Frequently Asked Questions
The doctor gap is a pressing issue in Germany.
Some areas of specialty are characterized by a particularly strained situation in terms of staffing. These include medical treatment, anesthesiology, psychiatry, and geriatrics, and the generalist gap exists too.
The salary of a doctor in Germany is determined in accordance with the salary rate scale.
The salary is formed depending not only on the position occupied by the employee and the employee’s company seniority, but also the place of their work.
The salary is determined according to the salary rate scale applied by the hospital where you work, as different salary rate scales apply in Germany.
There are different types of hospitals:
- University hospitals (e.g., University Hospital Dresden, University Hospital Leipzig, University Hospital Magdeburg);
- Municipal hospitals (public hospitals);
- Private hospitals (e.g., Asklepios, AMEOS, Paracelsus).
If you start working as a resident doctor (Assistenzarzt) in Germany, the starting salary as a resident in the first year of work is between 4,695 Euros and 5,053 Euros per month (excluding taxes). As you gain experience, your resident doctor salary increases. The salary increases annually in accordance with the salary rate scale. After your work experience in Germany has reached 5 years, the monthly salary is about 6,000 Euros.
| Salary level: | Salary range (gross): |
|---|---|
| Resident doctor (one year’s experience) | 4,695 – 5,053 EUR |
| Resident doctor (two years’ experience) | 4,961 – 5,219 EUR |
| Resident doctor (three years’ experience) | 5,151 – 5,420 EUR |
| Resident doctor (four years’ experience) | 5,480 – 5,765 EUR |
| Resident doctor (five years’ experience) | 5,873 – 6,178 EUR |
| Resident doctor (starting from the sixth year of work) | 6,036 – 6,340 EUR |
When working in a hospital as a medical specialist (after completing your residency), your salary can be 6,090 – 6,518.41 Euros, before taxes. The salary of a medical specialist continues to increase as the professional experience increases.
| Working hours | 40 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Supplements (per full working hour) | Overtime: 15% Night work: 15% Sunday work: 25% Public holiday:
24.12 and 31.12 (from 06.00 a.m.): 35% |
| Duty shifts | Daily working hours can be extended up to 24 hours while on duty; a maximum of eight full-time hours per day are allowed out of these hours. Daily working hours can be extended up to 24 hours a day on weekends and holidays if you have a daily duty on those days. You must be allowed a day off after you have been on 24-hour duty. |
In total, the tax is 30–42% on average (a payroll tax and social insurance premiums).
In Germany, a distinction is made between gross and net salary.
Gross salary
This is salary before taxes and social insurance premiums. Your gross salary depends on the hospital where you work and your seniority.
Net salary
Social insurance premiums and taxes are deducted from gross salary. The remaining amount after all deductions is called net salary.
Income tax
Income tax is a part of the taxes that the employer transfers to the tax office by itself. Your income as an employee is subject to income tax. The amount of income tax is calculated depending on the tax bracket (details below).
Income tax is paid by both the employer and the employee. The tax is deducted from the salary and transferred directly to the state budget. Employers pay payroll tax to the tax office, which is deducted monthly from the gross salary. Income tax is levied on income that is not related to self-employment (entrepreneurship). When calculating income tax, tax benefits and marital status are automatically taken into account.
Premiums to the Social Insurance Fund:
- church tax (optional);
- unemployment insurance;
- pension insurance;
- health insurance (public or private);
- long-term care insurance;
- solidarity surcharge (this tax is allocated to the development of the new federal states).
There are 6 tax brackets in Germany.
Tax Bracket 1
It is levied on people who are single, divorced, or widowed. Tax Bracket 1 is also levied on all taxpayers who are single or already divorced.
Tax Bracket 2
It is levied on single parents only and provides a tax advantage through the single parent benefit amount. One of the requirements is that a single parent must live with at least one child, which must be taken into account when calculating the amount of taxes.
Tax Bracket 3
It is levied only on married couples and applies only to single earnings or in combination with Tax Bracket 5. In principle, the higher-income spouse should choose Tax Bracket 3.
Tax Bracket 4
Any person who marries is automatically subject to Tax Bracket 4. This tax bracket is the perfect choice for spouses who earn roughly the same amount, as the payroll tax is evenly distributed. However, married couples may also change their tax bracket to a combination of Tax Bracket 3 and Tax Bracket 5.
Tax Bracket 5
Only married people may choose Tax Bracket 5. The other partner is qualified in Tax Bracket 3 because this income tax bracket only works as a combination. The person who receives the lower salary chooses Tax Bracket 5. If both spouses receive approximately the same salary, then both partners can choose Tax Bracket 4.
Tax Bracket 6
It applies to employees who have two or more jobs. The second job (if it exceeds €450 mini-job limit) and each extra job is taxed in accordance with Tax Bracket 6. The primary employment will continue to be taxed in accordance with one of the tax brackets from 1 to 5.
Below is an example to better understand the tax deduction scheme and the payroll scheme.
Example. You are 32 years old, unmarried, have no children, and earn 4,900 Euros gross per month. Your net salary is 3,000.31 Euros.
| Month | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary: | €4,900.00 | €58,800.00 |
| Cash Benefit: | €0.00 | €0.00 |
| Taxes | ||
| Solidarity surcharge: | €0.00 | €0.00 |
| Church tax: | €0.00 | €0.00 |
| Income tax: | €908.91 | €10,906.92 |
| Taxes: | €908.91 | €10,906.92 |
| Premiums to the Social Insurance Fund | ||
| Pension insurance: | €455.70 | €5,468.40 |
| Unemployment tax: | €58.80 | €705.60 |
| Health insurance: | €384.58 | €4,614.98 |
| Long-term care insurance: | €90.70 | €1,088.44 |
| Amount of social insurance premiums: | €989.78 | €11,877.41 |
It can be difficult, but it is possible to do it in big cities like Munich, Hamburg, or Hannover. Receiving a doctor’s salary and having a steady income, you can easily find an apartment anywhere in Germany. We will help you find the accommodation that meets your requirements.
German is a basic requirement for a successful start to your career in Germany. When working in a hospital or outpatient clinic, you need to be able to speak German.
It depends on many factors, and the amount is calculated on a case-by-case basis.
Unavoidable costs are as follows:
- Fee for a certified translation of all required documents (€300–1,000);
- Medical German Examination fee (€400–500);
- Apartment rent deposit (€600–4,000);
- Spending on food, travel tickets, petrol (€100–500);
- Ticket for a flight to Germany (€50–1,000).
Yes, of course. In Germany, you can be employed as a doctor with no work experience. All you need is a medical university degree and a proof of completion of an internship (residency). Having experience according to your degree will be your advantage.
Yes, it is possible to do. And this will be your big win in the plus column in further employment.
Some employers pay for internships and may provide free housing. During this time you will be able to improve your German and learn more about German medicine. The internship you complete does not guarantee you a job, but it is a good opportunity to improve your German and advance your knowledge.
All documents should be translated in Germany. All documents drawn up in a foreign language are subject to be translated into German, which must be performed by an official translator who has full rights and authority to translate and certify documents.
A translation performed abroad can be considered equivalent to a qualified translation if the diplomatic mission of the Federal Republic of Germany confirms the correctness and completeness of the translation.
The EU Blue Card is a residence permit that is issued to university graduates. It is designed to facilitate and encourage the permanent immigration of highly qualified professionals from non-EU countries to Germany.
A medical degree completed in an EU country is fully recognized in Germany, and you can obtain an approbation (degree validation) without passing an exam. Having graduated from a university in any EU country, your degree is 100% equivalent to a medical degree completed in Germany.
If you have graduated from a university in a non-EU country, you first need to obtain a temporary work permit (Berufserlaubnis) followed by an approbation after passing the Degree Validation Examination (Kenntnisprüfung).
An approbation is the full recognition of your medical degree. Permission (in Latin – ‘approbatio’; also known as ‘recognition’, ‘approval’ in English) to work as a doctor, dentist, psychotherapist, child and adolescent psychotherapist, pharmacist or veterinarian in Germany. This is your statutory license to practice as a self-employed person.
A temporary work permit is issued to carry out activities in the area of medicine (dentistry) or pharmacy on a temporary basis, subject to a completed medical (dentistry) or pharmaceutical education. Having received a work permit, you are permitted to work, but not independently. You are permitted to work under the supervision of other approbated colleagues.
As a rule, you may work for 2 years under your work permit. The work permit can be extended for 1 year in exceptional cases.
You are entered for the examination automatically after the submission of documents for a temporary work permit (Berufserlaubnis). As a rule, you will be notified by post or email.
The fee is from 400 to 500 Euros.
Yes, the number of attempts is not limited. But if you want to retake the examination, you will have to wait 3 months before the next attempt.
Yes, the certificate is recognized in any state and regardless of the place where you obtain it (federal state).
You will receive a written notice by post. It is better to first clarify this issue with the person who processes your documents. It is better to do it immediately after starting your work (the requirements differ depending on the place (federal state) where the examination is taken).
The waiting time for the examination is between 6 months and 1.5 years (depending on the federal state).
The examination fee is around 500.00–800.00 Euros (depending on the federal state).
Examination in medical treatment and surgery. Other related disciplines may also be examined: emergency medicine, clinical pharmacology/pharmacotherapy, radiology, legal issues related to medical practice. It is also very important to pay attention to the composition of the commission, which specialists will examine you.
Knowledge is tested in the form of a state examination in German by an examination committee. The knowledge test is an oral-practical examination, which includes history-taking, preparation of an epicrisis, and a patient’s report. You can also be asked any questions on related medical disciplines. Be prepared for this. This examination takes over one day.
After the completion of the examination, the examination committee will inform you of the results orally on the day of the examination. You will receive written confirmation later by post.
If you fail this exam, you can retake it only twice.