutical technical assistant
- Physiotherapist
- Podiatrist, podiatrist, medical chiropodist
- Veterinary medical-technical assistant
The use of the professional titles is subject to authorization, but not the professional activity. The protection of the occupational title also provides a certain degree of protection for the practice of the respective occupation, since qualified health care professionals are generally employed. For individual health care professions, the activity as such is also protected in addition to the job title: In the field of obstetrics (midwives) as well as in the professions of medical-technical assistants and nursing specialists, certain activities are reserved for holders of the permit.
Prerequisites
The most important prerequisites are:
You have fully completed vocational or university training (proof) and passed the final examination.
If you have not been trained in accordance with the law applicable in the Federal Republic of Germany,
- the equivalence of your level of training or knowledge according to the German training and examination regulations applicable to the respective profession is generally required
- proof of good knowledge of the German language is required (level CEFR B2).
Reliability
You have not been guilty of any behavior that would make you unreliable for exercising the profession (certificate of good conduct).
Health suitability
You are fit to exercise the profession from a health point of view (medical certificate).
Special notes
General responsibility:
In Bavaria, the seven district governments are responsible for issuing professional licenses, depending on the place of residence or work.
Information on the documents to be submitted can be found in the application forms below; further information can be obtained from the district governments.
Recognition of foreign professional qualifications for the nursing professions:
Provided that the other requirements are met, applicants from EU states and countries of the EEA will be granted permission to hold the professional title of nurse specialist from 01.01.2020 after the equivalence determination.
In the case of applicants from third countries, it is at the discretion of the respective competent government whether permission to hold the professional title of nurse or nurse specialist will be granted after the equivalence determination, due to the transitional regulation § 66a PflBG.
Centralization:
From 01.07.2023, the State Office for Nursing (LfP) will be centrally responsible for the recognition of foreign nursing professions.
Introduction of a specialized language examination for foreign degrees in health care professions:
In Bavaria, proof of the German language skills required to practice the profession will in future be provided by the so-called technical language examination for persons who have not completed their training in German. This will be introduced successively in the individual health professions.
In the case of applications submitted in the listed professions after the relevant deadline, a specialist language examination must generally be taken as proof of the required language skills.
Physiotherapist: application received 1.5.2022
Occupational therapist: application received 1.5.2022
Further deadlines and more detailed information can be found in the "Further links" tab under the keyword "Specialized language examination - Bavarian State Office for Nursing (LfP)".
Should you require a specialist language examination, the respective government will refer you to the Bavarian State Office for Nursing, which organizes the specialist language examination in Bavaria, in the permit procedure.
If you select a location under "Localization" the contact details of the responsible authority and, if applicable, locally valid information will be displayed.