Doctor CV for Germany: Approbation, Berufserlaubnis and the CV
To practise medicine in Germany you need the Approbation; a Berufserlaubnis allows supervised work for up to two years meanwhile. From 1 November 2026, doctors trained outside the EU take the knowledge test by default.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First, check which rules apply to your application date
A federal law published in the Bundesgesetzblatt on 28 July 2026 (2026 I Nr. 225) rewrites the recognition route for doctors trained outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. It comes into force on 1 November 2026. Applications filed by 31 October 2026 continue under the old rules, according to the new section 15 of the Federal Medical Code (Bundesärzteordnung, BÄO).
| Filed by 31 October 2026 | Filed from 1 November 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | The authority compares your training with German training | The knowledge test is the default route (new section 9d BÄO) |
| Document comparison | Always, unless documents cannot be obtained | Only if you choose it within four weeks of applying; the choice binds you for the whole procedure |
| Knowledge test | Only when substantial differences are found | Required by default; also required after a comparison that finds substantial differences |
| Curriculum papers | Needed for the comparison | Not needed if you do not choose the comparison, the health ministry FAQ says |
The health ministry's FAQ adds that states may now check a third-country applicant's German before the qualification is assessed. The authority must explain your choice and its consequences. Check the linked pages before applying: when we read it, the licensing regulation (ÄApprO) still referred to the old section numbers of the BÄO.
Approbation and Berufserlaubnis compared
| Approbation | Berufserlaubnis | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The unrestricted licence to practise, needed in a hospital or own practice (Recognition Finder) | A permit to practise that can be limited to certain tasks and workplaces (BÄO section 10) |
| Duration | Permanent | Revocable, at most two years of medical work in Germany in total, with narrow exceptions |
| How you work | Independently | Under the supervision of a doctor with Approbation (Recognition Finder) |
| Specialist training | Needed before a foreign specialist title can be recognised | Does not count toward specialist training in Saxony, its medical chamber says |
The Saxon medical chamber advises applying for both: with a Berufserlaubnis you can work after passing the language exam while the Approbation procedure runs. Berlin's Finder entry lists up to €430 for the Approbation and €420 for the specialist language exam, plus translation and certification costs.
The title on your CV
Section 2a BÄO lets only licensed or permitted doctors use the title Arzt or Ärztin. Until you hold one of the two, give your Turkish title in the header and history, for example Pratisyen Hekim, with a German gloss.
The Fachsprachprüfung: the medical language exam
The Recognition Finder asks for general German at B2 and, usually, a specialist language exam at C1. After you apply, the authority can register you for it, and in most states the state chamber of physicians runs it. Lower Saxony's government wrote in July 2026 that there are no nationwide rules for registering for the exam: each state decides, and Lower Saxony applies the 2014 guidelines of the health ministers' conference. That is why the parts and fees below differ.
| Part | Hessen (Landesärztekammer) | Saxony (Landesärztekammer) |
|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary | A 20-minute test, no aids | 12 medical terms put into everyday words, at the end |
| Doctor and patient | 20 minutes; an examiner plays the patient | 20 minutes; an examiner plays the patient |
| Written record | Up to 20 minutes on an anamnesis form, no aids | 20 minutes on a structured form, a medical dictionary is provided |
| Doctor and doctor | 20 minutes with the examiners | 20 minutes, a handover to a colleague |
| Fee | Not stated in the sheet | €425, paid again for each attempt |
Where the CV meets the exam
The Saxon sheet says the panel opens by asking you to introduce yourself: your career so far and your goals. Practise that summary in German from the same dates and departments that are on your CV, so the two match.
What the medical knowledge test covers
- Subjects: internal medicine and surgery, with emergency medicine, clinical pharmacology, imaging, radiation protection and the law of medical practice. The authority can add a subject where it found substantial differences (ÄApprO, section 37).
- Format: an oral and practical exam with a patient, held in German on one day, 60 to 90 minutes per candidate with at most four candidates.
- Before the exam you examine an assigned patient and write a report with anamnesis, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment plan and epicrisis; the report is part of the grade.
- Timing and retakes: offered at least twice a year, within six months of the decision, and it can be repeated twice.
These are the rules of section 37 as we read them on 12 October 2026. It still cites the old section 3 BÄO, so confirm the exam rules with your state authority after 1 November 2026.
Hospitation and the hospital application
The Saxon chamber describes a Hospitation as similar to an internship and says it is possible without a Berufserlaubnis or Approbation. It helps you meet the employer and see the German system. A hospital application is a Lebenslauf and a cover letter, followed by an interview with the head of department (Chefarzt).
Papers the hospital may give you
Saxony's sheet describes an Einstellungszusage (a promise to hire) and an Absichtserklärung (a statement of intent to hire once you hold a permit). The Recognition Finder lists proof that you intend to work in Germany among the documents, and a hospital letter serves that purpose.
Apostille and originals
Saxony asks for an apostille on the diploma, its annex, proof of a completed specialisation and birth and marriage certificates, translations by a sworn translator, and originals. Other states set their own rules, so ask your authority before you send anything.
The medical training block for your CV
Until 31 October 2026, section 3(6) BÄO lists a tabular overview of your training and employment among the application documents, and Berlin's Finder entry lists a CV. The same block serves a hospital hiring an Assistenzarzt: it shows the stage you reached, the rotations behind it and your licence status in one place.
| Zeitraum | Abschnitt | Einrichtung | Inhalt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/2014 bis 06/2020 | Studium der Humanmedizin, 6 Jahre (Tıp Fakültesi) | Universität Beispielstadt, Türkei | Abschluss Tıp Doktorluğu Diploması, 06/2020 |
| 07/2019 bis 06/2020 | İntörnlük, klinisches letztes Studienjahr | Universitätsklinikum Beispielstadt | Rotationen je 2 Monate: Innere Medizin, Chirurgie, Pädiatrie, Gynäkologie, Notfallmedizin, Allgemeinmedizin |
| 08/2020 bis 08/2022 | Pratisyen Hekim (Arzt in der Türkei) | Staatliches Krankenhaus Beispielstadt, Notaufnahme | Erstversorgung, Triage, ca. 6 Nachtdienste im Monat |
| 09/2022 | TUS (Tıpta Uzmanlık Eğitimi Giriş Sınavı), Aufnahmeprüfung für die Facharztweiterbildung | Türkei | Weiterbildungsplatz Innere Medizin |
| 10/2022 bis heute | Uzmanlık öğrencisi (Weiterbildung Innere Medizin) | Universitätsklinikum Beispielstadt | Kardiologie 6 Monate, Gastroenterologie 6 Monate, Intensivstation 3 Monate |
| Status | Antrag auf Approbation 11/2026, Landesbehörde Beispielland | Ärztekammer Beispielland | Fachsprachprüfung C1 Medizin bestanden 02/2027; Kenntnisprüfung geplant |
Every name, date and count is a placeholder; take yours from your diploma, transcript and service records. Write rotations in months and German department names, keep the Turkish term in brackets once, and put the licence status last so a reader sees at once what you may do today.
What to leave for other pages
Photo and personal details, the cover letter and the general Lebenslauf layout each have their own page; this block only replaces the education and experience rows of that layout.
Proof: sources and the date we read them
We read every source below on 12 October 2026. Links are under Sources.
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| New default knowledge test, four-week choice, in force 1 November 2026, old rules for earlier applications | Bundesgesetzblatt 2026 I Nr. 225, Articles 1 and 6 |
| Language check before assessment; curriculum papers not needed on the default route | Health ministry FAQ |
| Berufserlaubnis limits and two-year cap; protected title | BÄO sections 10 and 2a |
| B2 plus C1 exam; Berlin fees; CV and intent-to-work documents; supervision | Recognition Finder, Berlin (last updated 6 February 2024) |
| Exam parts in Hessen | Landesärztekammer Hessen information sheet |
| Exam parts and fee in Saxony; Hospitation; apostille; Weiterbildung rule | Sächsische Landesärztekammer presentation (August 2023) |
| No nationwide registration rules; each state decides | Lower Saxony Landtag, printed paper 19/11226 |
| Knowledge test content and format | ÄApprO section 37 |
Who this page is not for
- Doctors trained in the EU, EEA or Switzerland, who often qualify for automatic recognition.
- Dentists and pharmacists: the same 2026 law changes their codes too, but their exams differ.
- Nurses and other health professions: see the nurse page.
- Medical students looking for a German clinical elective; this page is about the licence.
Next steps
- Decide your state, then read its authority entry in the Recognition Finder and save it as a PDF.
- Decide before you file whether you want the document comparison, because after 1 November 2026 you have four weeks.
- Book a German course that leads to B2, then prepare for the C1 medical exam with case reports.
- Write the training block above in German. CitedCV can draft the CV in German with German conventions from the facts you enter, and you check each line against your documents.
Questions people ask
What is the Approbation in Germany?
It is the permanent, unrestricted state licence to practise medicine. You need it to work as a doctor in a hospital or open a practice, and to have a foreign specialist title recognised.
What is the difference between Approbation and Berufserlaubnis?
The Approbation is permanent and unrestricted. The Berufserlaubnis is revocable, capped at two years in total, can be limited to tasks and workplaces, and means working under supervision.
What is the Fachsprachprüfung for doctors?
It is a medical German exam at C1, usually run by the state chamber of physicians: a patient interview, a written record and a talk with a doctor, sometimes with a vocabulary test.
What is on the German medical knowledge test?
Internal medicine and surgery, plus emergency medicine, clinical pharmacology, imaging, radiation protection and medical law, tested orally and practically with a patient in German.
What changes for foreign doctors on 1 November 2026?
The knowledge test becomes the default route for third-country degrees. You may still choose the document comparison, but only within four weeks of applying.
Can I do a Hospitation without a licence?
Yes, according to the Saxon medical chamber, a Hospitation is possible without a Berufserlaubnis or Approbation. It works like an internship and helps you meet employers.
How much does the Approbation cost?
It depends on the state. Berlin's Recognition Finder entry lists up to €430 for the Approbation and €420 for the language exam; Saxony charges €425 for each language exam attempt.
Should I put TUS on my German CV?
Yes, if you passed it, with a short German explanation. It shows how you entered specialist training, which a German Chefarzt will not know from the acronym alone.
Sources
- Bundesärzteordnung (BÄO), section 3, version in force until 31 October 2026www.gesetze-im-internet.de/b_o/__3.html
- Bundesärzteordnung (BÄO), section 10 (Berufserlaubnis)www.gesetze-im-internet.de/b_o/__10.html
- Bundesärzteordnung (BÄO), section 2a (the title Arzt)www.gesetze-im-internet.de/b_o/__2a.html
- Bundesgesetzblatt 2026 I Nr. 225: Gesetz zur Beschleunigung der Anerkennungsverfahren ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen in Heilberufenwww.recht.bund.de/bgbl/1/2026/225/VO.html
- Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, FAQ on the recognition law for health professionswww.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/ministerium/gesetze-und-verordnungen/guv-20-lp/gesetz-anerkennung-berufsqualifikation-heilberufe/faq-berufsanerkennung-heilberufe
- Approbationsordnung für Ärzte (ÄApprO), section 37 (Kenntnisprüfung)www.gesetze-im-internet.de/_appro_2002/__37.html
- Anerkennung in Deutschland, Recognition Finder: Doctor of medicine, Berlinwww.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/en/interest/finder/result?location=47619&profession=412&zipSearch=0&nationality_eu=false&qualification_origin=Drittstaaten&whereabouts=Ausland
- Landesärztekammer Hessen, Hinweise zur Fachsprachprüfunglaekh.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Aerzte/Fachsprach_Kenntnispruefungen/Merkblatt_Fachsprachpruefungen.pdf
- Sächsische Landesärztekammer, Anerkennungsverfahren für Ärzte in Sachsenwww.slaek.de/media/dokumente/arzt/auslaendischeaerzte/Anerkennungsverfahren-fuer-Aerzte-in-Sachsen.pdf
- Niedersächsischer Landtag, Drucksache 19/11226 (answer of 22 July 2026)www.landtag-niedersachsen.de/drucksachen/drucksachen_19_12500/11001-11500/19-11226.pdf