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  • Approbation

Pharmacist Approbation in Germany

From a pharmacy degree outside the EU to the German Approbation: your state authority, documents, B2 and C1 German, the equivalence check and, if required, the oral Kenntnisprüfung.

  • 8 steps

Step by step

  1. Prepare

    Choose your state and find its authority

    You apply to the authority of the state where you will live or work, not to a national office: for example LAGeSo in Berlin or Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart (Referat 98) in Baden-Württemberg.

    Read in the guide Official site
  2. Prepare

    Collect your documents and certified translations

    Degree, transcripts, license to practise, certificate of good standing, police clearance, a medical certificate from a doctor licensed in Germany, CV and ID, with translations by publicly appointed or authorised translators. Several documents must be no more than three months old when you apply. Your state's list is the one that counts.

    Read in the guide Official site
  3. Prepare

    Reach B2 in general German

    Every state authority in the guide (Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg, Bremen) asks for general German at B2. Berlin accepts B2 certificates from telc, TestDaF or the Goethe-Institut that are no more than three years old.

    Time: For most people the language levels take longest. Start German early, while you collect documents.

    Read in the guide
  4. Apply

    Apply for the Approbation

    The authority compares your training with the German pharmacy degree (Gleichwertigkeitsprüfung); some states have your degree assessed by the ZAB. If it finds essential differences that your work experience does not make up for, you must pass the Kenntnisprüfung.

    Cost: Fees vary by state (examples in the last step).

    Time: Berlin: about 3–4 months once documents are complete; other states: depends on the case.

    Read in the guide Official site
  5. Apply Optional

    Optional: work with a Berufserlaubnis

    A revocable temporary permit under § 11 BApO lets you work without the Approbation, for at most two years in total. It can be limited to certain tasks and workplaces, and the states describe it as supervised work.

    Read in the guide Official site
  6. Exams

    Pass the specialist language exam (C1)

    The Fachsprachprüfung checks the pharmacy German you need at work, at C1. Who runs it differs by state: in Berlin it is the Apothekerkammer Berlin. Learning the German trade names of the medicines you already know helps.

    Read in the guide
  7. Exams Optional

    Pass the oral Kenntnisprüfung (if required)

    An oral exam on one day, 30 to 60 minutes per candidate, in Pharmazeutische Praxis and Spezielle Rechtsgebiete für Apotheker, plus any subject where the authority found essential differences. It is offered at least twice a year, and you may repeat it twice.

    Read in the guide Official site
  8. License

    Receive the Approbation

    Once equivalence is confirmed or the Kenntnisprüfung is passed, and the language, reliability and health requirements of § 4 BApO are met, your state grants the Approbation.

    Cost: Fees vary by state. Examples from the guide: Berlin €430; Hamburg €130–360, with possible extra fees.

    Read in the guide Official site

General information, not legal or immigration advice. Each German federal state runs its own procedure, fees and exam dates: check every step with your state authority. MediHelp is not affiliated with any German authority or pharmacists' chamber.

Read the full guide

Frequently asked questions

Is there one national date for the Kenntnisprüfung?

No. Each state sets its own dates; the law says the exam should be offered at least twice a year.

Is the Kenntnisprüfung written or multiple choice?

No. It is an oral exam of 30 to 60 minutes per candidate, held on one day.

Do I need C1 for everything?

General German is usually required at B2. C1 is the level of the specialist language exam (Fachsprachprüfung).

Can I work before I have the Approbation?

Yes, with a Berufserlaubnis under § 11 BApO: a revocable, time-limited permit of at most two years in total, which can be restricted to certain tasks and workplaces.

Official sources

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