For doctors, German is not a soft skill but a licensing requirement. Taking a patient history, explaining a diagnosis, writing a discharge letter and handing over to colleagues all happen in German, and the licence to practise depends on proving the necessary language skills.
This page shows what the German Medical Association and the Federal Medical Code say about the language level, what current job ads for resident doctors ask for, phrases and vocabulary from clinical routine, learning time per CEFR level according to the Goethe-Institut, and the relevant exams.
Which German level do doctors need in Germany?
The analysis covers 59 current job ads with a description from the job exchange of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), search terms „Assistenzarzt“, retrieved on 24 September 2026; identical ad texts were counted once. 4 of them state a requirement for German skills. The most frequent wording is „sehr gute Deutschkenntnisse“ (very good German) (2 ads). 3 ads name a CEFR level for German; highest level named per ad: C1 (2) and B2 (1). All analysed ads are written in German. 46 of the 59 ads mention the licence to practise (Approbation) or the temporary permit to practise (Berufserlaubnis).
For doctors the level is set by licensing, not by the employer. § 3 (1) no. 5 of the Federal Medical Code (Bundesärzteordnung) makes the licence to practise conditional on the German language skills required for the profession. According to the German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer), the medical language exam is based on CEFR level C1, following a 2014 decision of the Conference of Health Ministers; before that, the considerably less demanding level B2 applied.
How to read the wording: the German Residence Act uses similar terms and defines them in § 2 as CEFR levels, for example good German skills („gute deutsche Sprachkenntnisse“) as B2 and mastering German („beherrscht die deutsche Sprache“) as C1. These definitions do not bind job ads, but they help translate an ad into a learning goal.
What the levels mean, summarised from the Council of Europe global scale:
- B1: understands the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters from work, school or leisure, and can produce simple connected text.
- B2: understands the main ideas of complex text, including technical discussions in the own field, and can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers possible without strain for either party.
- C1: understands demanding, longer texts and implicit meaning, and uses the language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
German phrases from the working week of doctors
Six sentences that come up in this role, with an English translation. They are written without first-person forms so they can be reused as neutral templates.
- Seit wann haben Sie die Beschwerden?
Since when have you had these symptoms? - Strahlt der Schmerz in den Arm aus?
Does the pain radiate into your arm? - Nehmen Sie regelmäßig Medikamente ein?
Do you take any medication regularly? - Vor dem Eingriff werden Sie über die Risiken aufgeklärt.
Before the procedure you will be informed about the risks. - Der Patient wurde mit Verdacht auf Pneumonie aufgenommen.
The patient was admitted with suspected pneumonia. - Bei der Übergabe bitte die offenen Befunde erwähnen.
At handover, please mention the pending results.
Core vocabulary for doctors
Patient conversation
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| die Beschwerden | symptoms / complaints |
| die Anamnese | patient history |
| die Vorerkrankung | pre-existing condition |
| die Allergie | allergy |
| die Aufklärung | informed consent discussion |
| die Einwilligung | consent |
| der Hausarzt | general practitioner |
| die Überweisung | referral |
Clinical documentation
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| der Befund | finding / result |
| der Verdacht auf | suspected |
| die Diagnose | diagnosis |
| der Arztbrief | doctor’s letter |
| der Entlassbrief | discharge letter |
| die Übergabe | handover |
| die Visite | ward round |
| die Verordnung | prescription / order |
Exams and licensing
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| die Approbation | licence to practise medicine |
| die Fachsprachprüfung | medical language exam |
| die Kenntnisprüfung | knowledge examination |
| die Berufserlaubnis | temporary permit to practise |
| die Landesärztekammer | state medical chamber |
| die Anerkennung | recognition |
How long does it take? Learning time per CEFR level
The Council of Europe global scale describes levels by what learners can do; it contains no hour figures. Guide values for learning time are published by the Goethe-Institut, explicitly as values based on experience: according to the Goethe-Institut, individual factors such as language learning experience and first language play an important role. Two published course models side by side, in teaching units of 45 minutes:
| Level | Goethe-Institut São Paulo, per level | Goethe-Institut Germany, evening courses per level | São Paulo, cumulative from zero | Germany, cumulative from zero |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 128 | 72 | 128 | 72 |
| A2 | 128 | 144 | 256 | 216 |
| B1 | 192 | 144 | 448 | 360 |
| B2 | 256 | 216 | 704 | 576 |
| C1 | 192 | 144 | 896 | 720 |
| C2 | 256 | 144 | 1,152 | 864 |
The cumulative columns add up the published values per level. The model of the Goethe-Institut in Germany uses evening courses of 72 teaching units: one for A1, three for B2 and two for each of the other levels. Moving from B1 to C1 takes 360 to 448 teaching units according to these models.
A learning path for doctors
- Start with patient conversation: history taking in everyday language, including colloquial descriptions of symptoms.
- Add documentation German: findings, doctor’s letters and discharge letters.
- Practise the doctor-to-doctor conversation and handovers in medical terminology.
- Prepare specifically for the medical language exam with its three parts: patient conversation, short doctor’s letter, conversation with a colleague.
Which certificates are recognised?
- telc Deutsch B2·C1 Medizin Fachsprachprüfung: certifies job-specific skills at upper B2 and medical language skills at C1; the oral part consists of a doctor-patient conversation, a short doctor’s letter and a doctor-doctor conversation. Which certificates count for the licence is decided by the responsible state authority.
- Goethe-Zertifikat A1 to C2 and Goethe-Test PRO: the Goethe-Institut offers German exams on all six CEFR levels and describes them as internationally recognised; the Goethe-Test PRO covers A1 to C2 for professional contexts.
Planning German for doctors in your team?
A discovery call with Rahel Modrach clarifies the target level per role, the starting point and a realistic plan.
Frequently asked questions
Which German level do doctors need for the licence in Germany?
§ 3 of the Federal Medical Code requires the German language skills necessary for practising the profession. According to the German Medical Association, the medical language exam is based on CEFR level C1, following a 2014 decision of the Conference of Health Ministers; before that, B2 applied.
What happens in the medical language exam?
According to the German Medical Association, candidates conduct a simulated doctor-patient conversation and a conversation with a colleague and write a doctor’s letter.
Who conducts the medical language exam?
The exams are conducted at state level. One example published by the German Medical Association: the Landesärztekammer Brandenburg has conducted medical language and knowledge exams on behalf of the Brandenburg health ministry since 2015. Which certificates a state authority accepts is decided by the responsible authority.
How long does it take to reach B2 or C1?
The Goethe-Institut publishes guide values based on experience: from zero to B2 its published course models add up to 576 (Goethe-Institut Germany, evening courses) to 704 teaching units (Goethe-Institut São Paulo) of 45 minutes, and to 720 to 896 units for C1. Prior knowledge, first language and learning experience change the duration considerably.
Which certificates fit this role?
Relevant for this role: telc Deutsch B2·C1 Medizin Fachsprachprüfung; Goethe-Zertifikat A1 to C2 and Goethe-Test PRO. Which proof is required in a given case is set by the employer or the responsible authority.
Related pages
- Business German for Researchers and Postdocs
- Business German for HR Managers
- Business German for Lawyers and In-House Counsel
- CEFR levels by business role
- The ROI of business German
- 90-day plan for foreign hires
Sources
Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Jobbörse: Auswertung von 59 Stellenanzeigen, Suchbegriffe „Assistenzarzt“, abgerufen am 24.09.2026
Europarat (Council of Europe): Gemeinsamer Europäischer Referenzrahmen für Sprachen, Globalskala der Referenzniveaus (Table 1, CEFR 3.3)
Goethe-Institut Deutschland: Deutsch Sprachniveaus, Kursstufenmodell Abendkurse (Stand Mai 2026)
Goethe-Institut São Paulo: Häufig gestellte Fragen zu Unterrichtseinheiten je Niveau (Stand März 2026)
§ 2 Aufenthaltsgesetz (Gesetze im Internet, Bundesamt für Justiz)
§ 3 Bundesärzteordnung (Gesetze im Internet, Bundesamt für Justiz)
Bundesärztekammer: Meldung „Anspruchsvolle Arzt-Sprachprüfungen sichern Patientenschutz“ vom 01.09.2023 (Landesärztekammer Brandenburg)
telc gGmbH: Prüfungsseite telc Deutsch B2·C1 Medizin Fachsprachprüfung
Goethe-Institut: Deutschprüfungen und Prüfungstrainings (Übersichtsseite)