Apply for recognition as a specialist dentist with a professional qualification from the EU/EEA or Switzerland

Read aloud

The profession of specialist dentist is regulated in Germany. This means that you need a permit if you want to use the title "Fachzahnärztin" or "Fachzahnarzt" for your specialization in the selected federal state.

By training as a specialist dentist, you have acquired a medical specialization in addition to your qualification as a dentist abroad. To work as a dentist in Germany, you first need a license to practice or a professional permit. In order to work as a specialist dentist in Germany, you must also apply for recognition of your further training as a specialist dentist. This allows you to use the title "Fachzahnärztin" or "Fachzahnarzt" in your respective specialization.

Note: You may only use the title for your specialization if there is a corresponding further training title in Germany.

Permission is granted by the relevant state dental association after your documents and requirements have been checked.

The state dental associations (here: Dental Association of Lower Saxony)

You must already have a valid state professional license (Approbation) as a dentist or a professional permit in Germany.
You must provide proof of the equivalence of your professional qualification as a specialist dentist.

Curriculum vitae with details of completed further training and professional experience
Proof of identity (identity card or passport)
Proof of German license to practice medicine or professional permit and proof of equivalent level of training
Proof of further training and certificates of professional experience
Additional evidence to verify equivalence
Written declaration as to whether you have already submitted an application for recognition to another medical association

You only need to submit the following documents if your professional qualification was completed before a certain date (cut-off date). The competent body will inform you:

Certificate of conformity

Proof that you have actually and legally practiced the profession for at least 3 years without interruption during the last 5 years before the certificate was issued.

If your documents are not in German, you must submit German translations of your documents. The translations must be made by translators who are publicly appointed or authorized.

Fees may apply. Please contact the responsible office.

Before you submit the application, you must already have a license to practice as a dentist or a professional permit in Germany.

You apply for recognition of your further training title as a specialist dentist at the relevant state dental association:

First, you submit your application and the required documents to the dental association of the federal state in which you wish to work.
You may be asked to submit any missing documents.
The automatic recognition procedure often applies. This means that your professional qualification will be recognized without an individual equivalence check.
If you started your training before your country of training joined the EU/EEA, you must prove that your professional qualification meets the minimum EU standards ("certificate of conformity"). This will be certified by the competent authority in your country of training. If your professional qualification does not meet the minimum standards, you must provide evidence of your professional practice. To do this, you must have worked in the profession in your country of origin for an uninterrupted period of 3 years in the 5 years prior to submitting your application.
If your professional qualification is not automatically recognized, your training must be checked individually. The competent authority will then check whether your professional qualification is equivalent. The professional qualification is equivalent if there are no significant differences between your foreign professional qualification and the German professional qualification.
If your qualification as a specialist dentist is recognized, you can work in the profession in Germany. You will receive a notification.

If significant differences are found, the equivalence of your qualification as a specialist dentist will not be certified:

You will receive a statement of reasons.
You can take an aptitude test to prove the missing knowledge.
If you successfully pass the aptitude test, you will receive recognition. You may then use the title "Fachzahnärztin" or "Fachzahnarzt" for your specialization

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (for example, by lodging an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. It is best to speak to the responsible office first before taking legal action against the decision.

There are no deadlines.

within 3 months of receipt of the complete documents; extension of the deadline by one month possible.