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Lower Saxony Special Purpose

Association for Approbation
(NiZzA)
Status: June 2021

Questions and answers

(FAQ)

General
How can I find out if my mail/letter/documents/application has arrived?
-> After your application has been received, you will receive a confirmation of receipt. After
that it can take up to 12 weeks until you receive further news.
All other incoming mail is also processed as quickly as possible.
Please refrain from factual inquiries in order to support the fastest possible processing.
If you want to be absolutely sure that your letter will arrive at NiZzA, you can use the
Post the shipment at the post office with the addition "by registered mail".

Who is responsible for my application?

-> On the website of the NiZzA, there under "Abteilung 1 (Ausländischer Berufsabschluss)",
you will find all contact persons on the right side under "Ansprechpartner Approbationen
und Berufserlaubnisse für Ärzte und Zahnärzte".
The responsibility is based on your last name (e.g. Mrs. Muster -> letter "M").

Do I have to apply for a professional license first and then later for a license to practice
medicine?
-> No. The approval procedure must be given priority.
It is best to apply for a license to practice medicine at the same time as you apply for a
professional license, as the professional license can only be issued for a maximum of two
years. This also applies if the licensing procedure has not been completed by the end of the
two years.
If you have not yet found an employer, you can also apply only for the granting of the license
to practice medicine and later for the granting of a professional license.

Can I take the professional language examination in Lower Saxony even without applying for
an Approbation/professional license?
-> No, participation in the professional language exam is only possible within the framework
of a specific application procedure.
My confirmation of receipt is out of date, the embassy needs an updated confirmation of
receipt. How do I get this?
-> If you need a repeated confirmation of receipt with current date, please send this request
to abteilung1@nizza.niedersachsen.de.

I have taken and passed the specialist language exam in another federal state. Is this
accepted in Lower Saxony?
-> The specialist language examination is generally accepted if it was taken in another
federal state at the medical association/dental association. When applying in Lower Saxony,
submit a certified copy of the confirmation of having passed the specialist language
examination as proof.

I do not yet know in which federal state I would like to work. Can I submit the application to
different authorities in Germany at the same time?
-> No. It is not possible to have several application procedures in different federal states. If
you want to change to another federal state in the current procedure, you must first end
your current application procedure.

How can I move to Lower Saxony from another federal state?

-> If you have already applied for a license to practice medicine/profession in another
federal state, you must withdraw the application there and then submit a new application in
Lower Saxony.
In the application for Lower Saxony, you indicate on page two in which federal state(s) you
have already submitted an application in the past. We will then request the administrative
process from the other federal state(s) so that you do not have to submit a large number of
documents a second time.
However, in addition to your application in Lower Saxony, submit the following current
documents:
Proof of local jurisdiction (confirmation of employment or registration in Lower Saxony),
medical certificate (form in the "Service Downloads" section), declaration of exemption from
punishment (form in the "Service Downloads" section) and the official certificate of good
conduct according to document type O, as these documents must not be older than three
months when the application is submitted. You should also submit a current curriculum
vitae.

How can I withdraw my application to the NiZzA?

-> If you wish to withdraw the application from the NiZzA, submit a written application
withdrawal, which must be signed by your own hand (form in the "Service Downloads"
section).

Who can I contact regarding the crediting of my previous medical work towards further
training as a specialist or regarding the recognition of my doctorate?
-> The Lower Saxony Medical Association (ÄKN) is responsible for questions on the subject of
further training or recognition of the doctorate.

I did not complete my medical training abroad (e.g. lack of internship following the study of
human medicine). Where can I find out whether my previous academic achievements can be
credited towards studies in Germany?
-> The respective state examination offices of the federal states in which the applicant was
born are responsible for the crediting of academic achievements abroad towards studies in
Germany. If the place of birth is abroad, the state examination office in North Rhine-
Westphalia is responsible.

Application documents
Do my documents need to be accompanied by proof of authenticity?
-> In Lower Saxony, only the documents through which a completed dental
/medical training must be provided with proof of authenticity. These are, in particular,
university degree certificates (e.g. diplomas), proof of completed
internship/graduation/residency, proof of practical training periods after completion of
studies (e.g. internship or staz), professional examinations/state certificates, and licenses or
registrations.

How is proof of authenticity provided?

-> To prove authenticity, the relevant documents must be provided with a Hague Apostille or
a legalization endorsement.
The Hague Apostille is issued by the competent authority of the state in which the document
was issued.
Legalization is performed by the German Embassy of the country in which the document was
issued.
Information on which of the two procedures is relevant in your case can be found on the
website of the German Foreign Office under the keyword "internationaler
Urkundenverkehr".
Note: In some countries, the authenticity of the documents must be verified by way of
administrative assistance or the authenticity verification can no longer be carried out. In
these cases, NiZzA will provide you with more detailed information on how to proceed as
part of the application process.

Can I have the translations done abroad?

-> Yes. The NiZzA also accepts translations from abroad, but only if they have been made by
someone who is authorized to make translations in the respective state.

When will my professional language exam take place, how do I get an appointment?
-> After you have submitted all the required documents, you will receive an invoice for the
professional language exam. After the money has been received, you will be registered for
the specialized language exam. Please do not submit proof of payment (bank statement,
etc.). The receipt of payment will be automatically indicated to NiZzA.
The dates for the specialist language examination are organized and allocated by the Lower
Saxony Medical Chamber (ÄKN) for physicians and by the Lower Saxony Dental Chamber
(ZKN) for dentists according to the order on the waiting list.

Do I get my application documents back when I withdraw my application/when I transfer to

another state?
-> No. The documents submitted are and will remain part of your file at the Lower Saxony
Special Purpose Association for Licensing and will not be sent to you.
If you apply for a license to practice medicine or a professional license in another federal
state, the licensing authority responsible there may request that the file on you be sent to
them.
As a general rule, only original graduation documents (e.g. diploma, boarding school
diploma) will be issued. It is therefore recommended to submit a certified copy of the
graduation documents instead of the original at the time of application.

Professional license
Can I do on-call duties with my professional license?
-> in principle, physicians who have a permit to temporarily practice medicine may perform
all medical activities that arise; they thus have the same competencies as an assistant
physician if they actually have the skills and knowledge required for this and the
performance is supervised and answered for by a licensed physician.
How close this supervision must be depends on how it is structured. A distinction must be
made between simple supervision and permanent supervision. In the case of permanent
supervision, every activity is subject to direct supervision by a licensed physician. The
proximity must be such that the licensed physician can correct possible errors immediately.
In the case of simple supervision, this closeness can be further developed. The professional
assessment is the responsibility of the employer.

I have already received a professional license in another federal state. How long can I be
granted a professional license in Lower Saxony?
-> According to the legislator, the professional license may be granted for a maximum period
of two years. For the two-year period, all professional licenses ever granted in all federal
states are added together. This also applies if no use has been made of the professional
permit.

I already have a professional license, I have been terminated/I have resigned. Can I suspend
the term of my professional license until I find a new job?
-> According to the legislator, the professional license may be granted for a maximum period
of two years. The decisive factor is the period granted. This also applies if no use is made of
the professional permit. An interruption is not possible.

Approbation procedure
Do I necessarily have to submit a personalized curriculum?
-> No. The personalized curriculum and the personalized overview of hours as well as work
certificates from previous professional activity are only required if the equivalence of your
(dental) medical training is to be determined within the framework of an expert opinion; if
no curriculum is submitted, the equivalence review can only be determined by participation
in the knowledge test.

Does the curriculum need to be translated?

-> Yes, only curricula with a German translation are recognized for the equivalence
examination. According to the principle of investigation, § 24 VwVfG, the employees of
NiZzA are obliged not to simply accept the result determined by the expert without checking
it, but to adopt it as their own, which requires at least a plausibility check. However, this can
only be done if the documents on which the expert opinion is based are available in German.
Furthermore, the possible acceptance of foreign language curricula by GfG in individual
cases is merely a special service offer that is not obligatory for us, since the official language
is German. Against this background, documents can
for the equivalence review (expert) can only be accepted with a German translation.

What additional documents are needed for an equivalency check?

-> In addition to the curriculum, a current curriculum vitae, a list of subjects and hours, and
evidence of professional experience (e.g. internship plan or residency plan, work references)
and lifelong learning (e.g. internship references or continuing education certificates) are
required for the equivalency examination.

Do the curriculum, the list of subjects and hours, and the evidence of professional experience
need to be apostilled or legalized in The Hague?
-> No, but the relevant documents must be submitted in the original or as a certified copy.
Simple copies are not sufficient.

What happens if significant differences have been identified during the equivalence
assessment?
-> If differences are identified during the equivalence test, you will be given the opportunity
to submit additional documents within a certain period of time. If significant differences are
still found after this, proof of equivalence can only be provided by means of the knowledge
test.

What is the waiting time for an appointment to take the knowledge exam?
-> Currently, the waiting time for a knowledge test appointment is several months.

When will my knowledge test take place, how do I get an appointment?

-> To register for the knowledge test, please submit the completed and signed form 2. This
form will be sent to you in the course of the procedure. Alternatively, you can also submit a
personal written application for the knowledge examination, which must be signed by your
own hand.
The dates for the specialist language examination/knowledge test are organized and
allocated by the Lower Saxony Medical Chamber (ÄKN) for doctors and by the Lower Saxony
Dental Chamber (ZKN) for dentists according to the order on the waiting list. As soon as a
concrete examination date has been found, the chambers will contact you in good time.
Desired dates cannot be considered.