General licence for alternative practitioners

Course description

In order to practise medicine without being appointed, a licence is required under the Heilpraktikergesetz. In principle, the practice of medicine encompasses any professional or commercial activity aimed at diagnosing, curing or alleviating illnesses, ailments or physical injuries in humans, even if carried out in the service of others.

Anyone who practises medicine without a medical licence or a licence as a non-medical practitioner is liable to prosecution.

The licence to practise as a non-medical practitioner is generally granted without restriction. In individual cases, an application may be made to have it restricted to the following fields: psychotherapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, speech therapy and occupational therapy. For details of these specific procedures, please visit the relevant pages.

Prerequisites

The licence may be granted subject to the following conditions:

• Main residence within the city of Munich or commencing work as a non-medical practitioner for the first time within the city of Munich
• Having reached the age of 25
• Successful completion of secondary school or a higher qualification
• Proof of good character
• Fitness for the profession
• Proof of successful completion of the written and oral knowledge assessment conducted by the Public Health Authority

The following procedure must be followed:

1. Application: You must submit your complete application for a licence to practise as a non-medical practitioner, together with all the necessary documents [LW1], via the online form or by post
2. Your application will be assessed: If your application is approved, you will receive confirmation of registration
3. Invitation to the written knowledge assessment: The Public Health Authority will send out invitations to the written knowledge assessment no later than two weeks before the assessment date
4. Written examination: On the day of the written examination, you must present a valid identity card or passport. The content of the examination can be found in the current guidelines for the alternative practitioner examination dated 22 March 2018
5. Oral examination: The oral examination dates will begin no earlier than three weeks after the written part of the knowledge assessment. The Public Health Authority will send you a written invitation shortly before the examination, detailing the date and venue. Here too, you must present a valid identity card or passport
6. Notification of authorisation: Once you have passed both examinations, you will receive a notification of authorisation. If you fail either the written or oral examination, you will receive a written notice of rejection
7. Setting up practice, registering and deregistering healthcare professions: You must notify the Public Health Authority (meldestelle-ihm.gsr@muenchen.de) of the actual commencement of self-employed practice or the opening of your practice no later than the day of opening or the start of your activities. Anyone who fails to comply with the statutory registration requirement is committing an administrative offence and may face a fine of up to 2,500 euros.

Please note: There is a limit on the number of participants for the alternative practitioner examination. In principle, all complete application documents will be considered in the order in which they are received until the maximum number of participants is reached.​

Required documents

• Application form (for postal applications only)
• Valid identity document: identity card or passport (copy)
• Concise (tabular) CV
• Medical certificate (not more than 3 months old at the time of application)
• Certificate of good conduct for submission to a public authority – document type ‘OB’ (not older than 3 months at the time of application)
• Proof of successful completion of secondary school or another equivalent or higher-level school qualification (Foreign application documents may need to be translated following consultation with the Public Health Authority)
• Confirmation of the accuracy of the documents submitted (only for applications submitted by post)
• Only applicants who do not reside within the Munich city limits: a declaration and proof of first-time employment within the Munich city limits (submission of a valid tenancy agreement for practice premises or an employment contract)

Legal basis

• Act on the Professional Practice of Medicine without a Licence – Act on Non-Medical Practitioners (HeilprG)
• First Implementing Ordinance to the Alternative Medicine Practitioners Act (HeilprGDV1)
• Notice from the Bavarian State Ministry of Health, Care and Prevention on the enforcement of the Alternative Medicine Practitioners Act
• Guidelines on the assessment of prospective alternative practitioners pursuant to Section 2 of the Alternative Practitioners Act in conjunction with Section 2(1)(i) of the First Implementing Ordinance to the Alternative Practitioners Act (Federal Gazette)
• Health Services Act (GDG)
• Bavarian Administrative Procedure Act (BayVwVfG)
• Costs Act in conjunction with the Schedule of Costs (KG)