FAQ Academic healthcare professions | Education AbroadDocuments

All documents in german language.

Dentistry training
Application form for dentists from third countries (pdf)

Pharmacy training
Application form for pharmacists from third countries (pdf)

Psychotherapy training
Application form for Psychotherapy (pdf)

The licensing authority first checks whether the medical training has been completed. If you are unable to submit the required documents, or if the documents do not clearly establish that the medical training was completed in full in the third country, the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) in Bonn is assigned to establish a reference qualification. However, we can only judge whether this assessment is necessary once all documents have been submitted in full.

If the ZAB determines that the medical training has not been completed, we must reject your application.

If it is determined that the medical training has been completed, the recognition process will be initiated.

• The application and all other documents must be sent by post.
• The application must be submitted in the original.
• Please send the documents without transparent film, loose-leaf binders or similar.
• The documents remain with the authority even after the procedure has ended.
• The equivalence check can only be carried out if all documents are submitted exactly as described below.

IMPORTANT:
Please submit your application only when you haveall the required documents complete. Especially important are, for example, your diploma or graduation certificate. If documents are missing, your application may be rejected. That costs money. You can submit a new application later, but you will have to pay again.

• The documents must be translated into German.
• The translations must be prepared by a person who is officially appointed or sworn to translate in Germany or abroad.
• All pages must be translated

For HUMAN MEDICINE, the following applies IN ADDITION:

• The diploma and the license to practice from your home country must be officially certified (certified copy).
• Translations do not need to be officially certified. A simple copy of the translation is sufficient.
• The translator must attach a simple copy of the original document (in the original language) to the translation.

• In Germany, you can obtain official certifications at a citizen's office/town hall or from a notary public.
• Abroad, you can obtain official certification from the German embassy or at the German consulate (not at notaries or other authorities in the respective country, as the authenticity of the legalisation cannot be checked here).

Note: In your own interest, you should refrain from sending original documents from abroad.

• Each translation must be individually notarised (with an attached copy of the original document in the national language). Several translations (each with an attached copy) may not be provided with a single official certification.

Special features of legalisation for diplomas, certificates and professional licences

• A diploma, a certificate of completion of medical training and a professional licence must first be provided with a Hague Apostille or legalised by the German embassy in the country of training.
• Afterwards these documents need to get translated and legalised as described above.

The apostille must also be translated and legalised.

The diploma/certificate of completion of training in the academic healthcare professions and, if applicable, the pro-fessional licence must be provided with a Hague Apostille or submitted legalised by the German embassy in the country of training, provided that this is possible in principle in your country of training.

In some countries, legalisation or the Hague Apostille procedure is no longer possible. In these cases, we will provide you with more detailed information on how to proceed as part of the application process.

Only a passport and identity card count as proof of identity, not a birth certificate.

If you do not have a current passport or ID card (recognised refugees), it is sufficient to present a German travel document.

In general, current certificates of good conduct from the countries in which you have stayed for a longer period of time (more than one year) must be submitted (not older than 3 months on the day of departure). As soon as you have left this country permanently, you do not need to submit a new certificate of good conduct.

Education in humane medicine:

• You need a certificate of good conduct (criminal record) from every country where you have lived for more than one year during the last 5 years.
• The certificate must be no older than three months when you submit it to us.
• You can send it with your application or submit it later.
• IMPORTANT: We can only issue an Approbation or a temporary medical license (Berufserlaubnis) if we have received all required certificates of good conduct in full.

Example for refugee applicants
In very few exceptional cases, we will accept an affidavit (via a notary) from the applicant stating that he/she has not been guilty of any behaviour that makes him/her unworthy or unreliable to practise the medical profession.

Refugees from Syria:
You can apply for your certificate of good conduct via the Syrian embassy in Berlin and, if necessary, through a representative; this also applies to conscientious objectors to military service.

You have to apply for the official certificate of good conduct (document type OB) at the registration office responsible for your German place of residence (=city administration/town hall) or  online at the Federal Office Of Justice (BfJ) zu beantragen.

Please be sure to state the intended purpose and the recipient authority with our address and the name of your responsible clerk.

Please always provide the competent registration authority with the details below:

Only those who have already worked as a doctor in another country must submit a Certificate of Good Standing (not older than 3 months after leaving the professional activity).

Here you will find a list of the foreign authorities (pdf) responsible for issuing the Certificate of Good Standing

No guarantee is given that the list is up to date or correct; if in doubt, please enquire in your country of origin.

Training in human medicine:

• You must submit a Certificate of Good Standing (CoGS) from each country where you have worked as a doctor.
• You can send the certificate with your application or submit it later.
• The CoGS must be no older than 3 months when you submit it.
• IMPORTANT: The Approbation or temporary medical license (Berufserlaubnis) can only be issued if all required CoGS documents are submitted.

Your CV should include your completed training and the activities you have performed.

You can find an example on the last page in the Annex 1 (pdf / german).