Germany
Germany licenses internationally trained doctors through a state-based Approbation system. The main steps are credential recognition, German medical language proficiency, and for many non-EU doctors the Kenntnisprüfung clinical examination.
Germany has one of the largest foreign-trained medical workforces in Europe — 71,480 foreign-national doctors as at 31 December 2025, about 16% of the practising workforce, after a record 7.6% year-on-year increase driven by arrivals from outside the EU.
Your pathway
- Check eligibility
- Pass the licensing exam
- Register with the authority
- Specialty or board exam
Exams and products
Language requirements
Most authorities ask for an English test. Germany asks for German.
The rules change on 1 November 2026. From that date the Kenntnisprüfung becomes the standard recognition route for doctors with qualifications from outside the EU/EEA.
The single most important structural fact about German licensing: it is administered by 16 federal states, not one national body. Fees, procedures, exam design, Fachsprachprüfung pass marks, accepted language certificates and specialist training regulations all vary between states. A figure that is true in Lower Saxony may be wrong in Bavaria.
Demand
Largest countries of origin: Syria 7,959 · Romania 4,617 · Türkiye 3,532 · Russia 3,138. Germany's Federal Employment Agency identifies medical occupations as shortage areas.
Salary data for internationally trained doctors specifically is not published.