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Recognition

Get your qualification recognised

Nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are regulated professions in Germany. You may only work in them with a German licence. Here is how you get it, step by step.

What you need

Four things for your licence

The licence is called Erlaubnis zum Führen der Berufsbezeichnung (permission to use your job title). You get it when all four points are met. It is valid in all of Germany.

  • Equivalent training

    Your training must be equal to the German one, or you close the gaps (see below).

  • Good German

    Usually B2. Speech therapists usually C2. Details

  • Health certificate

    A doctor confirms that you are fit to do the job.

  • Clean record

    A certificate of good conduct from your country, or from Germany.

What counts is where you trained, not your nationality. Nurses trained in the EU often get recognition automatically.

Step by step

How the recognition works

You can start from your home country. You do not need a job offer first.

  1. 1

    Choose your federal state

    The authority in the state where you want to work decides. Find it with the Recognition Finder.
  2. 2

    Prepare your documents

    Passport, CV, diploma, list of your training subjects and hours, proof of work experience, health certificate and certificate of good conduct.
  3. 3

    Get translations

    Documents must be translated into German by a sworn translator. Some copies must be officially certified. Do not send originals.
  4. 4

    Apply

    Send your application to the authority. Some states have an online application. From abroad, the ZSBA can check your file and send it for you.
  5. 5

    Get your decision letter

    You receive a Bescheid (official decision letter). It says if your training is equivalent, or exactly what is missing.
  6. 6

    Get your licence

    When your training is equivalent and your German, health certificate and record are in order, you get your licence.
If something is missing

Close the gaps: test or course

If the authority finds important differences, you can still get your licence. You prove your knowledge in one of two ways. You choose.

  • Knowledge test

    Kenntnisprüfung (knowledge test): an oral and a practical exam on the content of the German state exam. Good if you are confident in your skills.

  • Adaptation course

    Anpassungslehrgang (adaptation course): you learn and work in practice, for example in a hospital, and finish with a final talk. It can last up to 3 years.
This choice applies if you trained outside the EU. If you trained in the EU, the options are an aptitude test (Eignungsprüfung) or an adaptation course. Once you have started one, you usually cannot switch.
Nurses: faster route

Nurses can skip the document check

Since December 2023, nurses can choose to skip the check of their training documents. You then go directly to the knowledge test or the adaptation course.

  • The advantages

    You need fewer documents, and it is often faster and cheaper.

  • The disadvantages

    Your work experience and extra training are not counted. Your test or course can be bigger. You cannot change this decision later.
Get free advice before you decide, for example from the ZSBA. This option exists only for nurses, not for therapists.
Time & costs

How long it takes and what it costs

Plan enough time. Most delays come from missing documents.

  • 3 to 4 months

    The authority must decide within 4 months, but only from the day your documents are complete. A test or course comes on top.

  • Several hundred euros

    The fee depends on the state and your case. Official examples range from about €25 to €450.

  • Extra costs

    Translations, certified copies and your test or course can cost extra. Ask your employer: some pay for this.

Sources: Recognition Finder and Make it in Germany.

Working meanwhile

Can you work before you have your licence?

Not as a nurse or therapist. There is no temporary licence for these professions. But with the right visa, you can already work in Germany.

  • Recognition partnership

    You come with a job offer and do the recognition in Germany. Until you have your licence, you work as an assistant.

  • Visa for recognition measures

    You come for your test or course. You may also work in a related job, with approval of the Federal Employment Agency.

Read more about these visas

Free help

Free, official advice

You do not need to pay anyone to apply for recognition. These services are free.

  • ZSBA

    For people abroad. They help with your documents and the application, until you enter Germany. Go to the ZSBA

  • ProRecognition

    Advice centres in many countries, in German, English and the local language. Find a centre

  • Hotline

    “Working and Living in Germany”: +49 30 1815-1111, in German and English. Opening hours

Sources

Official sources, last checked November 2026. Rules and numbers change. Always check the official pages before you make a decision.

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