Which Visa?

Hi Andi, great question, many doctors get confused here. The most straightforward visa route for non-EU doctors is still the Qualified Professional Visa (§18b) or the EU Blue Card (§18g), if your degree is already recognized and you have a concrete job offer. If not, you usually look at §16d – either the classic Recognition Visa or the new Recognition Partnership. The classic Recognition Visa (§16d) is the traditional path: you need a Defizitbescheid before applying, often also a confirmed course admission, and your work options during the recognition phase are quite limited (usually up to 20 hours per week). The Recognition Partnership (§16d Abs. 3), introduced with the 2024 reform, is more flexible. You can enter without a Defizitbescheid, because your German employer supports the recognition process actively. That means you can start working under supervision right away while completing the missing qualification steps in parallel. It’s easier and faster, especially in shortage professions like medicine. Apart from these, there is also the Experienced Worker Visa (§19c), which targets physicians with at least two years of experience and a job offer. It comes with a lower salary threshold (€43,470 in 2025) than the Blue Card and can be a good alternative if your salary doesn’t reach the Blue Card level but your degree is already recognized. So, to sum up: Blue Card or §18b if you’re fully recognized, §16d classic if you already have a Defizitbescheid, and the new Recognition Partnership if you want to start work directly with employer support. The Experienced Worker Visa can be an additional option for those with professional experience but lower salaries. For details on all routes, you can check our guide: Germany Visa for Physicians. If you have more questions, feel free to ask here in the forum or send me a DM. We’re here to help you!
Best, Sophie