Source: BUS Sachsen-Anhalt (Linie6PLus)

Apply for a licence to practise pharmacists from the EU/EEA/Switzerland

Description

The profession of pharmacist is regulated in Germany. This means that in order for you to be able to work as a pharmacist in Germany without restriction, you need a licence to practise medicine. The approbation is the state admission to the profession. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a pharmacist without a license to practice medicine.

Even with a professional qualification from a country of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can obtain the license to practice medicine in Germany.

In order to obtain the license to practice medicine, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognised.

In the recognition procedure, the competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification and checks its equivalence. The equivalence of the professional qualification is an important prerequisite for the granting of the license to practice medicine.

A professional qualification from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland is usually automatically recognised when you submit an application for a licence to practise medicine. However, there may also be deviations from this rule. That depends on the state in which they completed their education and at what time. If you started your vocational training after the EU/EEA accession of your training country, your professional qualification will be automatically recognised.

If your professional qualification does not originate from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, other regulations apply.

In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must also meet other requirements for the granting of the permit. Further requirements are e.B. sufficient German language skills and health suitability.

You can also apply for the procedure from abroad.

Prerequisites

You have a professional qualification as a pharmacist from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
You want to work as a pharmacist in Germany.
Personal suitability: You are reliable for working as a pharmacist and have no criminal record.
Health suitability: You can work psychologically and physically as a pharmacist.
You have german language skills at the required language level. These are usually general language skills at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and medical language skills at level C1.

Required documents

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

Proof of identity (identity card or passport)
Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
Curriculum vitae
Proof of formal qualifications
Proof of the contents of your training:
List of subjects and training hours that you have completed
Proof of your relevant professional experience as a pharmacist (e.B. job references)
Information as to whether you have already submitted an application for a licence to practise medicine in Germany
You do not live or work in Germany yet? Then you may have to prove that you want to work in the profession in Germany. Proofs are e.B. applications for a job, invitations to interviews, personal declaration

You only need to submit the following documents if your professional qualification was completed before a certain date (deadline). The competent authority will inform you:

Certificate
If there is no certificate of conformity: proof of the content and duration of your training
(e.B. List of subjects and grades, study book, Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records)
Certificate according to § 4 paragraph 1b of the Federal Pharmacists' Code that the applicant has carried out a pharmaceutical activity for at least three consecutive years during the last five years before the certificate is issued.

You usually hand in these documents later. The competent authority will inform you when you should hand in the documents:

Proof of your personal suitability: Extract from criminal record or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin. The proof may not be more than 3 months old when the application is submitted.
Proof of your fitness for health: Medical certificate. The proof may not be more than 3 months old when the application is submitted.
Proof of your German language skills: Language certificate.
Prerequisite for the approbation are general German language skills at level B2. You can also submit the required proof of language proficiency during the approbation procedure. In addition, you must take a medical language test at level C1 during the approbation procedure.

The competent authority will inform you which documents you must submit as a simple copy, as a certified copy or in the original.

If your documents are not available in German, you must submit German translations of your documents. Translations must be carried out by translators who have been publicly appointed or authorised.

Fees (costs)

The competent authority will inform you about the costs. The costs generally depend on the effort required for processing.

In addition, additional costs may arise (e.B. for translations or certifications). These costs vary from person to person.

Deadlines

None.

Sometimes documents are still missing in the procedure. The competent authority will then inform you by when you have to submit the documents. This may prolong the procedure.

Legal remedy

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (e.B. lodge an objection). The decision is then reviewed. Details can be found in the notice of appeal at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first talk to the competent authority before taking legal action against the decision.

Responsible body

Contact the State Examination Office for Health Professions.

Procedure

Application

You submit an application for a licence to practise as a pharmacist to the competent authority. You can submit the application with the documents to the competent authority or send it by post. Do not send originals. Sometimes you can also send the application electronically. The competent authority will inform you. The competent authority then 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 have started your vocational training after the EU/EEA accession of your training state. This means that if you also meet all other requirements, your professional qualification will be recognised without an individual equivalence test.

Certificate

Vocational training that you started before the EU/EEA accession of your training country (or that does not correspond to the legal designations) can also be automatically recognised. To do so, you must submit a certificate from the competent authority of your training state 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 prove your professional experience. You must have worked as a pharmacist in the country of origin for 3 consecutive years in the last 5 years before the application. This must be confirmed by the competent authority of your country of origin.

Equivalence test

If you are unable to provide a certificate of conformity or do not have enough professional experience, your training will need to be reviewed individually. The competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification. The competent body will check 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 medicine as a pharmacist.

Are there significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? Perhaps you can compensate for the differences through your professional practice, other knowledge or skills (lifelong learning). You must prove your professional experience. Knowledge and skills must be certified by an authority of the state in which you acquired the knowledge or skills.

However, it may be that the essential differences cannot be compensated by this knowledge. The competent authority will tell you the main differences and why you cannot compensate for the essential differences through your professional experience.

The decision of the competent authority also states the level of your training and the level that is necessary in Germany. You are then not allowed to work as a pharmacist in Germany.

Suitability test

If your professional qualification is not equivalent and you cannot compensate for the differences, you can take an aptitude test. In the aptitude test, the essential differences in your professional qualification are examined. The aptitude test is an oral examination.

If you pass the aptitude test and meet all other requirements, you will receive the license to practice as a pharmacist.

Further information

Freedom to provide services

You only want to offer services in Germany sometimes and for a short time? Then you usually do not need the state permission. You must meet these requirements:

You must be established in another EU, EEA or Swiss country.
You must prove your professional qualification.
You must report your activity in writing to the competent authority.

The competent authority will inform you.

European Professional Card

You can apply for a European Professional Card (EBA). You can apply online on the website of the European Commission. The European Professional Card is an electronic procedure for the recognition of professional qualifications. It applies only to EU countries and to certain professions.

Equivalence notice

In the approbation procedure, the equivalence of your training is checked (recognition procedure). You can request a separate decision for the result of the examination.

Procedure for ethnic German repatriates

As a ethnic German repatriate, you can either go through the recognition procedure according to the laws mentioned here or according to the Federal Displaced Persons Act. You can decide for yourself. The responsible body will advise you on which procedure is right for you.