The German Bundestag’s Health Committee devoted a two-hour public hearing on 4 February 2026 to the government’s draft bill that would speed up the recognition of foreign professional qualifications in the medical sector. Experts from the German Medical Association, hospital federations and professional chambers told MPs that the current patchwork of state-level rules takes anywhere from six to eighteen months—far longer than competing destinations such as Canada or the Netherlands.
Under the bill (21/3207) licence applications for doctors, dentists, pharmacists and midwives would move to a fully-digital national portal. Competence tests could be taken in English as well as German and would be offered monthly, not quarterly. Applicants lacking individual course certificates could demonstrate equivalence through a structured clinical assessment, ending the practice of piecemeal document requests that often sends candidates back to embassies for new attestations.
While lawmakers refine the bill, international clinicians will still need the right entry visas or work permits. VisaHQ’s one-stop platform can coordinate the entire German visa application process, arrange document legalisation and schedule consular appointments, allowing candidates and HR teams to concentrate on the upcoming digital recognition portal. Full service details are available at https://www.visahq.com/germany/
![Parliamentary hearing backs faster recognition of foreign-trained doctors, dentists and pharmacists]()
Stakeholders broadly welcomed the plan but called for safeguards. The German Hospital Federation warned that accelerated procedures must not dilute patient-safety thresholds; the German Midwives’ Association urged a central exam register to avoid regional disparities. Several witnesses argued that a separate fast-track for refugees with partial documentation should be added, modelled on the 2025 Recognition-in-Context pilot for Ukrainian clinicians.
For employers, the draft law promises real relief. Hospitals currently budgeting nine to twelve months for onboarding third-country physicians could cut that to three to six months, shrinking overtime costs and agency-staff fees. Recruitment firms expect the changes to boost Germany’s competitiveness for Indian, Egyptian and Filipino healthcare workers at a time when neighbouring countries are also loosening rules. If the committee finalises its report by March, the coalition hopes for plenary adoption before the Easter recess, with the portal launching on 1 July 2026.
Mobility managers should start reviewing relocation timelines: contract start dates agreed today may fall under the new, shorter recognition regime, reducing bridging-visa exposure and easing credential-verification budgets. HR teams are also advised to earmark funds for the new online fee (projected at €275) and to monitor forthcoming ordinances that will specify language-testing providers.
Under the bill (21/3207) licence applications for doctors, dentists, pharmacists and midwives would move to a fully-digital national portal. Competence tests could be taken in English as well as German and would be offered monthly, not quarterly. Applicants lacking individual course certificates could demonstrate equivalence through a structured clinical assessment, ending the practice of piecemeal document requests that often sends candidates back to embassies for new attestations.
While lawmakers refine the bill, international clinicians will still need the right entry visas or work permits. VisaHQ’s one-stop platform can coordinate the entire German visa application process, arrange document legalisation and schedule consular appointments, allowing candidates and HR teams to concentrate on the upcoming digital recognition portal. Full service details are available at https://www.visahq.com/germany/
Stakeholders broadly welcomed the plan but called for safeguards. The German Hospital Federation warned that accelerated procedures must not dilute patient-safety thresholds; the German Midwives’ Association urged a central exam register to avoid regional disparities. Several witnesses argued that a separate fast-track for refugees with partial documentation should be added, modelled on the 2025 Recognition-in-Context pilot for Ukrainian clinicians.
For employers, the draft law promises real relief. Hospitals currently budgeting nine to twelve months for onboarding third-country physicians could cut that to three to six months, shrinking overtime costs and agency-staff fees. Recruitment firms expect the changes to boost Germany’s competitiveness for Indian, Egyptian and Filipino healthcare workers at a time when neighbouring countries are also loosening rules. If the committee finalises its report by March, the coalition hopes for plenary adoption before the Easter recess, with the portal launching on 1 July 2026.
Mobility managers should start reviewing relocation timelines: contract start dates agreed today may fall under the new, shorter recognition regime, reducing bridging-visa exposure and easing credential-verification budgets. HR teams are also advised to earmark funds for the new online fee (projected at €275) and to monitor forthcoming ordinances that will specify language-testing providers.
