The fee the authority charges for the temporary work permit (Berufserlaubnis) that lets you work under supervision before you get your full licence.

English docs without translation

Whether the state accepts your English documents (e.g. diploma, transcript) without a certified German translation. Most states require a certified translation.

BE in year 1 without FSP

Whether you can get a temporary work permit in your first year without having passed the medical language exam (FSP) yet. In most states the FSP is required first.

KP administering body

Which body runs the knowledge exam (Kenntnisprüfung). Usually the state medical chamber; in some states another body such as a university hospital or exam office.

Equivalence assessment body

Which body checks whether your foreign medical degree is equivalent to a German one. This check can take a long time.

What the state uses to decide whether it's responsible for your case: your country of origin, the country where you studied, or no distinction at all.

Foreign-trained physician share

How many of the doctors in the state earned their degree abroad. A higher share often means more experience with international colleagues.

How many doctors there are per 100,000 people. A lower number can mean doctors are more in demand there.

Avg total duration to approbation

Median number of months from filing the Approbation application to receiving the licence. Combines document review, language exam scheduling, and authority backlog.

Weeks between booking the Fachsprachprüfung (medical German exam) and the next available appointment at the state's chamber of physicians.

Weeks until the next available Kenntnisprüfung (knowledge exam) slot — relevant for non-EU graduates without Gleichwertigkeit.

Months the state authority typically needs to review your foreign diploma, transcripts, and CV — before issuing a Defizitbescheid or full equivalence.

Berufserlaubnis available

Whether the state issues a temporary work permit (Berufserlaubnis) so you can practise under supervision while completing your Approbation steps.

Defizitbescheid turnaround

How quickly the authority processes a Defizitbescheid (gap notice) after you submit your evidence, if your training was rated not yet equivalent. Times vary a lot by state.

Official fee for sitting the Fachsprachprüfung once. Excludes retake fees and any preparation course costs.

Official fee for sitting the Kenntnisprüfung once. Excludes preparation costs.

Share of candidates who do not pass the Fachsprachprüfung on first attempt, latest published cohort (2023).

Share of candidates who fail the knowledge exam (Kenntnisprüfung) on the first try. Some chambers publish no figures — values then come from applicant reports.

How the state handles Kenntnisprüfung retakes. The federal maximum is 3 attempts, but states differ on how cross-state attempts are counted and what happens after a failure.

Approbation authority

The authority that issues your Approbation. Wording on letters, processing speed, and online portal quality vary widely.

Non-EU applicant policy

How the state handles applications from non-EU/EEA doctors in practice: 'Open' = predictable, 'Moderate' = case-by-case, 'Strict' = additional hurdles common.

Anhörung (interview) frequency

How often the authority schedules an oral hearing (Anhörung) before deciding on your Approbation. A hearing can add several weeks to the timeline.

Job contract required

Whether the authority requires a signed German employment contract before issuing Approbation. 'Strict' = contract required, 'Moderate' = alternatives accepted (e.g. residence or the Berufserlaubnis route), 'Open' = not required. Matters if your German network is thin.

Competitive specialty access

How realistic landing a residency is in competitive specialties (Radiology, Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery) as a foreign doctor. 'Open' = realistic, 'Tight' = stiff competition, 'Very tight' = effectively closed. General and Internal Medicine are usually easier to enter.

Resident — entry salary

Gross annual entry salary for Assistenzärzte under the TV-Ärzte tariff agreements in 2024. Excludes night-shift bonuses.

Specialist — median salary

Median gross annual salary for Fachärzte after successful Facharzt-Prüfung. Based on Marburger Bund Monitor 2024.

Average asking rent in €/m² for a 1-bedroom flat in the state's capital city, Q4 2024 — the most honest single proxy for cost of living in our comparison.

FEDERAL STATE FINDERBETA

Compare all 16 German states for your medical approbation — in one place.

Processing time, exam fees, fail rates and authority quirks — curated from official sources and 14,000+ applicants.

Which German federal state is best for the medical Approbation? It isn't "Berlin or Munich" — it depends on which stage you're in and which obstacle costs you the most. Hamburg grants the Berufserlaubnis in your first year without a passed FSP; Hesse can take up to two years to decide; in NRW the Anhörung is essentially mandatory — while Bavaria runs the equivalence assessment in-house and skips the GfG Bonn backlog entirely.

We compare all 16 German federal states for foreign-trained physicians: FSP and Kenntnisprüfung fees, fail rates from the latest chamber reports, total Approbation processing time, KP appointment wait, Berufserlaubnis policy, Anhörung frequency, non-EU policy, state funding programs, TV-Ärzte salaries, and rents in each capital — curated from official sources including BLÄK, LÄK BW, ZAABY, BezReg Münster, LSJV, Marburger Bund tables, Bundesärztekammer statistics, and state chamber Tätigkeitsberichte.

Pick 2–3 states to compare side-by-side, or click a single state for the detail page covering all 28 metrics. The coloured confidence dots show whether a value is officially confirmed or a community estimate — so you know what you can rely on.

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