Medical doctor; application for a permit to temporarily practice medicine
If you want to practice medicine in the Federal Republic of Germany without a license to practice medicine, you need a permit.
Description
Anyone wishing to practice medicine in the Federal Republic of Germany requires permission to do so. If you wish to exercise the medical profession, you generally require a license to practice medicine. If you are not a citizen of a member state of the EU/EEA, a temporary practice of medicine or a practice limited to certain activities is also permitted on the basis of a revocable permit. It may only be granted up to a total duration of the medical activity of a maximum of two years. In Bavaria, the government of Upper Bavaria is responsible for issuing the permit for activities in the administrative districts of Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, Swabia and Upper Palatinate, and the government of Lower Franconia is responsible for activities in the administrative districts of Upper Franconia, Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia.
In certain cases, nationals of an EU/EEA state or Switzerland may also practice the medical profession in the Federal Republic of Germany without a license to practice medicine or a permit to temporarily practice medicine, provided they temporarily and occasionally act 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 notification requirement. The competent government (see above) will inform you whether you need a permit.
Prerequisites
Basically, the most important prerequisite is that you can prove that you have completed a full medical education according to the law of the state in which you acquired the education.
Further prerequisites are:
- that you have not been guilty of any conduct which would render you unworthy or unreliable to practice medicine (reliability),
- you are not unfit to practice medicine from a health point of view (health fitness), and
- you have the knowledge of the German language required for the exercise of the profession (language skills).
Special notes
In the case of merely temporary and occasional medical activity (service), a license or permit is not required. Rather, for the provision of services, it is sufficient to register with the competent authority and submit certain documents (see under "Related topics").
Deadlines
There are no deadlines to meet.
Required documents
-
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 exemption from punishment
- Submission of criminal record extracts from all countries outside Germany in which the applicant has resided for more than six months.
- The criminal record excerpts must not be older than three months at the time of their submission.
- A certified copy of each 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).
-
Technical language test to prove the required language skills
(The registration with the competent chamber of health professions is carried out by the professional registration office. The result is transmitted directly from there).
-
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.
Forms
Please select a location in "Localization" so that the address of the responsible authority can be filled in.
Links to more information
Status: 23.08.2022
Responsible for editing: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Gesundheit und Pflege
- Online transactions, Bavaria-wide
- Online transactions, locally limited
- Prefillable Form, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, locally limited
- Fees, Bavaria-wide
- Fees, locally limited