Studied medicine in Georgia? What decides your licence in Germany or Austria
Georgia 6 min read · English
What German law checks
Germany recognises a medical degree from outside the EU only if the training is completed. Completed means: under the law of the country that issued the degree, it gives the full, independent right to practise medicine there. This is the rule for the Approbation (§ 3 Bundesärzteordnung) and for the temporary licence, the Berufserlaubnis (§ 10). The new law that takes effect on 1 November 2026 keeps the same test (§ 9d).
For Georgian degrees the answer is clear. A Georgian MD without residency and State Certificate counts in Germany as an unfinished training. German courts have held this (VG Hannover, 2019; VG Magdeburg, 2021), and in August 2026 two state authorities confirmed it to us in writing. A junior-doctor letter from the Georgian regulator does not change it: it confirms supervised work, not the right to practise on your own.
Two things are not checked, whatever you may have read: Indian NEET or FMGE results, and registration with a medical council in your home country. German law never asks for them.
Your route, in one table
| Your situation | Germany | Austria |
|---|---|---|
| MD + residency + Georgian State Certificate | Open. File with the federal state that fits you best: document review or the Kenntnisprüfung (knowledge exam), German at B2 plus the medical language exam (C1). | Open as well (Nostrifizierung). |
| MD only (no residency, no State Certificate) | Not possible yet. There is no German licence on an unfinished training. | Open. The Austrian Nostrifizierung does not ask for a licence from Georgia when you apply. |
With the State Certificate: the German route
- Documents: diploma, transcript, residency and State Certificate, a certificate of good standing if you have worked as a doctor, passport, CV. Apostille from Georgia and sworn German translations.
- Language: German B2 to start, then the Fachsprachprüfung (medical German, C1 level) with the state medical chamber.
- Filing: with one of the 16 federal states. Requirements and waiting times differ a lot between them, so the choice of state matters. Applications filed by 31 October 2026 still get the document review first; from 1 November the Kenntnisprüfung becomes the rule.
Without the State Certificate: Austria
Austria recognises foreign medical degrees through a university procedure, the Nostrifizierung. It compares your studies with the Austrian curriculum and does not require a licence from Georgia when you file. What it does require:
- German C1 before you file.
- Your transcripts and course records with hours or ECTS.
- A one-time sample test, then the exams the university sets for the gaps it finds (typically one to four semesters), then six months of basic clinical training in Austria.
- You can file for the Nostrifizierung once: one degree, one university. A refused or badly prepared file cannot simply be filed again elsewhere. Preparation is worth the time.
Our estimate from C1 to your first paid position as a doctor in Austria: about 2 to 3.5 years. After three years of practice in Austria, an EU country, the way into Germany opens as well.
A second option some Georgian graduates take: continue studying in Germany with credit for what they have done, and graduate there. We know of documented cases, but university places are limited.
How Solvia helps
We check your documents against the rule above before you spend money on translations. Then we prepare the file, choose the state or the university that fits you, and stay with you until the decision. Prices are public: from EUR 1,490.
Questions we hear from Georgian graduates
Is my Georgian MD recognised in Germany?
Only if you have completed residency and hold the Georgian State Certificate, because only then do you have the full right to practise in Georgia. Without it, German law treats the training as unfinished.
Does the junior-doctor letter help?
No. It confirms supervised work in Georgia, not the right to practise on your own. German courts have ruled on exactly this letter.
Do NEET or FMGE matter for Germany?
No. Germany never asks for NEET, FMGE or registration with a council in your home country. It asks about the country where you studied.
Can I go to Austria without the State Certificate?
Yes. The Austrian Nostrifizierung does not ask for a Georgian licence when you apply. You need German C1 first, and you can file only once, so prepare the file well.
How long does it take?
In Germany it depends mostly on the federal state you choose and on your German; waiting times differ a lot between states. For Austria we estimate 2 to 3.5 years from C1 to your first paid post, because exams and a clinical training period come first.