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Official medical examination (amtsärztliche Untersuchung)

Gesundheitsamt · Official medical service

In personCommissioned by the employerEntitlement to a duplicate

The most important sentence about this examination is the one that is read least often: you receive a copy. § 48 of the Federal Civil Service Act (Bundesbeamtengesetz, BBG) provides, for federal civil servants, that the doctor communicates to the authority only the material findings and reasons, to the extent that knowledge of them is necessary for the decision, and does so in a sealed envelope. And Abs. 3 expressly provides that the doctor sends the person concerned a duplicate of this notification. Only where medical reasons preclude this does the duplicate go to a named person of trust instead of to you. The widespread claim that the assessment goes exclusively to the employer and that one receives nothing is, accordingly, not correct. For state and local authority employees, the corresponding provisions of the state civil service acts apply, which follow this same pattern — if in doubt, explicitly ask for the duplicate rather than assuming it is not available.

The second point that determines the outcome is the question to be assessed. The medical officer does not answer the question “is this person healthy?”, but the question set out in the examination order — usually the question of health suitability for a particular career path or of fitness for service. Two things follow from this: the scope of the examination is governed by this question, and a pre-existing condition is not, in itself, a ground for rejection. What matters is the prognosis — whether premature unfitness for service is to be expected with predominant probability.

Equally important is how little the authority learns. § 48 Abs. 2 BBG permits the doctor to communicate to the authority only the material findings and reasons, and even that only to the extent that knowledge of them is necessary for the decision — transmission takes place in a sealed envelope. The complete medical history is expressly not included. Anyone who fears that the examination will result in the entire file being handed to the personnel department considerably overestimates its scope.

And finally: an assessment is not an administrative act. It decides nothing; it merely prepares the employer's decision. What can be challenged, therefore, is not the assessment but the decision based on it — the refusal to appoint or compulsory retirement. Anyone who wants to proceed against the assessment itself is directing the legal remedy against the wrong document.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basis§ 48 BBG
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.
Commissioning bodyThe employerNever you yourself
Your duplicateEntitlement§ 48 Abs. 3 BBG
CriterionPrognosisNot the diagnosis
CostsUsually the employerFee under state law
Required documents

What you need

The written examination order

Without it, no examination takes place. Read it: it contains the question to be assessed, and this determines both the scope of the examination and what later goes to the employer.

Official photo ID

Identity card or passport. The assessment is drawn up in relation to the individual and attached to the personnel file, which is why identity is established.

Prior findings, medical letters, medication list

They help because they can support a prognosis — and that is exactly what matters. If they are missing, the medical officer must estimate or request them afterwards, and either outcome tends to work against you more than complete documents would.

Vaccination record

Regularly relevant for careers involving public contact, clinical settings or postings abroad. If it is missing, it is often requested afterwards, which extends the process by weeks.

Glasses or contact lens prescription record

Where vision requirements are part of the career path, the optician's figures save a separate follow-up examination. Bring the visual aid that you actually wear.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Read the examination order before attending the appointment

    The question to be assessed determines everything that follows. If it is unclear or too broadly framed, clarify it beforehand with the personnel department — the scope of the examination can no longer be narrowed afterwards.

  2. 2

    Assemble the documents completely

    Prior findings, medical letters, current medication, vaccination record, visual aid. Completeness shortens the procedure and prevents follow-up examinations that stretch the process out by weeks.

  3. 3

    Attend the examination

    A medical history interview and a physical examination, supplemented, depending on the order, by a vision and hearing test or laboratory values. The scope follows the question set out in the order, not a fixed catalogue.

  4. 4

    Request the duplicate if it does not arrive on its own

    Under § 48 Abs. 3 BBG, the doctor sends you a duplicate of the notification to the employer. Ask for it explicitly rather than assuming it is not available — only where medical reasons preclude this does it go to a named person of trust.

  5. 5

    If the result is unfavourable, proceed against the correct decision

    What can be challenged is not the assessment but the employer's official notice (Bescheid) based on it. A second assessment can be applied for; whether it is obtained is for the employer to decide — combined with a legal remedy against the decision, this is the more effective approach.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Costs and procedureThe fee is governed by state law
Who bears the costUsually the employer
FeeUnder the fee ordinance of the federal state
OrderIn writing, from the employer
Scope of the notificationOnly the material findings
TransmissionSealed envelope
Your duplicate§ 48 Abs. 3 BBG

For private matters — such as an assessment for an insurance company — the costs are borne by whoever commissions it. The amounts are set out in the fee ordinance of the federal state or local authority.

Good to know

Important notes

The widespread claim “you do not receive a copy” is the reason why many people do not even ask. § 48 Abs. 3 BBG says the opposite: the doctor sends a duplicate of the notification to the person concerned. Only where medical reasons preclude this does a named person of trust take their place. For state and local authority employees, the corresponding state provisions apply.

A pre-existing condition does not automatically lead to rejection. What is assessed is the prognosis up to the age limit, not today's finding. Well-documented conditions that are stable and whose course is evidenced tend to speak for rather than against suitability — which is why the complete medical letter is worthwhile.

The scope of the notification is limited. What is transmitted are the material findings and reasons, to the extent that they are necessary for the decision, and this is done under seal. The complete medical history is not included and must not be demanded.

The same framework applies to unfitness-for-service proceedings. There too, the assessment is only preparatory: the decision is made by the employer, and it is against that decision — not against the medical officer — that the legal remedy is directed.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Attending the appointment without a written order. Without it, no examination is carried out; the trip was for nothing.

Forgoing the duplicate because you assume it is not available. § 48 Abs. 3 BBG expressly provides for it — ask for it.

Leaving findings at home. Missing documents lead to follow-up examinations and considerably prolong the procedure.

Lodging an objection against the assessment itself. It is not an administrative act; what must be challenged is the employer's decision based on it.

Concealing a pre-existing condition. It does less harm to the prognosis than the suspicion of incomplete information.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Do I get to see the assessment?

You receive a duplicate. § 48 Abs. 3 BBG provides that the doctor sends the person concerned a duplicate of the notification under Abs. 2 — that is, of what goes to the employer. Only where medical reasons preclude this does a named person of trust receive it. The claim, often found, that one receives nothing is not correct; for state employees, the corresponding provisions of the state civil service acts apply.

What does my employer learn about my medical history?

Considerably less than many fear. Under § 48 Abs. 2 BBG, the doctor communicates to the authority only the material findings and reasons, and even that only to the extent that knowledge of them is necessary for the decision. Transmission takes place in a sealed envelope. The complete medical file is not transmitted.

Does a chronic illness lead to rejection?

Not automatically. What is assessed is the prognosis — whether unfitness for service will occur with predominant probability before the age limit is reached — not the current finding on its own. A well-documented illness with a stable course can support the prognosis. It is therefore sensible to bring follow-up findings rather than withhold them.

Can I take action against an unfavourable assessment?

Not directly: an assessment is not an administrative act but merely prepares the employer's decision. What must be challenged is the decision itself — the refusal to appoint or compulsory retirement. Within that framework, you can challenge the basis of the assessment and suggest obtaining a second assessment.

Who bears the costs?

Usually the employer who commissioned it. For private matters, whoever commissions it pays. The amount is not fixed uniformly nationwide, but is set out in the fee ordinance of the respective federal state or local authority.

How long does the procedure take?

That depends largely on how complete your documents are. If the medical officer has to request further findings or arrange an additional examination, the process is considerably extended. Bringing medical letters, a medication plan, a vaccination record and vision test results to the first appointment is the most effective way to shorten it.

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