Why your C1 certificate isn't enough for a German licence

A C1 certificate from Goethe or telc does not get you a German doctor's licence (Approbation) by itself. It proves your general German. Most state medical chambers (Landesärztekammer) still make you sit a separate exam for medical German, called the Fachsprachprüfung.

What does the licence office actually check?

The licence office (Approbationsbehörde) checks your general German at level B2. This is the everyday German certificate: Goethe, telc, or ÖSD all work.

You can send this B2 certificate after you apply. You do not need it in hand on day one, as of 2026-10.

So who checks the medical German?

The state medical chamber runs the medical language exam, at about level C1. This is a different office, with a different exam, from the B2 check above.

The exam is one 60-minute session with three parts, as of 2026-10.

A talk with a patient. A written report about that patient.

A handover talk with a doctor examiner. It tests your German, not your medical knowledge.

Does a general C1 certificate skip this exam?

Usually no. A Goethe or telc C1 certificate proves you can read a newspaper and hold a conversation.

It does not prove you can take a patient history. It does not prove you can write a clean discharge note in German. That is what the chamber is testing.

Rules differ by state. Some chambers have let a general language test substitute in narrow cases.

This is the exception, not the rule. Ask your chamber in writing whether your certificate is accepted before you skip the exam.

What does the exam cost?

In North Rhine-Westphalia (Cologne) the medical language exam costs about €400. In Lower Saxony it costs €595, as of 2026-10. Each state sets its own fee.

Who books the exam date?

The licence office registers you for the exam once your file is moving. Do not try to book a date with the chamber on your own before that.

1. Send your general German certificate (B2) to the licence office as soon as you have it.
2. Write to your state medical chamber and ask: does my C1 certificate replace the Fachsprachprüfung, or do I still sit it?
3. Ask the same letter: what is the current fee and which city holds the exam this quarter?

Stand: 2026-11-05. 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) before you act.