โข The translation of the words
| ๐ฉ๐ช Approbation | ๐บ๐ธ Permanent medical license | ๐ฏ๐ด ุฑุฎุตุฉ ู ุฒุงููุฉ ุงูู ููุฉ ุงูุทุจูุฉ ุงูุฏุงุฆู ุฉ |
versus
| ๐ฉ๐ช Berufserlaubnis (BE) | ๐บ๐ธ Temporary medical license | ๐ฏ๐ด ุฑุฎุตุฉ ู ุฒุงููุฉ ุงูู ููุฉ ุงูุทุจูุฉ ุงูู ุคูุชุฉ |
If you have the slightest doubt about a certain point or do not understand any information, askย at any time in the main group of our community “Facharzt JETZT” onย Facebookย and Telegram (groups will appear as a folder). We remind you that this article is a guidance article to help you understand things and you should not rely solely on it. You should always return to the official websites. ๐
โข How can you get directly an Approbation and not firstly a Berufserlaubnis?
Step number six of the 10 steps for beginning a medical residency in Germany is to apply for a German permanent medical license (die Approbation).
You can ask during the application process for a German Approbation (all required documents are here) that an appraisal process (๐ฉ๐ช Begutachtung) of your medical studies takes place. This process lasts between two to about months depending on the state and depending on where you studied. The results of this appraisal process is one of two things:
| ๐ฅณ Your medical studies are recognized to be equivalent to a German degree (๐ฉ๐ช gleich = Gleichwertigkeit bekommen) (How?) | ๐ข Your studies were judged NOT to be equivalent to a German degree (๐ฉ๐ช nicht gleich) |
|---|---|
| You avoid a medical knowledge exam (๐ฉ๐ช Kenntnisprรผfung) –> You can get the Approbation after succeeding in the medical language exam (๐ฉ๐ช Fachsprachenprรผfung) | You need to do a medical knowledge exam (๐ฉ๐ช Kenntnisprรผfung). Until you do succeed in it, you are given a period of two years to work with a temporary medical license (๐ฉ๐ช Berufseralubnis). |
Your aim should be to get the Approbation. As its definition says, it is a โpermanentโ medical license and the Berufserlaubnis (BE) is a โtemporaryโ medical license. But this is not the only difference. ๐
โข Why is a Berufserlaubnis (BE) a bad alternative to the Approbation?
We summarized the differences in the following table:
| ๐ฉ๐ช die Approbation (permanent medical license) | ๐ฉ๐ช die Berufserlaubnis (BE) (temporary medical license) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time validity | Lifelong | Some German approbation authorities do not give it to foreign doctors, others give it for a duration between 6-24 months. In rare cases and after a lot of mails and phone calls, it could be lengthened by a few months |
| Where can you work with it? | All over Germany; probably in many EU/EEA countries too | Only one German state (๐ฉ๐ช das Bundesland) and, in many cases, only in one hospital in that state. To change hospitals inside this German state, you need to apply for a new one. Changing German states is even more complicated, and to get a new BE from the new approbation authority could take months. |
| Working restrictions | You may do everything a doctor may do | You can work in the department, only when other doctors with a permanent medical license are there at the same time (the idea is: they observe you). Moreover, almost always, you cannot do extra shifts with it. |
| Easy to get a job? | Of course | It is hard. Even if a hospital accepted you to work with BE, they are usually small and isolated hospitals. Moreover, they know that you cannot find a job easily, so they might take advantage of you (e.g., working extra hours without them being paid). But this is rather not a common thing. Moreover, you are anyhow a beginner, and through working extra you can improve your German and learn for the exam (learning by doing). |
| Salary | Normal (we explained the salaries of doctors in normal hospitals here: Link) | In almost 95% of the cases, like a normal doctor with a permanent medical license. But I heard of some hospitals paying doctors with a temporary medical license less. Because doctors with BE are almost always not allowed to do shift work, they get the normal salary for doctors (but it is not little and anyhow they need time to study for their medical knowledge exam). |
| Does the residency period under it count for the total period of the residency? | Yes, from day one. | No. So, if you work with a BE for 2 years as an internal medicine resident, this does not mean that you then require an additional 3 years to finish the residency period of internal medicine (which is 5 years). Only the time of residency with Approbation would be counted. Therefore, the total residency period would then be 7 years. |
| Getting an unlimited right to stay in Germany? | You get immediately a blue card (Blaue Karte), which is a residence permit to stay and work. It is the European Union version of a the American green card. After working for 21 months, you can get the permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis). This means, you then have the right to remain in the EU indefinitely. | You can only get a blue card (temporary residence). You can only get the permanent residence after getting the Approbation. |
| Notes | If you had a Berufserlaubnis in one German state for two years, you cannot move to the next German state and take two new years. If you exceed the two years period, you cannot renew them ๐ Some might get through a lawyer or throuhg a lot of help of the hospitals an extension. |
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[โฆ] Approbation vs Berufserlaubnis: Can I work as a doctor with Berufserlaubnis? Yes, butโฆ [โฆ]
Regarding the EU Blue Card, are you sure that many places (inside Germany) will not give you a EU Blue Card if you have the Berufserlaubnis?
Thank you for your important question. I asked a friend of mine to confirm this. Could you please post the same text in our main Facebook group?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/438042273519578
I am not sure what other doctors think.
[…] Do the medical knowledeg exam (๐ฉ๐ช die Kenntnisprรผfung)– You should register to get an appointment. It usually takes months. So, do it quickly.– That you can apply for a temporary medical license (๐ฉ๐ช eine Berufserlaubnis) and try to find a job until you do the exam. The differences between a Berufserlaubnis and an Approbation are explained in the following article. […]