The 'Approbation' is the medical license issued by the German state that permits doctors to work in their profession. It is valid across Germany and lasts a lifetime.
There are various requirements attached to getting it. For a start, foreign doctors need to have a concrete job offer before applying. You'll also need medical German at C1 level (for normal, everyday German, B2 is sufficient). And any qualifications gained abroad must be deemed equivalent to comparable German qualifications. Especially for medical diplomas issued in non-European countries, evaluation of your academic qualification can take a long time. If you have a definite job offer, you can start by applying for a 'Berufserlaubnis' (temporary medical license). This allows you to work in Germany while your eligibility for the Approbation is being checked by the authorities.

In Germany, the relationship between doctor and patient is based on trust and respect, and medical diagnoses will need to be communicated in a comprehensible and sensitive way. For that, very good German language skills are essential.

Because medical professions are regulated in Germany, you will need to prove that you have at least B2-level general German. In many federal states you will need C1-level medical German as well. (In Germany, every federal state has its own regulations for doctors.) To get your Approbation, you may need to pass an exam called the Fachsprachenprüfung. Some language schools offer courses to prepare for this special exam, which tests your oral and written German medical knowledge.

The medical profession in Germany has high starting salaries and doctors are well paid throughout their careers. There are of course differences depending on your professional experience and the medical area you work in. Average salaries in Germany for doctors vary between 45,000 euro gross salary per year for an Assistenzarzt (assistant doctor) to 80,000 euro for a Facharzt (specialist). In hospitals, you are usually promoted according to the years of your professional experience, and your salary rises accordingly. Chief physicians at the top level of their career earn the most – with an average of around 278,000 euro per year. But don't forget, with high salaries come high expectations - doctors in Germany have a high workload and a lot of responsibility!