German Medical Licensing Regulations

What does the ÄApprO contain?

The Medical Licensing Regulations fill in what the Federal Medical Act lays down only in broad terms. They describe the course of study comprising 5,500 hours over a minimum of six years, a standard period of study of six years and three months, the three-month nursing placement, the first-aid course, the four-month clinical clerkship (Famulatur), and the practical year of 48 weeks. The state examination is divided into three sections: the first section after two years, still frequently called the Physikum, the second section before the practical year, and the third section after it. Licensure follows only after the third section. The regulations also govern details such as credit for study periods completed elsewhere, withdrawal from examinations, and repeat possibilities.

Does the 2002 version still apply in August 2026?

Yes. The ÄApprO 2002 continues to apply in its current version, last amended by ordinance of 7 June 2023. The completely new medical licensing regulations announced in the Masterplan for Medical Studies 2020, published in 2017, have not yet entered into force. A first draft was published in November 2020, a revised draft followed, and the Federal Ministry of Health spoke early in 2024 of a final coordination process with a possible start date of 1 October 2027. The dispute centres primarily on the division of funding between the federal government and the states. For personal planning, this means: anyone starting today should not base their timing on a reform whose entry into force remains open.

Why is the ÄApprO also relevant for graduates from abroad?

Anyone who studies in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, or Croatia sits the national final examination there, not the German state examination. For the recognition of a completed degree, EU qualifications are governed by Article 21 of Directive 2005/36/EC, not the ÄApprO. It nevertheless becomes relevant as soon as someone wants to transfer to Germany mid-course: the state examination office assesses the credits earned abroad against the requirements of the ÄApprO and decides on placement in a given semester. For graduates from Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, § 37 applies, which governs the knowledge test.

Common misconceptions

The ÄApprO is not a university study regulations document. Each faculty additionally has its own study and examination regulations, which differ from one another in detail. Nor does it govern specialist postgraduate training — that is the responsibility of the state medical associations.