Your internship year can help in Germany

Your internship year can help your German doctor licence only when the licensing office can see your clinical work on paper. A line saying “internship completed” rarely tells them enough.

The office needs to see where you worked, which wards you joined, and who supervised you. Your internship certificate can matter during a paper review of your medical degree.

Why your internship paper matters

Germany compares your medical education with German medical training. The licensing office reads your degree, transcript, curriculum, and clinical training papers.

A clinical internship can fill part of your final training year. This matters when your university course included less bedside work than the German course.

The office does not guess what happened on a ward. It reads the certificate, the rotation list, and the hours written by your hospital.

Send these 5 internship papers

Send clear papers with your main application. If a paper is missing, the office sends a letter asking for more details.

• Internship certificate with your full name and exact dates.
• Rotation list naming each department, such as internal medicine or surgery.
• Hours or weeks spent in every department.
• Hospital letter naming the senior doctor who supervised you.
• University curriculum showing where the internship sits in your degree.

Ask your university and hospital for separate letters if one certificate lacks these details. A stamped paper with exact dates is easier for an officer to read.

The paper review is now optional

From 1 November 2026, the knowledge exam is the normal choice for doctors with degrees from outside the EU. A paper review happens only if you request it within 4 weeks of applying.

That choice is binding. Your internship papers matter most if you choose the paper review of your degree.

The paper review can end with a decision that your training is the same. It can also end with a request for more papers or the knowledge exam.

Do this before you apply

Get the detailed internship letter before leaving your hospital. Senior doctors and university offices are harder to reach years later.

1. Ask your hospital for a letter with dates, departments, hours, and supervisor name.
2. Ask your university for the curriculum and final-year rotation rules.
3. Translate every internship paper into German with a sworn translator.
4. Send the papers with your application to the state licensing office.
5. If you request a paper review, do it within 4 weeks of applying.

Stand: 2026-10-16. 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.