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Apply for a Heilpraktiker licence

Gesundheitsamt (public health office) · licence under the Heilpraktiker Act (Heilpraktikergesetz, HeilprG)

In personFrom the age of 25Not a professional examination

Two points determine everything else. First: the examination carried out by the Gesundheitsamt is not a professional examination. § 2 Abs. 1 Buchst. i of the First Ordinance Implementing the HeilprG (Erste Durchführungsverordnung zum Heilpraktikergesetz, 1. DVO) sets out as its standard whether the practice of medicine by the person concerned “would represent a danger to the health of the population or of the patients who consult them”. What is examined, therefore, is risk prevention, not professional competence — which is why there is no prescribed training, only completed schooling and having completed the 25th year of life. Second, and far more important: a person who practises medicine without this licence does not commit a regulatory offence but a criminal offence. § 5 HeilprG provides for imprisonment of up to one year or a criminal fine. That is a different category from a regulatory fine: there are criminal proceedings and, if convicted, an entry in the Federal Central Criminal Register.

This standard gives rise to the most important practical point: there is no prescribed training. The requirements of § 2 Abs. 1 of the 1. DVO implementing the HeilprG are formulated as grounds for exclusion — the licence must be refused if the applicant has not completed the 25th year of life, cannot show completed schooling, proves unreliable, is not medically fit to practise, or fails the examination. Schools prepare candidates for this examination; attending such a school is not required.

What is actually required in the examination follows consistently from risk prevention: recognising the limits of one’s own practice, knowledge of the notification obligations under the Infection Protection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz, IfSG), awareness of the areas reserved to doctors, and of emergencies that require immediate medical treatment. Anyone who treats the examination as a test of knowledge of a particular healing method is preparing for the wrong subject matter.

Alongside the full licence there is a version limited to one field, commonly known in practice as the “sectoral” Heilpraktiker licence — widespread for physiotherapy and psychotherapy. It permits independent treatment only within that field. Whether it is offered in your federal state (Bundesland), and in what form, is decided by the competent authority — it is worth asking before you begin any preparation.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basis§ 1 HeilprG, § 2 of the 1. DVO
VerificationChecked against IfSG, BBG, HeilprG and SGB XIV
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Gesundheitsamt, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
CriterionRisk preventionNot a specialist examination
Minimum age25 years§ 2 Abs. 1 of the 1. DVO
TrainingNot mandatorySchool-leaving qualification only
Without a licenceCriminal offence§ 5 HeilprG
Required documents

What you need

Proof of identity and proof of age

Identity card (Personalausweis) or passport. Having completed the 25th year of life is a requirement; before that point the licence must be refused, regardless of any qualification.

Proof of completed schooling

What is required is completed schooling, not a particular vocational training. A Heilpraktiker school is not an admission requirement, however widespread attending one may be.

Certificate of good conduct (Führungszeugnis) for submission to an authority

It serves to assess reliability. Apply for it as a certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority (Behördenführungszeugnis), so that it goes directly to the right body, and allow for processing time.

Medical certificate of fitness to practise

It confirms that you are medically fit to practise. The form required differs between offices — ask about the required template before your medical appointment.

The application stating its scope

Full licence or a form limited to one field. This statement determines the subject matter of the examination and the later scope of your practice.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Understand what is being examined

    Under § 2 Abs. 1 Buchst. i of the 1. DVO, the standard is whether practising would represent a danger to the health of the population or of the patients. What is asked about is limits, notification obligations, the areas reserved to doctors, and emergencies — not a particular healing method.

  2. 2

    Go through the grounds for exclusion yourself

    Age, school-leaving qualification, reliability, medical fitness. Anyone who fails to meet one of these can pass the examination and still not receive the licence — clarify this beforehand, not after applying.

  3. 3

    Submit the application to the competent Gesundheitsamt

    The competent office is the one at the place where you intend to practise. With the application you specify whether you are seeking the full licence or one limited to a particular field.

  4. 4

    Take the examination

    It usually consists of a written and an oral part. Examination dates are set by the federal states for fixed periods; the registration deadlines fall well before them and are often overlooked.

  5. 5

    Clarify the remaining obligations before opening your practice

    Practice premises, hygiene, documentation, professional liability insurance and data protection. The licence permits you to practise — it does not replace any of the obligations that apply to every practice.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Costs and legal consequencesFees are set by the federal state and the local authority
Application and examinationUnder the fee ordinance
Minimum age25 years
Prescribed trainingNone
Examination standardDanger to health
Practising without a licenceCriminal offence, § 5 HeilprG
Sentencing rangeUp to one year’s imprisonment

The costs of a preparatory school are private training costs, not a fee — they arise for something the law does not require, even though it may make the examination easier.

Good to know

Important notes

The most serious misconception concerns the legal consequence: practising medicine without a licence is not a regulatory offence. § 5 HeilprG provides for imprisonment of up to one year or a criminal fine. This is therefore a matter of criminal proceedings with possible entry in the Federal Central Criminal Register, not a fine notice (Bußgeldbescheid).

What the practice of medicine actually means is defined broadly by § 1 Abs. 2 HeilprG: any activity carried out on a professional or commercial basis to detect, cure or relieve illnesses, suffering or physical harm in human beings. Anyone who advises or treats within this field without a licence is acting within the scope of criminal law — the label given to the activity changes nothing about that.

The examination is not a professional examination, and that explains its design: it asks about recognising limits, the notification obligations under the IfSG, the areas reserved to doctors, and emergencies. Anyone who prepares on knowledge of a particular method and leaves out risk prevention is preparing for the wrong subject matter.

The licence limited to one field — commonly called “sectoral” in practice, for example for physiotherapy or psychotherapy — permits independent treatment only within that field. Its form and availability differ between the federal states; ask your Gesundheitsamt before you begin any preparation.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Treating the examination as a specialist examination. The standard is risk prevention, not mastery of a method.

Treating a school as a requirement. What is required is the school-leaving qualification, not attendance at a Heilpraktiker school.

Applying before the 25th year of life has been completed. The licence must then be refused, regardless of the result.

“Only advising”, without a licence. § 1 Abs. 2 HeilprG defines the practice of medicine broadly, and § 5 makes practising without a licence a criminal offence.

Overlooking the registration deadline. The examination dates fall in fixed periods, with registration well before them.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is the Heilpraktiker examination a professional examination?

No. § 2 Abs. 1 Buchst. i of the 1. DVO implementing the HeilprG sets out as its standard whether the practice of medicine by the person concerned would represent a danger to the health of the population or of the patients who consult them. What is examined, therefore, is risk prevention — the limits of one’s own practice, notification obligations, the areas reserved to doctors, emergencies — not mastery of a particular healing method.

What training do I need?

Legally, none in particular. What is required is having completed the 25th year of life, completed schooling, reliability, medical fitness and passing the examination. Heilpraktiker schools prepare candidates for the examination but are not an admission requirement.

What happens if I treat patients without a licence?

This is a criminal offence, not a regulatory offence. § 5 HeilprG provides for imprisonment of up to one year or a criminal fine. The difference is significant: criminal proceedings follow, and, if convicted, an entry in the Federal Central Criminal Register — not a Bußgeldbescheid.

From what age can I obtain the licence?

From the completed 25th year of life. § 2 Abs. 1 of the 1. DVO implementing the HeilprG formulates the requirements as grounds for refusal: anyone who has not reached this age limit must be refused the licence — even if they have passed the examination.

Is there a licence just for physiotherapy or psychotherapy?

In practice, yes, under the name “sectoral” Heilpraktiker licence. It permits independent treatment exclusively within the relevant field. Its form and availability differ between the federal states and in part between offices — the binding information comes from your Gesundheitsamt.

How much does the procedure cost?

The fees for the application and the examination are set out in the fee ordinance of the federal state or the local authority; there are no nationally uniform amounts. What many candidates actually pay, in addition, are the costs of a preparatory school — these are private training costs, not a fee.

Related official procedures

Official medical examination (amtsärztliche Untersuchung)
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Usually the employer
Hygiene monitoring
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Without registration
Social psychiatric service
No referral, confidential, free of charge
Free of charge

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