Pharmacist:in with training from EU/EEA/Switzerland, recognize professional qualification

The profession of pharmacist is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to work as a pharmacist in Germany without any restrictions, you need a license to practice. Approbation is the state license for the profession. This means that you are not allowed to work independently as a pharmacist without a license.

You can also obtain a license to practice in Germany with a professional qualification from a country in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

In order to obtain a license to practice, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized.

In the recognition procedure, the competent authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification and checks the equivalence. The equivalence of the professional qualification is an important prerequisite for the granting of a license to practice.

A professional qualification from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland is usually automatically recognized when you apply for a licence to practise. However, there may also be deviations from this rule. This depends on the country in which you completed your training and when. If you began your professional training after your country of training joined the EU/EEA, your professional qualification will be recognized automatically.

If your professional qualification does not originate from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, other regulations apply.

In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must also meet other requirements for the permit to be issued. Further requirements include, for example, sufficient German language skills and health suitability.

In principle, you can also apply for the procedure from abroad.

Requirements

• You have a professional qualification as a pharmacist from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
• You want to work as a pharmacist in Germany.
• You can provide proof of competence in the federal state of Bremen.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable to work as a pharmacist and have no criminal record.
• Health suitability: You are mentally and physically fit to work as a pharmacist.
• You have German language skills at the required level. This is usually general language skills at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and medical language skills at level C1.

What documents do I need?

• The responsible office will tell you which documents you need to submit. Important documents are generally
  
  • Proof of identity (identity card or passport)
  • Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Proof of training
  • Proof of the content of your training:
  • List of subjects studied and hours of training you have completed
  • Proof of your relevant professional experience as a pharmacist (e.g. job references)
  • Information on whether you have already submitted an application for a license to practice in Germany
  • Do you not yet live or work in Germany? Then you may need to provide proof: You want to work in the profession in Germany. Proof includes, for example, applications for a job, invitations to interviews, personal statement
  • Proof of your personal suitability: criminal record or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin. The proof must not be older than 3 months at the time of application.
  • Certificate of conformity
• You only need to submit the following document if your professional qualification was completed before a certain date (cut-off date). The responsible office will inform you:
  
  • Certificate in accordance with Section 4 (1b) of the Federal Pharmacists' Code that the applicant has practiced pharmacy continuously for at least 3 years during the last 5 years before the certificate is issued.