Logo Bayernportal
- no location -
Home > Procedures

Veterinarian; application for a license to practice medicine for training in the EU/EEA/Switzerland

Veterinarians can apply for a license to practice if they have completed their veterinary training in an EU member state, an EEA member state or in Switzerland and wish to work as a veterinarian in Bavaria.

Online services & Forms

Online services

Responsible for you

For contact details of the responsible authoritiy and local valid information select under "Select location" a location.
Stilisiertes Bild eines Hauses
Regierung von Oberbayern
Mehr zur Behörde

Procedure details

If you would like to work as a veterinarian in Germany after studying veterinary medicine, you will need a special professional license - a license to practice medicine.

After successfully completing your studies in an EU member state, an EEA member state or Switzerland, you can apply for a license to practice as a veterinarian. This license allows you to practice the profession of veterinarian in Germany independently and on your own responsibility.

You will receive a license to practice for an unlimited period of time. It is valid for the entire Federal Republic of Germany.

Your license to practice can be revoked if you are no longer reliable to practice the profession. This may include violating professional regulations or committing a criminal offense. Your license can also be revoked if you have health problems relevant to the practice of the veterinary profession.

You will receive a license to practice as a veterinarian under the following conditions:

  • Veterinary training completed in an EU member state, an EEA contracting state or in Switzerland which is equivalent to German training.
  • You have not been guilty of any conduct that makes you unworthy or unreliable to practise the profession.
  • You are medically fit to practise the profession.
  • You have the necessary knowledge of the German language to practice your profession.

  • Birth certificate/parentage certificate or extract from the parents' family register
    (certified copy)
  • if the name used differs from that on the birth certificate: proof of a change of name (e.g. marriage certificate)
    (certified copy)
  • valid proof of identity (e.g. passport)
    (certified copy)
  • complete and personally signed curriculum vitae

    (tabular and chronological list of the training courses completed and the relevant gainful activities pursued, stating the periods (month/year) and enclosing the relevant supporting documents)

  • Medical certificate (original)

    This must be issued and signed by a general practitioner or internal medicine practitioner established in Germany or another signatory state to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or in Switzerland and stamped with a practice or clinic stamp. If the practice or clinic stamp is not in German, a German translation of the stamp is required.

  • Certificate of good conduct of document type "O"
    • If the applicant has already spent more than six months in Germany in the past or has had or still has a place of residence in Germany.
    • In Germany, this must be applied for at the registration office of the place of residence, stating the purpose "Approbation as a veterinarian". The certificate of good conduct will be sent directly to the competent authority by the Federal Office of Justice.
  • Proof of impunity
    • Submission of criminal record extracts from all countries outside Germany in which the applicant has resided for more than six months.
    • The criminal record extracts must not be older than three months when the application is received.
    • Certified copies of these extracts must be submitted.
    • In addition, a certificate of good conduct of document type "O" if the applicant has already spent more than six months in Germany in the past or has had or still has a place of residence in Germany (see above).
  • Proof of your completed training (certified copy)
    Proof of training such as a diploma or, if applicable, other country-specific proof in accordance with Annex 5 of Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of September 7, 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications
  • Certificate of good standing, if applicable (certified copy)

    Is required from all countries in which the medical profession has already been practiced.

  • Proof of required German language skills (certified copy)
    (A certificate from an ALTE-certified language institute at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) must be submitted).

You must submit the application for licensure with the required documents to the government of Upper Bavaria.

A fee of EUR 250 to 500 must be paid for the license to practice medicine if the training takes place in an EU member state, an EEA member state or in Switzerland.

The application for approval is not subject to a time limit.

Administrative court action

Status: 11.11.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Gesundheit, Pflege und Prävention
Contains machine translated content. Show the original content