The German parliament has passed a new law aimed at accelerating the recognition of foreign medical qualifications, in a move to address the growing shortage of doctors in hospitals and clinics, especially in rural areas.
The law allows doctors from non-EU countries to directly apply for competency exams, with standardized criteria, digital procedures, and early language testing. At the same time, the Federal Medical Association emphasized the need to maintain the quality of care and patient safety.
The core of this law is that doctors holding degrees from developing countries will be able to proceed directly to competency assessments, while previous procedures are simplified. These facilitations also apply to dentists, pharmacists, and midwives.
Although the law may appear to benefit foreign doctors, its primary goal is to tackle the workforce shortage. Foreign doctors currently make up about 13% of the medical workforce in Germany, while over 23% of doctors are above the age of 60 and expected to retire soon.
The new law comes in response to this shortage, with medical associations declaring a state of emergency in rural areas. It is expected to come into effect at the beginning of November after approval by the German Federal Council.
