Apply for your German licence from abroad

You can apply for your full German doctor licence (Approbation) from abroad. Send your papers to the licensing office in the state where you plan to work.

Do not wait for a German apartment or a German visa. Your passport, degree, home licence and translations can already be in the office file.

Which office gets your file?

The licensing office in your chosen state receives the application. It is not the state medical chamber. The chamber runs the language exam for doctors in many states.

Choose the state based on a real work plan. If you want a junior doctor job in Hanover, apply in Lower Saxony. If your hospital interview is in Cologne, apply in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Germany has separate licensing offices because each state runs its own process. A Berlin office does not take over your file because Berlin feels easier.

What address can you use?

Use your current home address if you still live abroad. Put the same address on your application form, CV and passport copies.

Some offices ask why they should handle your file. They may ask for a hospital invitation. They may ask for a job application or recruiter email.

They may also accept a short letter naming your target city. This paper is about the state, not your medical skills.

A job offer is strongest. An email showing an interview in that state is also useful.

Do you need a visa first?

No, you do not need a visa before filing from abroad. The licensing office checks your doctor papers. The German embassy checks your visa application later.

Keep the 2 files separate. Your licence file needs degree papers and health papers. Your visa file needs money, insurance and a reason for travel.

Send fresh papers

Several papers expire quickly. Your good standing certificate must be under 3 months old. The same rule applies to your criminal record extract.

Your medical certificate must also be under 3 months old. Request these papers close to the day you submit.

Ask the chosen licensing office for its current checklist before paying for translations. States use similar papers. Their forms and translation rules differ.

What to do now

1. Pick 1 German state based on a hospital, city or job search.
2. Download that state licensing office application form.
3. Collect your passport, CV, degree, transcript and home licence.
4. Request a new good standing certificate, criminal record extract and medical certificate.
5. Email the office: “I live abroad. Which proof of planned work in your state do you need?”

Stand: 2026-10-14. This is a guide, not legal advice. Every German state has its own rules, and rules change. Check with your state's [medical chamber (Landesärztekammer)](https://www.bundesaerztekammer.de/aerztekammern) before you act.