How is the dental knowledge test structured?

It has three parts, one after the other: written (45 minutes), oral (60 to 90 minutes) and practical (about five hours). The basis is §§ 104 to 110 ZApprO.

How long do I have to decide?

Until four weeks after you submit your application (§ 12b(2) ZHG). Once the four weeks pass, you stay on the standard route, the knowledge test.

How do I tell the authority my decision as a dentist?

The law prescribes no form. Ask the competent authority for a form. How to find the competent authority is explained on the page about jurisdiction and moving between states.

What does the document assessment cost for dentists compared with the test?

The report costs €1,773 in five states. The test costs between €1,300 and €3,000 in the nine states that state a fixed fee. If the assessment succeeds, the report is therefore usually cheaper.

Do I have to repeat the whole test after a failed attempt?

No. Each part that you fail may be retaken twice (§ 118 ZApprO). The fee for the repeated part is then due again.

Who assesses equivalence in North Rhine-Westphalia?

For dentists, the district government of Münster. The transfer to the medical chambers on 1 January 2026 applies to doctors only.

What if I cannot obtain my documents?

Then you take the knowledge test. The law requires it where documents are missing for reasons beyond your control (§ 12b(3) ZHG).

As a dentist: three exam parts or document assessment?

If you studied dentistry outside the EU, the standard route is the dental knowledge test (Kenntnisprüfung). It has three parts that build on each other and includes practical work. On your request the authority assesses your study documents instead (document assessment, Unterlagenbewertung). You choose exactly once, within a deadline set by law.

This choice exists only if your qualification comes from outside the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. With an EU qualification, see the overview for dentists.

Four weeks from your application

If you want your documents assessed instead of taking the knowledge test, you must declare this within four weeks of submitting your application (§ 12b(2) ZHG). The day you apply is what counts. After that, the knowledge test remains.

The choice binds you for the whole procedure, and the authority must inform you of the option and its consequences. Decide before you apply. Filing also starts the four weeks, so apply for the recognition grant before you file.

Standard route

The knowledge test for dentists

The dental knowledge test has three parts that you take one after the other: written, oral and practical (§ 104 ZApprO). You may sit the oral and the practical part only after passing the previous one.

In the written part you develop at least two reasoned treatment proposals within 45 minutes. The basis is model documents, an X-ray finding and a periodontal status, which is the record of the tissue around the teeth (§ 108 ZApprO). The oral part is an examination conversation of 60 to 90 minutes on prosthetics, orthodontics, oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery and restorative dentistry (§§ 107 and 109 ZApprO).

In the practical part you work under simulated conditions of a dental practice, about five hours in total (§ 110 ZApprO). You prepare teeth for crowns, place fillings, treat a root canal and select instruments for surgical cases. Berlin names the phantom head as the workplace. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania uses a phantom workstation with an introduction two to four weeks before the exam.

Each part that you fail may be retaken twice (§ 118 ZApprO). The test fee is between €1,300 (Bavaria) and €3,000 (Bremen) in the nine states that state a fixed fee. All 16 states are on the fees page. In Saxony-Anhalt it is made up of €500 for the written, €1,150 for the oral and €1,300 for the practical part. If you retake a part, its fee is due again.

It takes time until all three parts are done. Bavaria names 1 to 6 months after registration for the start of the exam, Lower Saxony speaks of several months between the individual parts and Bremen aims to hold the exam within six months of registration.

In its favour: You need no curriculum, and each part assesses what you show there. Only the part you failed is repeated.
Against it: The fee is higher than for doctors and pharmacists, and the test stretches over several dates. The practical part demands practice with crowns, fillings and root canals.

On request

The document assessment for dentists

The authority compares your dentistry degree with the German one. If it is equivalent, you are licensed without the test. If substantial differences remain, you take the three-part test anyway. Professional experience can make up for differences (§ 12a(5) and (6) ZHG).

Eight states list the hour-by-hour overview per subject as a mandatory document. Lower Saxony additionally asks for a personalised curriculum with a German translation and evidence of professional practice. Schleswig-Holstein measures your degree against a German dentistry degree of at least five years and compares content, hours and the share of practical training.

The equivalence report (Gleichwertigkeitsgutachten) costs €1,773 in five states, according to their information. Higher amounts are stated by Bavaria (up to €3,000), Baden-Württemberg (up to €2,500) and Saarland (up to €2,000). Hamburg states only €145 for the authenticity check and €417 for establishing the reference qualification for dentists.

Baden-Württemberg currently names about 12 months for the report, Berlin and Bavaria expect more than a year in individual cases and Rhineland-Palatinate states at most four months from complete documents.

In its favour: If the assessment succeeds, all three exam parts fall away, including the practical one. The report usually costs less than the test.
Against it: You obtain, translate and certify the full set of evidence. If substantial differences remain, you pay for the report and still take all three parts.

A particularity in North Rhine-Westphalia

In North Rhine-Westphalia the medical chambers have assessed equivalence for doctors since 1 January 2026. For dentists, the district government of Münster remains responsible. We clarify this for you before you file.

Which starting point fits which route

These five situations are the most common among dentists:

1. You have practised for years but have not worked at a phantom head for a long time.
The practical part takes about five hours and requires crown preparation, fillings and a root canal treatment under exam conditions. Expect to need practice time. Only the part you failed is repeated (§ 118 ZApprO).
2. You can document your degree completely.
Ask your university whether it issues the curriculum with hours, how quickly and at what cost. Find out early whether it issues the hour-by-hour overview per subject, split into theory and practice. We check with you before you apply whether your documents can be obtained.
3. You are counting every euro.
In dentistry the document assessment is usually the cheaper route if it succeeds: the report costs €1,773 in five states, the test €1,300 to €3,000. If the assessment fails because of substantial differences, you pay for both. The worked example below shows both cases.
4. Your university cannot issue documents.
Then the knowledge test applies regardless of your choice. The law requires it where documents are missing for reasons beyond your control and the authority could examine the application only with disproportionate effort (§ 12b(3) ZHG). Examples are destroyed university archives or a home country without a functioning administration. Choose the test straight away.
5. You want to work as a dentist again soon.
Until you are licensed, you can apply for a temporary permit (Berufserlaubnis, § 13 ZHG) of two years in total, across all states. Several states grant it only for non-independent work under supervision. Requirements and limits are explained on the temporary permit page (in German). The test is held in German, and a specialist language test is needed on both routes (details in German). Plan time to prepare before the test route. Structure, subjects and retakes are on the knowledge test page.

Worked example from the states of the dentists

A dentist applies in Saxony-Anhalt. The knowledge test costs €2,950 there and the report €1,773. If your degree is found equivalent, you save €1,177. If the authority finds substantial differences, you pay for the report on top of the test, €4,723 in total. That is €1,773 more than going straight to the test.

In Brandenburg the gap is smaller: test €2,200, report €1,773, so a saving of €427 on success and €3,973 if substantial differences remain. Translations, certifications and the specialist language test are not included in any of these figures.

The cost calculator adds up both routes for your state: the option "My training is assessed on the basis of documents" adds the equivalence report.

The knowledge test Fees in all states

Frequently asked questions

How is the dental knowledge test structured?: It has three parts, one after the other: written (45 minutes), oral (60 to 90 minutes) and practical (about five hours). The basis is §§ 104 to 110 ZApprO. The knowledge test in detail
How long do I have to decide?: Until four weeks after you submit your application (§ 12b(2) ZHG). Once the four weeks pass, you stay on the standard route, the knowledge test.
How do I tell the authority my decision as a dentist?: The law prescribes no form. Ask the competent authority for a form. How to find the competent authority is explained on the page about jurisdiction and moving between states. Jurisdiction and moving states (in German)
What does the document assessment cost for dentists compared with the test?: The report costs €1,773 in five states. The test costs between €1,300 and €3,000 in the nine states that state a fixed fee. If the assessment succeeds, the report is therefore usually cheaper. What both routes cost
Do I have to repeat the whole test after a failed attempt?: No. Each part that you fail may be retaken twice (§ 118 ZApprO). The fee for the repeated part is then due again.
Who assesses equivalence in North Rhine-Westphalia?: For dentists, the district government of Münster. The transfer to the medical chambers on 1 January 2026 applies to doctors only.
What if I cannot obtain my documents?: Then you take the knowledge test. The law requires it where documents are missing for reasons beyond your control (§ 12b(3) ZHG).