DE ·
Germany: faster recognition route for foreign doctors, dentists, pharmacists and midwives from 1 November 2026
A federal law that speeds up recognition of foreign qualifications in four health professions was published on 28 July 2026. According to an industry association, its remaining parts took effect on 1 November 2026. For doctors, dentists and pharmacists from non-EU countries, the knowledge test becomes the standard route; the document-based equivalence check is only available on request.
What has changed
Germany's Act to Accelerate Recognition Procedures for Foreign Professional Qualifications in the Health Professions was passed by the Bundestag on 26 March 2026, approved by the Bundesrat on 8 May 2026 and published in the Federal Law Gazette (BGBl. 2026 I No. 225) on 28 July 2026. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the direct knowledge test (Kenntnisprüfung) becomes the standard way to recognise medical, dental and pharmaceutical qualifications from non-EU countries. The document-based equivalence check will only be offered as an option.
Who it applies to
The federal government names four professions: doctors, dentists, pharmacists and midwives. For midwives with a non-EU qualification, the ministry says applicants may waive the document-based equivalence check and go directly to a knowledge test or an adaptation course. The official descriptions do not mention nurses or other health professions, so this change should not be assumed to apply to them.
What stays the same
The government stresses that professional requirements are not being lowered and patient-safety standards remain unchanged. A full licence to practise (Approbation) still requires proof of the German language skills needed for the job. German states may now test the language skills of non-EU applicants before the qualification itself is assessed; for EU/EEA and Swiss qualifications, the qualification continues to be assessed first, as EU law requires.
Dates and sources
The publication date of 28 July 2026 is confirmed on the official Federal Law Gazette page. The split entry into force (some parts on 29 July 2026, the rest on 1 November 2026) comes from a statement by the industry association Pharma Deutschland and from specialist reports; we could not check this date word for word in the official legal text. Please treat the 1 November 2026 date as reported, not officially confirmed by us.
What is still unclear
It is not yet clear how each German state will organise language testing, waiting times for knowledge tests, or how applications already in progress are handled. Fees and documents can differ by state authority. Anyone affected should check directly with the competent state authority before making plans.
How WorkMarket.eu handles this
Workers pay no recruitment fees through WorkMarket.eu. A faster procedure does not mean automatic recognition or automatic permission to work: every cross-border move and every legal start of work needs an individual review by a person, including the recognition decision of the responsible German authority.