Talented doctors come from all over the world. But can they also work worldwide?
Anyone wishing to practice medicine in Germany, Austria or Switzerland needs a corresponding license to practice medicine (Germany), a professional license or Mebeko diploma recognition (Switzerland) or must be registered on the list of doctors at the local medical association (Austria). What is achieved for domestic doctors with the completion of their studies is proving to be a challenge for foreign doctors wishing to obtain a license to practice medicine in one of these countries.
In Germany alone, 4410,000 doctors work in a wide range of specialties. There are around 47,700 in Austria and 38,000 in Switzerland. And yet hospitals complain about staff shortages, there is a lack of specialists, and fewer and fewer general practitioners can be found in rural areas. This problem is faced by numerous foreign medical doctors who would like to work in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, but in addition to the necessary language skills, there is often a lack of medical licensing or a professional permit for foreign doctors.
What you can do for your license to practice medicine
Bringing talents and positions together. Shaping the future of hospitals. Providing the movers and shakers of the future with a stage that allows for new successful paths.
At HealthCorp Partners, we successfully mediate between job searches and job offers, bringing doctors and hospitals together. We are also happy to refer doctors who want to go from Germany to Switzerland or Austria, vice versa. We help you to continue your work as a foreign doctor in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
At HealthCorp Partners, we will be happy to connect you with employers who can support your journey and provide you with the right job.
Contact usApprobation for doctors in Germany
Approbation for doctors from other EU countries
A license to practice medicine means state permission to practice medicine independently for an unlimited period of time.
All doctors who have studied in other EU countries and would like to work in Germany can easily apply for a medical license. All that is required is that the training content of the medical studies completed abroad corresponds to the German standard, which is determined in the course of an equivalence examination. In order to be granted the license to practice medicine as a foreign doctor, but as an EU citizen, a specialist language test must usually also be passed. This language test (level C1 CEFR) is usually taken by the responsible state medical association. Nationality does not play a role in the application for the license to practice medicine. The procedure therefore also applies to German citizens who have studied abroad and now wish to be recognized as a doctor in Germany in order to be allowed to practice.
Approbation for doctors from third countries
In addition to successfully completing their medical studies and obtaining a work and residence permit, foreign doctors must take a few more steps on the path to licensure. For example, the application for a license to practice medicine also requires a language certificate (CEFR B2) as well as a specialist language certificate (C1), which prove the knowledge of German in the context of an examination. Ultimately, an approbation for foreign doctors from third countries can only be granted if the completed training passes the equivalence test. For this purpose, the competent state or federal authority compares the professional qualification of the foreign doctor with the German professional qualification. If the licensing authorities notice significant differences in training during this examination and if the physician does not have any relevant professional experience, the applicant must prove his knowledge and skills in a knowledge examination. Upon passing this examination, the foreign physician attains the equivalence of the level of training and thus receives his license to practice medicine.
Professional permit for foreign doctors
As an alternative to the license to practice medicine, foreign doctors may also be granted a professional license. This allows a temporary exercise of the medical profession. A professional permit is issued upon application by a person who can prove that he or she has completed medical studies and has the appropriate language skills. While the medical license is valid for an unlimited period of time, the professional permit is limited to a maximum of two years - but can be extended. This professional permit for foreign doctors can be limited to certain activities and is only valid in the federal state where it was issued.
MEBEKO Recognition for doctors in Switzerland
MEBEKO Recognition for doctors from EU-foreign countries
Separate regulations apply to the medical profession in Switzerland, as there is no license to practice medicine here.
Registration for medical professions is the responsibility of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and is handled by the Medical Professions Commission (MEBEKO). Recognition as a foreign doctor in Switzerland also differentiates whether the doctor comes from the EU or third countries. If the medical degree was obtained in an EU state, direct recognition of the doctor takes place in the form of diploma recognition. This direct route to recognition requires, in addition to citizenship of a contracting state of Switzerland (EU or EFTA), that the diploma submitted complies with EU Directive 2005/36/EC and has been issued by a competent authority for this purpose. Sufficient knowledge of one of the national languages must also be demonstrated accordingly (at least level B2).
MEBEKO recognition for doctors from third countries - Doctors in Switzerland
For doctors from third countries, the diploma can also be recognized, both by Switzerland itself and through indirect recognition by a contracting state. In this case, separate criteria apply to the doctor: he or she must have carried out his or her profession in the country of recognition to the same extent as will be the case in the country of recognition. In addition, it requires professional experience of at least three years in the clinical field. The language requirements are the same for all physicians who wish to be recognized by MEBEKO.Registration for doctors in Austria
Registration for doctors from EU foreign countries
For doctors who have completed their studies within the EU and now wish to pursue their medical practice in Austria, the path is usually simple - because the studies do not have to be nostrified, rather degrees are automatically recognized in the EU.
This means that there is no recognition process or application for a license to practice medicine, as is typical in Switzerland and Germany. Instead, doctors from other EU countries can register with the local medical association. However, sufficient knowledge of the German language must be demonstrated. For this purpose, central language tests are conducted in Vienna, for which around €800 is charged. This language test is ultimately also what can often drag out the process of registration as a foreign doctor in Austria, because the tests are only offered twice a year. The language test can be waived if the physician can demonstrate a German-language degree, a German-language Matura or three years of work in the healthcare sector within the German-speaking region.
