Studied medicine in Turkey? Your degree counts. The documents decide.

Turkey 5 min read · English

The short answer: a medical degree from a Turkish university (Tıp Doktoru) is a completed medical training. Once the Ministry of Health has registered it, it gives the full right to practise in Turkey, and that is exactly what German law checks.

Why Turkish degrees pass the German test

Germany recognises a medical degree from outside the EU only if the training is completed: under the law of the country that issued it, it must give the full, independent right to practise medicine (§ 3 Bundesärzteordnung; the same test stays in the new law from 1 November 2026). The Turkish degree meets it:

The intern year is part of the six-year degree. No further exam or residency is needed before you may practise.
You do not need TUS or a specialty to apply in Germany.
Compulsory state service (DHY) is not a training stage, so it does not decide whether your degree counts as completed.

German authorities see these files every year. In 2025 they decided 838 applications from doctors trained in Turkey, and 835 were positive (Federal Statistical Office). About 3,500 doctors with Turkish citizenship work in Germany today (German Medical Association, end of 2025).

Where Turkish files stall

Not on the degree, but on the paperwork. Most files are decided on documents, so these are the points to get right:

Hours per subject: the authority compares your curriculum with the German one, subject by subject. A transcript without hours can hold up the whole file.
The intern year: it has to be visible in your documents as part of the degree.
Good-standing letter: a current certificate that you may practise and that nothing stands against you.
Apostille and translations: Turkey is an apostille country, so your documents need an apostille, not embassy legalisation. Then sworn German translations.

Your route, step by step

German: B2 to start, then the Fachsprachprüfung (medical German, C1 level) with the state medical chamber.
Documents: as above, complete before you file.
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 by default; from 1 November you have to ask for it within four weeks of filing, otherwise the Kenntnisprüfung (knowledge exam) is the rule.

How Solvia helps

We check your documents against the German curriculum before you file, fill the gaps, choose the federal state that fits you and stay with you until the decision. Prices are public: from EUR 1,490.

Questions we hear from Turkish doctors

Is my Turkish medical degree recognised in Germany?

It counts as a completed medical training, which is the first condition. The authority then compares your studies with the German curriculum. In 2025, 835 of 838 decided applications from Turkey-trained doctors were positive.

Do I need TUS or a specialty?

No. A registered Turkish medical degree is enough to apply. Specialist recognition is a separate, later step.

Do I have to finish my compulsory state service (DHY) first?

DHY is a work duty, not part of your training, so it does not decide whether your degree counts as completed. How your documents show it is something we check case by case.

Do I need an apostille?

Yes. Turkey is part of the apostille system, so your documents need an apostille. Embassy legalisation is not needed.

What changes on 1 November 2026?

Applications filed by 31 October 2026 get the document review first by default. From 1 November you must request the document review within four weeks of filing; otherwise the Kenntnisprüfung is the rule.