Apply for recognition as a veterinarian with professional qualifications from the EU/EEA/Switzerland

Prerequisites

• You have a professional qualification as a veterinarian from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
• You are physically fit to work as a veterinarian.
• You are reliable and worthy of working as a veterinarian and have no criminal record.
• You have the German language skills required for the job. These are general language skills at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Documents required

The competent authority will inform you about which documents you have to submit. Important documents are often:

• Proof of identity (copy of identity card or passport)
• a copy of your training certificate
• Evidence of the content of your training:
  • List of subjects and hours of training that you have completed
  • Evidence of your professional practice as a veterinarian
  • Criminal record extract or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin as proof of your worthiness and reliability (this proof must not be more than 3 months old when you apply.)
• Medical certificate of your health suitability (This certificate must not be more than 3 months old when you apply. The proof can be from an authority in your country of training.)
• Declaration that you have not yet applied for a license to practice medicine in Germany
• The competent authority will inform you which documents you have to submit in the original or as a copy.
• If your documents are not in German, you must submit German translations of your documents. The translations must be made by translators who are publicly appointed or authorized.

Please note

There are no hints or special features.

Deadlines

No.


Sometimes documents are still missing in the process. The authority for justice and consumer protection will then inform you by when you have to submit the documents. This can prolong the process.

Procedure

application
You apply for a license to practice as a veterinarian at the Authority for Justice and Consumer Protection, V1107. The authority for justice and consumer protection checks whether your training corresponds to the German training and whether all other requirements are met.

Automatic recognition
As a rule, the automatic recognition procedure applies if you started your vocational training after your country of training joined the EU/EEA. This means that if you also meet all other requirements, your professional qualification will be recognized without an individual equivalency assessment.

Certificate of Conformity
Vocational training that you started before your country of training joined the EU/EEA (or that do not correspond to the legal designations) can also be recognized automatically. To do this, you must submit a certificate from the competent authority in your country of training that your professional qualification meets the minimum standards of the EU (“Certificate of Conformity”). If your professional qualification does not meet the minimum standards, you must provide evidence of your professional experience. You must have worked as a veterinarian in your country of origin for 3 consecutive years in the last 5 years before submitting the application. This must be confirmed to you by the competent authority in your country of origin. This confirmation is generally sufficient.

equivalence test
If you cannot provide a certificate of conformity or do not have enough professional experience, your training must be checked individually. The competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification as a veterinarian. The competent authority checks whether your professional qualification is equivalent. The professional qualification is equivalent if there are no significant differences between your foreign professional qualification and the German professional qualification.

Possible results of the test
If your professional qualification is equivalent, your foreign professional qualification will be recognised. The authority can confirm the result in writing. You still have to meet the other requirements and prove your language skills. Then you will be granted the license to practice as a veterinarian.

If the competent authority finds significant differences, you can compensate for the differences through your professional experience and other knowledge and skills as a veterinarian. You must provide evidence of professional experience. Knowledge and skills must be certified by an authority in your country of origin.

However, this knowledge may not be sufficient. You cannot then compensate for the essential differences. Your foreign professional qualification will then not be recognised.

The responsible body will tell you in writing the main differences and why you cannot compensate for the main differences through your professional practice. The notice from the competent authority also states the level of your training and what level is required in Germany. You are then not allowed to work as a veterinarian. However, the competent body offers you the opportunity to take an aptitude test.

Qualifying Examination
If your professional qualification is not equivalent, you can take an aptitude test. The aptitude test examines the main differences in your professional qualifications. If you pass the aptitude test, you will be licensed to practice as a veterinarian. You must also meet the other requirements and provide evidence of your language skills.

Processing time

The authority for justice and consumer protection will confirm after a maximum of one month that your application and your documents have been received. The competent authority will inform you if documents are missing.


If the documents are complete, the procedure takes a maximum of 4 months.

Fees

The granting of the approval is subject to a fee and is charged according to the fee schedule for public consumer protection (GebOöV). The competent authority will inform you about the costs.


Additional costs may also arise (e.g. for translations or certifications). These costs vary from person to person.

Legal remedies

You can take legal action against the decision of the authority for justice and consumer protection. The decision is then reviewed. Details can be found in the instructions on legal remedies at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first speak to the competent authority before taking legal action against the decision.

Legal basis

• § 2 paragraph 1, § 3, § 4 Federal Veterinary Code


• Section 63 Ordinance on the Licensing of Veterinarians (TAppV)

In order to be able to work as a veterinarian in Germany without restrictions, you need a license to practice medicine.

Approbation is state approval for the profession. Approval is necessary because the profession is regulated in Germany. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a veterinarian without a license to practice medicine.

The approbation will be issued to you by the competent authority if your veterinary training is equivalent to the German training. The equivalence is checked in the recognition procedure. You must also meet other requirements to be granted the license to practice medicine.

You can also get a license to practice medicine in Germany with a professional qualification from a country in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

A professional qualification from these countries is usually automatically recognized when you apply for a license to practice medicine. However, there can also be deviations from this rule.
It depends on the country in which you completed your training and when. If you started your vocational training after your country of training joined the EU/EEA, your professional qualification will be automatically recognised. Then the recognition process is shortened.

If your professional qualification is not from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, it cannot be automatically recognised. Other regulations apply.

You can also apply for the procedure from abroad.