Approbation fees and waiting times by German state: the table, with sources, as of November 2026
State table 6 min read · English · Updated 3 November 2026
The short answer: the same exam costs EUR 400 in Schleswig-Holstein and EUR 1,350 in Hesse, and the wait for a date runs from zero in Westfalen-Lippe to more than a year in Saxony or Rhineland-Palatinate. Bavaria reports 18 to 24 months overall. Since 1 November 2026 the regulation sets written deadlines for the first time: an exam date within six months, a decision within three. The table collects the figures each state has published, with source and date. What has no source is not in it.
How to read the table
Three separate columns. The Fachsprachprüfung (FSP) fee is charged by the state medical chamber (Landesärztekammer); North Rhine-Westphalia has two chambers and two fees. The Kenntnisprüfung (KP) fee is set by the state's Approbation authority. The waiting time is the figure the authority, the state parliament or the chamber itself has published; where there is none we say so rather than invent one. Fees: chamber and authority pages read on 27 July and 14 September 2026, and Marburger Bund 09/2025; Bavaria raised the KP fee to up to EUR 1,200 on 1 August 2026.
| State | FSP fee (EUR) | KP fee (EUR) | Published waiting time | Source of the waiting time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | 420 | 1,100 | FSP 4 to 6 months, KP 4 to 6 months | authority figure, read 14 Sep 2026 |
| Bavaria | 550 | up to 1,200 (since 1 Aug 2026) | 18 to 24 months from complete file to decision (doctors trained outside the EU) | Bavarian parliament, Drs. 19/9417, 2 Feb 2026 |
| Berlin | 550 | 540 | FSP 4 to 8 weeks, KP 5 to 9 months, exams twice a year | Berlin Senate, Drs. 19/20633, 4 Nov 2024 |
| Brandenburg | 487 | 799 | no published figure | |
| Bremen | 530 | 730 | no published figure | |
| Hamburg | 550 | 900 | no published figure | |
| Hesse | 650 | 1,350 | no published figure | |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 700 | 640 | no published figure | |
| Lower Saxony | 595 | 980 | no published figure | |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 430 (Nordrhein) / 400 (Westfalen-Lippe) | 1,050 | Westfalen-Lippe: no waiting time for the KP | Westfälisches Ärzteblatt 03/2025 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | 470 | 1,100 | about 16 months for the KP | figure published by the authority, read 14 Sep 2026 |
| Saarland | n/a | 500 | no published figure | |
| Saxony | 590 | 850 | about a year and a half for the KP | Saxon medical chamber, 22 Jun 2026 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 500 | 771 | no published figure | |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 700 | 400 | FSP 3.5 months, KP 12 months (authority FAQ, March 2024); an expert report says 15 to 18 months | Landtag SH, Drs. 20/4014, 27 Jan 2026 |
| Thuringia | 600 | up to 450 | up to 671 days to the Approbation for doctors trained outside the EU in 2025; 651 open files in December 2025 | Thuringian health ministry, Drs. 8/2874, via Migazin 7 Apr 2026 |
No published figure does not mean no wait. It means that state has not made public any number we can cite. We ask each authority in writing and update this table when they answer.
What changes from 1 November 2026
The new regulation (Approbationsordnung für Ärzte, BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 326, published 30 October 2026) puts deadlines on the authority: acknowledgement with the list of missing documents within one month (§ 39f Abs. 3), an exam date possible within six months of filing (§ 37 Abs. 9), a decision within three months of the documents (§ 39f Abs. 1), and the exam offered at least twice a year (§ 37 Abs. 12). The figures in the table predate those deadlines. If the states meet them, the waiting-time column will look very different in 2027; we will measure it with the same sources. What else changes is in the new law from 1 November.
What to do with these numbers
The choice of state is the decision that weighs most in your file: it decides what you pay and how long you wait for the same exam. But it is not a free choice: if you live in Germany you file in your state of habitual residence, if you live abroad in the state where you intend to practise (§ 12 Abs. 2a BÄO), and you have to substantiate that link. The fees in the table are the exam fees only; the Approbation procedure fee, translations and apostilles come on top and are detailed in documents needed for the Approbation.
Solvia FlexKapG, based in Salzburg, accompanies doctors trained outside the EU through their recognition in Germany. Before filing we compare fees, waiting times and the link requirements of the states open to you, and we file where it is best for you. We always plan on the Kenntnisprüfung. Fees: from EUR 1,490. Answer three questions and see your route.
Frequently asked questions about fees and waiting times
Why does the same Kenntnisprüfung cost EUR 400 in one state and 1,350 in another?
Because each federal state sets the fee, not federal law. Schleswig-Holstein charges EUR 400 and Hesse EUR 1,350 (Marburger Bund 09/2025 and authority pages, July and September 2026). The content of the exam is the same across Germany since 1 November 2026 (§ 37 ÄApprO).
Can I file in the cheapest or fastest state?
Only if you have a link to it. Since 1 November 2026, residents of Germany file in their state of habitual residence and applicants abroad in the state where they intend to practise (§ 12 Abs. 2a BÄO). Each state asks for a different proof of that intention.
What does 'no published figure' mean?
That the authority, the state parliament or the chamber of that state has not made public any dated waiting-time figure we can cite. It does not mean there is no wait.
Are the new deadlines in the regulation already being met?
They took effect on 1 November 2026 and the figures in the table predate them. They are deadlines in a regulation, not an automatic right to the licence: if an authority misses them, the remedy is an administrative complaint. We will update the table with the first figures under the new regime.