Information for International Applicants

Your successful application should include the following items:

• A letter outlining the specialist field in which you would like to work and some information on whether you are willing to relocate or which region you would prefer
• A tabular CV with your personal details, your career to date, your qualifications and language skills. Both of these documents must be in German.
• A certificate of language competency, at least C1

Also, if applicable:

• A German license to practice medicine or
• A certificate of conformity
• Confirmation that you have lawfully practised medicine without interruption for a period of at least three years

We have put together a handy guide for non-German doctors to simplify your initial period with us and to help you find your feet in Germany.

Medical license

You require a certificate of conformity for a medical qualification earned abroad if you wish to practice medicine in Germany. The application procedure can take several months. Once granted, a medical license applies permanently and throughout Germany.

The competent authorities will also inform you of which information is needed for your application procedure. As a rule, you will be required to submit confirmation that there are no criminal proceedings pending against you and that you are not under investigation by the public prosecutor.

Other necessary documents

• Complete CV
• Official or notarial copy of your passport or ID card. This may cause problems in some cases, as many institutions are prohibited from certifying a person's civil status. Simple confirmations from these institutions are often accepted for goodwill reasons.
• Birth certificate (the same rules apply as for the passport)
• A certificate of any name changes (marriage certificate)
• Proof of a clean criminal record (police clearance certificate, excerpt from the criminal records)
• A medical certification confirming that there are no health reasons that would make you unsuitable to work as a doctor
• Confirmation of employment from your future employer, i.e. a suitable declaration
• Proof of sufficient German-language skills. Your competency must be at least C1 and some federal states require an additional medical language test.
• Proof of your completed medical education (graduation certificate with grades); a Certificate of Good Standing is required additionally from any country in which you have already worked as a doctor. This is usually issued by the competent Medical Council.
• The documents must not be older than three months when the license to practice medicine is granted; exception: Confirmation of medical qualifications and the language competency certificates.
• The requirements for issue of a license to practice medicine vary in different federal states, so we kindly request that you contact the relevant authorities in the appropriate federal state to obtain information.

Work and residence permits

Doctors from the Member States of the European Union (EU) require neither a work nor a residence permit. Freedom of movement and labour has also applied to doctors from Romania and Bulgaria since 1 April 2014. A simplified procedure to apply for a Blue Card is now in place for all others.

In a nutshell: doctors from non-EU states satisfy the requirements for a Blue Card if they have a full-time position in which they are remunerated according to the collective bargaining agreements.

Health insurance

When you switch employers or register for the first time, you are entitled to choose between a statutory or private health insurance plan, provided you earn more than the mandatory insurance threshold. The mandatory insurance threshold is currently (2016) €4,687.50 per month or €56,250.00 per year.

Pension contributions

As a doctor, your membership in the professional insurance scheme entitles you to exemption from the German Pension Insurance Fund (DRV). But you must apply to DRV in order to be exempted. You can obtain the application form for exemption from the statutory insurance requirements from your competent Medical Council in Germany.

Income tax ID

The tax office will automatically send you an income tax ID (identification number) as soon as you register a personal address with the registration office at your place of residence. You can obtain more detailed information on the website of the Federal Central Tax Office.

Bank account

Germany has successfully completed the switch to SEPA banking. It is now possible to have your salary transferred to an account in another EU country. Kindly bear in mind, though, that this may involve significant charges when withdrawing cash or obtaining bank statements. It is therefore advisable at the moment for most employees to have a German bank account.

Accreditation of periods working abroad

You must obtain certification of equivalence for previous work experience in order to receive German accreditation for prior periods of employment abroad. To do this, you must place an application with the competent Medical Council and append your certificates. You may be required to submit original or certified copies of their translations as well.

Your successful application should include the following items:

• A letter outlining the specialist field in which you would like to work and some information on whether you are willing to relocate or which region you would prefer
• A tabular CV with your personal details, your career to date, your qualifications and your language skills.
• Both of these items must be in German.
• A certificate of language competency, at least B2

You require a state license if you want to work without restriction as a public health and general care nurse in Germany. This license entitles you to use the professional title "Gesundheits- und Krankenpfleger/in" (public health and general care nurse).

In order to obtain this license, you will be required to prove that your education and knowledge are equivalent to those of a German public health and general care nurse.

Automatic recognition of professional qualifications earned abroad by public health and general care nurses is currently not possible. Therefore, the recognition authorities check each application on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the foreign qualification is equivalent to its German counterpart.

An application must be placed with the competent recognition authorities to obtain confirmation of equivalence. The originals and photocopies of the official documents in the original language and in German must be presented to the authorities. Translations will only be accepted if they are prepared by a sworn translator who is entered in the list of translators and interpreters at a German court.

The following documents must be submitted to the recognition authorities in order to obtain confirmation of equivalence:

• Written application
• Full and signed, tabular CV with the precise dates of the applicant's school and professional career
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate, if applicable
• Passport
• Proof of professional qualifications (diploma, leaving certificate, training, specialist examinations)
• Proof of the syllabus and duration of the training, including a list of all subjects and teaching units in the individual phases of the training (for instance as a log or timetable).
• Proof of professional experience (for instance as a workbook or references)
• Proof of sufficient skills in the German language (language competency certificate, level B2, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
• Registration slip from the Citizens' Registration Office
• Additionally, for non-EU citizens: Residence permit/work permit
• Additionally, for persons with late repatriate status: Displaced persons card