Procedure descriptions
Physiotherapist, dietician, MTA, masseur and medical bath attendant, PTA, speech therapist, occupational therapist, podiatrist, emergency paramedic with foreign professional training - apply for authorisation to use the professional title
If you want to work in a specific healthcare profession in Germany without restriction, you need a state licence. The licence authorises you to use the corresponding professional title and to practise the profession.
You need a licence for the following professions:
- Physiotherapist or physiotherapist
- Dietary assistant
- Medical-technical assistant or medical-technical assistant
- Masseur and medical bath attendant or masseuse and medical bath attendant
- Pharmaceutical-technical assistant or pharmaceutical-technical assistant
- Speech therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Podiatrist
- Emergency paramedic
If you obtained your professional qualification abroad, the competent authority will check whether your qualification is equivalent to the corresponding German qualification. You will only receive the permit if your training is recognised as equivalent.
Citizens of the European Union or the European Economic Area who only wish to work in Germany temporarily and occasionally do not require a state licence. However, they must notify the competent authority of their activity. Further information can be obtained from the competent authority.
Get free advice on the recognition of your foreign professional qualification. You have a legal right to this counselling. The specially trained staff at the advice centres listed below will discuss with you what options are available with your qualification and what procedure seems to make the most sense. They will also support you in making an application and compiling the necessary documents.
Responsible authority
Details
Prerequisite
- Professional qualification: corresponding foreign professional qualification
- Personal qualification:
- personal reliability
- health suitability
- sufficient knowledge of the German language:
- Speech therapist: at least level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
- otherwise: at least level B2
Note: Your nationality, the origin of your qualification and your residence status are not relevant.
Procedure
The competent body will check whether your qualification obtained abroad is equivalent to the corresponding German qualification.
Your qualification will be recognised as equivalent if there are no significant differences between your foreign qualification and the corresponding German qualification.
In addition to your education, the competent authority will also take into account the professional experience you have gained in Germany or abroad. Any significant differences identified in the professional training can be compensated for by relevant professional experience.
You will receive the permit if your qualification is recognised as equivalent and the other requirements are also met.
If there are significant differences between your qualification and the German reference qualification, you can take part in an equalisation measure (examination or adaptation period) in order to achieve equivalence. You can obtain further information from the competent authority.
Deadlines
None
Required documents
- Application form or online application
- Registry office documents on name, place and date of birth (e.g. birth/marriage certificate, extract from the family register)
- Proof of citizenship: passport, identity card or residence certificate
- Current, complete curriculum vitae in tabular form with precise details of your educational and professional background
- Proof of education: Certificates, diploma, licence to practise, registration, overview of subjects and studies, specialist examination, specialist internship and so on
- Further proof of qualifications, if applicable
- Proof of relevant professional experience (e.g. job reference, work book, index)
- if you are resident
- in Germany: Certificate of your main residence in Baden-Württemberg. You can obtain this from the registration office responsible for your place of residence. (Copy of the registration);
- abroad: Proof that you intend to practise your profession in Baden-Württemberg. Suitable documents must be submitted for this purpose, e.g. confirmation from the future employer, letter of application or job application.
- Proof of German language skills from a recognised language institute (can be submitted later)
- for proof of personal reliability:
- If resident in Germany: Certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority (can be submitted later)
- If you live abroad: Documents from your home country that prove your personal reliability.
- Current medical certificate stating that you are not unfit for the profession with date, stamp and signature of the doctor
The competent authority may request further documents.
Note: Please only send certified copies and never originals! A copy in the original language and a copy of a German translation are required for documents in a foreign language. Translations must be carried out by a publicly appointed or sworn interpreter or translator.
Costs
The costs for recognition are always individual. Below you will find a rough overview.
The costs for the decision on the equivalence of training generally amount to EUR 100.00. An additional EUR 200.00 (EU) or EUR 250.00 (EEA, Switzerland, third country) is charged for issuing the professional certificate.
Separate costs may be incurred for the preparation of an expert opinion to determine the reference qualification, the equivalence of the training and the authenticity of documents.
Processing time
Maximum of four months.
The period begins with the receipt of the complete documents.
Miscellaneous
none
Legal basis
- Richtlinie 2005/36/EG des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates
- Berufsqualifikationsfeststellungsgesetz Baden-Württemberg (BQFG-BW)
- Masseur- und Physiotherapeutengesetz (MPhG)
- Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung für Physiotherapeuten (PhysTh-APrV)
- Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung für Masseure und medizinische Bademeister (MB-APrV)
- Diätassistentengesetz (DiätAssG)
- Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung für Diätassistentinnen und Diätassistenten (DiätAss-AprV)
- Gesetz über den Beruf des pharmazeutisch-technischen Assistenten (PTAG)
- Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung für pharmazeutisch-technische Assistentinnen und pharmazeutisch-technische Assistenten (PTA-APrV)
- Gesetz über den Beruf als Logopäden (LogopG)
- Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsordnung für Logopäden (LogAPrO)
- Ergotherapeutengesetz (ErgThG)
- Ergotherapeuten-Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung (ErgThAPrV)
- Notfallsanitätergesetz (NotSanG)
- Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung für Notfallsanitäterinnen und Notfallsanitäter (NotSan-APrV)
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 10.11.2025
Contact
Bürger- und Standesamt (Bürgeramt)
eMail buergeramt@heidenheim.de
Telefon (0 73 21) 3 27-33 42
Fax (0 73 21) 3 23-33 32