Application

You submit an application for a licence to practise veterinary medicine with the competent authority. The competent authority will check 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 recognised without an individual assessment of equivalence.

Certificate

Vocational training that you started before your country of training joined the EU/EEA (or that does not correspond to the legal titles) can also be automatically recognised. To do this, you must submit a certificate from the competent authority of 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 prove your professional experience. You must have worked as a veterinarian in your country of origin for 3 consecutive years in the 5 years prior to the application. This must be confirmed by the competent authority in your country of origin. This confirmation is generally sufficient.

Equivalence assessment

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 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 to you in writing. You still have to meet the other requirements and prove your language skills. Then you will be granted the license to practice veterinary medicine.

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

However, it may be that this knowledge is not sufficient. You will then not be able to compensate for the essential differences. Your foreign professional qualification will then not be recognised.

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

Suitability test

If your professional qualification is not equivalent, you can take an aptitude test. During the aptitude test, you check the essential differences between your professional qualifications. If you pass the aptitude test, you will be granted the license to practice veterinary medicine. You must also meet the other requirements and prove your language skills.

Remedy

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority. The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on the right 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.