Why does the knowledge test cost more for dentists?

It has three parts, and every part is charged separately. The practical part lasts about five hours and is the most expensive in five of eight states that break the fee down. The total fee lies between €1,300 and €3,000 in the nine states with a fixed fee.

What does it cost to retake one part?

Every part that you fail can be retaken twice (§ 118 ZApprO). On a retake, several states charge the amount of the affected part again, not the fee for the whole test. In Lower Saxony, for example, the practical part costs €1,600 every time. You do not have to retake parts that you passed.

Which states publish no figure for the dentists’ knowledge test?

Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein publish no figure. Saxony (€2,000 to €3,000) states only a range. We clarify the amount with the authority or the chamber for you before you register for the test.

Why does the table for dentists show dashes instead of figures?

A dash stands where no supported amount exists. For dentists the knowledge test is missing in Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein, because neither the authority nor the chamber publishes an amount there. The table contains neither estimates nor the figure of a neighbouring state. The state page names the source, the legal basis and the retrieval date.

What does the Approbation cost for dentists?

There is no nationwide fee. Each federal state has its own fee law, and the licensing fees (data retrieved September 2026) differ: the application fee for a qualification from outside the EU alone ranges from €100 to €872. For dentists the knowledge test weighs heavily. It has three parts, and every part triggers its own fees. Translations, certifications and travel come on top. The cost calculator adds up the items for your state.

The four cost blocks for dentists

The application fee of the licensing authority for dentists. It is also due if the application is refused. In twelve states the fee schedule gives a range; the authority sets the exact amount in its notice.
The fee for a temporary permit (Berufserlaubnis, § 13 ZHG), if you want to work as a dentist before you are licensed. It lasts two years at most and is charged on top of the application fee. Several states limit it to work under supervision.
The test fees. The specialist language test (Fachsprachenprüfung) checks your German at work with a dentist-patient conversation, written documentation and a conversation between dentists; usually the dental chamber runs it. The knowledge test (Kenntnisprüfung) has three parts, written, oral and practical (§§ 104 to 118 ZApprO), and several states charge it per part. More on the knowledge test.
The equivalence report (Gleichwertigkeitsgutachten) assesses your documents. For dentists it arises only if you choose the document assessment instead of the knowledge test. The standard route needs no report. How to choose is explained under knowledge test or document assessment.

What shapes the costs for dentists

The knowledge test for dentists consists of three parts that you take one after another: written, oral and practical. You may take the next part only after you have passed the previous one (§ 104(2) ZApprO). The fee in the table is therefore usually a sum of three amounts. The states set these amounts very differently, as the table of fees per part below shows.

The practical part lasts about five hours and takes place under simulated conditions of a dental practice (§ 110 ZApprO). In five of the eight states that break the fee down, it is the most expensive part (Berlin, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia). In Baden-Württemberg the oral part costs the most. In Bremen all three parts cost the same.

Every part that you fail can be retaken twice (§ 118 ZApprO). Retakes count per part, not for the whole test. In Baden-Württemberg, Bremen, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia the amount for a part is charged again for every retake. Bavaria charges again for the parts that you repeat. An example shows the range. The practical part costs €1,600 in Lower Saxony. With three attempts that is €4,800 for this part alone.

Three states depart from the pattern of fees per part. Brandenburg states a total fee without a breakdown; only for taking the practical part alone does it state €1,450. Saxony charges a state fee within a range under item 10 of its schedule of costs, and the notice fixes the exact amount. In Bavaria about €150 for materials comes on top of the fees per part.

In six states (Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein) neither the authority nor the chamber publishes a figure for the dentists’ knowledge test. The table shows a dash there. We clarify with the authority what the chamber charges before you register.

Fees per part of the knowledge test

Fees of the three parts of the dentists’ knowledge test by federal state
State	Written	Oral	Practical	Total
Baden-Württemberg	€400	€1,100	€900	€2,400
Bavaria	€120	€510	€510	€1,140(plus about €150 for materials)
Berlin	€335	€445	€1,490	€2,270
Bremen	€1,000	€1,000	€1,000	€3,000
Lower Saxony	€475	€850	€1,600	€2,925
North Rhine-Westphalia	€330	€960	€1,210	€2,500
Saxony-Anhalt	€500	€1,150	€1,300	€2,950
Thuringia	€520	€800	€1,510	€2,830

The table shows the states whose chamber or authority publishes the amounts per part. The large table below shows about €1,300 for Bavaria, which is the fees per part plus the costs for materials, rounded. Brandenburg and Saxony give no breakdown.

Notable states for dentists

The total fee of the knowledge test ranges from €1,300 in Bavaria to €3,000 in Bremen. Nine states state a fixed fee.
Instead of a fixed fee, Saxony (€2,000 to €3,000) states only a range or a limit.
The application fee for a qualification from outside the EU starts at €100 (Lower Saxony) and ends at €872 (Brandenburg). Four states state a fixed fee, twelve a range.
For the temporary permit, Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein charge by the period of validity. With the maximum of two years (§ 13 ZHG) the fee rises accordingly.
The specialist language test costs €450 to €580 in eleven states. Bremen, Hesse, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein state no figure.

The fees of all 16 states

Licensing fees for dentists in the 16 German federal states
State	Application (non-EU)	Application (EU)	Temporary permit	Equivalence report	Knowledge test	Language test
Baden-Württemberg	€450(range €300–€500)	€300(range €100–€630)	€25–€500	up to €2,500	€2,400	€450
Bavaria	€280–€500	€200–€500	see state page	€1,000–€3,000	€1,300	€450
Berlin	€430	€210	€150(range €100–€360)	€1,773	€2,270	€450
Brandenburg	€173–€872	€173–€872	€340–€680	€1,773	€2,200	€470
Bremen	€192–€850	€192–€850	€197–€500	see state page	€3,000	no figure
Hamburg	€500–€750	€350–€600	€500–€750	€145–€417	no figure	€475
Hesse	€380–€600	€200–€600	€190–€350	€145–€1,773	no figure	no figure
Lower Saxony	€100–€600	€260	€200	no figure	€2,925	€580
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania	€200–€225	€130	€170–€345	see state page	no figure	see state page
North Rhine-Westphalia	€150–€700	€150–€700	€100	no figure	€2,500	€450
Rhineland-Palatinate	€155–€300	€155–€300	€150	no figure	no figure	€450
Saarland	€200(range €200–€300)	€200(range €200–€300)	€150(range €150–€250)	€20–€2,000	no figure	no figure
Saxony	€490	€300	€490	€1,773	€2,000–€3,000	€450
Saxony-Anhalt	€157–€525	€157–€525	€197–€307	€1,773	€2,950	€500
Schleswig-Holstein	€320	€130	from €100	up to €1,773	no figure	no figure
Thuringia	€320	€230	€175	€1,773	€2,830	€570

How to read the table

—: No figure is given. For dentists the knowledge test is affected in Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein. A dash is not a free service, and the table puts no estimate in its place.
n/a: This state has no such test or charges no separate fee for it. In the table for dentists the knowledge test column shows the total of all three parts; the table of fees per part above shows the split.
see state page: The authority gives the fee only in words or as a calculation rule, for example per additional year. The state page, in German, shows the wording and the source.
up to €X: The authority names a ceiling and no fixed fee.
€100–€430: A fee framework (Gebührenrahmen). The exact amount is set by the authority in your notice.
(range …): The amount above is the authority’s standard fee. The range below it is the framework of the fee schedule for cases that need more effort. “Standard; otherwise” names the standard fee first and the range for other cases second.

The state pages (in German) give the source, the legal basis and the retrieval date of every figure. The link is in the name of the state.

If you live in Germany, the licensing authority of the state where you habitually reside (where you actually live) is responsible for your application (§ 16(1a) ZHG). So you cannot choose the state with the lowest fee for the three-part test. If you live abroad, you apply in the state where you want to work as a dentist. We check which state applies to you. More on this under responsibility and moving between states (in German).

What you should budget for

The table shows single items. For dentists your total depends on how many parts of the knowledge test you have to repeat and which state is responsible for you.

A qualification from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland

If your dental degree from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland is listed in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC, the authority recognises it without examining the content of your training. It checks your reliability, your health fitness and your German. The application fee starts at €100 (Baden-Württemberg) and reaches €872 (Brandenburg).

The three parts of the knowledge test do not usually arise in this case, and neither does an equivalence report. Translations, certifications and a language proof still cost money. In an individual assessment of older degrees or degrees from accession states, the authority checks equivalence, and an aptitude test (Eignungsprüfung) can follow.

A qualification from outside the EU

If you studied dentistry outside the EU, you usually take the three-part knowledge test. The application fee, the specialist language test and, if needed, the temporary permit come on top. The knowledge test alone costs between €1,300 and €3,000 in the nine states that state a fixed fee.

Should you choose the document assessment, the equivalence report is added to your costs. If substantial differences remain after that, you still take the three-part knowledge test.

The assessment body for health professions (Gutachtenstelle für Gesundheitsberufe, GfG) at the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) charges €1,773 in five states, according to the states' information. Higher amounts are stated by Bavaria (up to €3,000), Baden-Württemberg (up to €2,500) and Saarland (up to €2,000). Among the published figures, the equivalence report is the most expensive single item in five states, for example in Baden-Württemberg (up to €2,500) and Schleswig-Holstein (up to €1,773).

The examples count the knowledge test as one sum. If you retake a part, several states charge the amount of that part again, not the whole sum. The table of fees per part above shows what each part costs.

Costs outside the fee schedules for dentists

Besides the fees of authorities and chambers you pay costs that appear in no fee schedule. For dentists these are certified translations of the degree certificate and, where required, of the hours overview, plus certifications of copies. A certification confirms that a copy matches the original. Some countries of origin must confirm a document with an apostille, a stamp of the issuing state under the Hague Convention. The amounts depend on the translator, the notary and the country.

According to the states’ information, 14 of 16 states require at least one mandatory document for dentists in a qualified translation, that is a translation by a translator sworn in at a German court. Saxony asks for the most, with 10 mandatory documents.

An overview of hours per subject, split into theory and practice, is mandatory in 8 states, and proof of the practical training phase in 7 states. Both documents are long and expensive to translate, because they list many subjects and hours. Ask your university for them early. We clarify with the authority which documents your state actually requires.

The practical part alone lasts about five hours, and the whole test takes several dates. Travel and accommodation near the test location therefore arise several times, and Bavaria states about €150 for materials on top of the fees per part.

What the recognition grant covers for dentists

Eligible (funding guideline, item 4.3)

translations of the degree certificate, the hours overview and other documents, plus certifications (item 4.3 a)
fees and expenses of the recognition procedure, for example for the equivalence check, for reports and for the ZAB certificate assessment (item 4.3 b); fees for the licence itself are excluded (item 4.4 e)
a preparation course for the knowledge test (item 4.3 d)
the fees of the three test parts (item 4.3 e)
travel and accommodation away from home where the qualification requires them (item 4.3 f)

Not eligible (funding guideline, item 4.4)

language courses and the fee of the specialist language test (item 4.4 d)
obtaining documents in your home country, such as the hours overview from your university (item 4.4 c)
fees and costs for the licence itself, for example a police certificate and a certificate of health (item 4.4 e)
learning materials, living costs and childcare (item 4.4 a)

Part of these costs can be funded

The federal recognition grant (Anerkennungszuschuss) covers up to €4,800 altogether, split into up to €600 for procedure costs such as translations and certifications, up to €1,200 for a skills analysis and up to €3,000 for qualification such as preparation courses. You must live in Germany.

For dentists the qualification funding of up to €3,000 counts, because the fees of the knowledge test and a preparation course belong to it (items 4.2 and 4.3). In Bremen the test fee alone, at €3,000, equals the maximum.

Once the authority has found substantial differences, for example by admitting you to the knowledge test, the funding body decides on the qualification funding (item 6.2). You apply for admission to the funding before the measure that causes the costs begins, at the latest by 30 June 2027 under the guideline (item 6.2.1). Residence in Germany is required. We clarify with you in advance which costs you can claim; you file the application yourself.

How the recognition grant works

Legal basis of the fees

Authorities may charge fees only where a legal provision provides for them. You can look the provision up and compare it with your fee notice. The provisions below are cited in German, as published (data retrieved September 2026). The abbreviations are official, for example GVBl. (state law gazette), KVz (schedule of fees) and LAGeSo (Berlin state office for health and social affairs).

Baden-Württemberg: GebVerz SM Nr. 12.1 (Behörde); Gebührenordnung LZK BW Anlage 1 Nr. 2 (Kammer) (German)
Bavaria: KVz Tarif-Nr. 7.IX.2; Art. 10 KG (German)
Berlin: Verordnung über die Erhebung von Gebühren im Gesundheits- und Pflegewesen (GesPflGebO) in der jeweils geltenden Fassung; Gebührenübersicht des LAGeSo, Stand 11/2021 (German)
Brandenburg: GebOMGS, Anlage, Tarifstelle 7.1; § 26 Abs. 2 HeilBerG (German)
Bremen: GesundKostV, Anlage, Abschnitt B, Nr. 502.02 bis 502.05, 502.13, 502.16, 502.18 (German)
Hamburg: GebOöG, Anlage, Nr. 1.1.1 bis 1.1.6.2 (German)
Hesse: VwKostO-MFG, Anlage, Nr. 1161, 1165, 1171–1173, 1181 (German)
Lower Saxony: Allgemeine Gebührenordnung (AllGO) des Landes Niedersachsen vom 5. Juni 1997 (Nds. GVBl. S. 171; 1998 S. 501), zuletzt geändert durch Verordnung vom 16.12.2025 (Nds. GVBl. Nr. 98); Anlage, Abschnitt 7 'Ärztinnen und Ärzte, Zahnärztinnen und Zahnärzte', Unterabschnitt 7.2 'Gesetz über die Ausübung der Zahnheilkunde' (German)
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: GesKostVO M-V, Anlage, Tarifstelle 5.1 (German)
North Rhine-Westphalia: Allgemeine Verwaltungsgebührenordnung NRW (AVwGebO NRW) vom 8. August 2023 (GV. NRW. S. 490), zuletzt geändert durch Artikel 2 der Verordnung vom 21. April 2026 (GV. NRW. S. 240); Allgemeiner Gebührentarif (AGT), Tarifstelle 12, Stand 25.04.2026 (German)
Rhineland-Palatinate: Landesverordnung über die Gebühren der Gesundheitsverwaltung (Besonderes Gebührenverzeichnis) - GesVwGebV RP - vom 28. März 2013, Anlage 'Besonderes Gebührenverzeichnis der Gesundheitsverwaltung', Abschnitt 1 'Approbationen, Erlaubnisse, Ausnahmegenehmigungen und dergleichen für Berufe des Gesundheitswesens' (German)
Saarland: Gesetz Nr. 800 über die Erhebung von Verwaltungs- und Benutzungsgebühren im Saarland (SaarlGebG vom 24. Juni 1964), zuletzt geändert durch Artikel 65 des Gesetzes vom 27. August 2025 (German)
Saxony: Zehntes Sächsisches Kostenverzeichnis (10. SächsKVZ) vom 16.08.2021 (SächsGVBl. S. 898), rechtsbereinigt mit Stand vom 09.04.2025, Anlage 1, lfd. Nr. 9 (German)
Saxony-Anhalt: Allgemeine Gebührenordnung des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt (German)
Schleswig-Holstein: VerwGebVO Schleswig-Holstein vom 26.09.2018 (GVOBl. Schl.-H. 2018, S. 476), Anlage „Allgemeiner Gebührentarif“ in der Fassung vom 24.08.2026, gültig ab 01.09.2026, Tarifstelle 9.2 (German)
Thuringia: ThürVwKostG; ThürVwKostOMASGFF (German)

Frequently asked questions

Why does the knowledge test cost more for dentists?: It has three parts, and every part is charged separately. The practical part lasts about five hours and is the most expensive in five of eight states that break the fee down. The total fee lies between €1,300 and €3,000 in the nine states with a fixed fee. About the knowledge test
What does it cost to retake one part?: Every part that you fail can be retaken twice (§ 118 ZApprO). On a retake, several states charge the amount of the affected part again, not the fee for the whole test. In Lower Saxony, for example, the practical part costs €1,600 every time. You do not have to retake parts that you passed.
Which states publish no figure for the dentists’ knowledge test?: Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein publish no figure. Saxony (€2,000 to €3,000) states only a range. We clarify the amount with the authority or the chamber for you before you register for the test.
Why does the table for dentists show dashes instead of figures?: A dash stands where no supported amount exists. For dentists the knowledge test is missing in Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein, because neither the authority nor the chamber publishes an amount there. The table contains neither estimates nor the figure of a neighbouring state. The state page names the source, the legal basis and the retrieval date. Where our figures come from (in German)