Failing Medical School in Germany? What to Do After a Final Fail or Exmatriculation (2026)
02.10.2026
Short answer
Failing medical school in Germany? Third attempt failed, endgültig nicht bestanden or exmatriculated: your rights, deadlines and the way back as a doctor.
Exam attempts
In short: In Germany two sets of rules count your attempts. The state examinations follow the federal licensing regulations for doctors (Approbationsordnung, section 20): each part may be repeated twice. University course exams follow the study regulations of your faculty, which in most cases also allow three attempts in total.
The first state examination, still called the Physikum, has a written and an oral-practical part. Each is counted separately. If you fail the written part three times, the whole examination is failed for good, even if the oral part was passed.
Course certificates (Scheine) are the quieter risk. A faculty can fix three attempts for biochemistry or anatomy, and some attach deadlines to them. Read your study regulations before the second attempt, not after it.
| Exam | Rule | Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| First state examination (M1, Physikum) | Approbationsordnung, section 20 | 3 per part |
| Second and third state examination (M2, M3) | Approbationsordnung, section 20 | 3 each |
| Course exams (Scheine) | Study regulations of the faculty | Usually 3, set by the faculty |
Final fail
In short: A final fail (endgültig nicht bestanden) ends your right to be examined in Medicine. The university exmatriculates you, and under the higher education laws of the federal states no other German university may enrol you in Medicine again. The block has no expiry date.
The block applies to the degree programme, not to you as a person. Other subjects stay open. Medicine in Germany does not.
It also stops at the border. A final fail in Germany does not prevent you from studying Medicine in another EU country, and it does not prevent the German authorities from recognising the degree you earn there.
Objection and deadlines
In short: After a failed attempt in Germany you normally have one month from the written decision to file an objection (Widerspruch). You may inspect your exam file. Illness on exam day must be declared immediately with a medical certificate. Reporting it days later, after the result, is too late.
- Inspect the file: ask for access to your paper, the marking scheme and the minutes of the oral exam.
- Withdraw correctly: if you are ill, withdraw before or during the exam and send the certificate the same day. Courts regularly refuse a fourth attempt when the illness was reported after the fail.
- Hardship application: some faculties grant one extra attempt in course exams for documented hardship. The state examinations know no fourth attempt.
- Compensation for disadvantages: with a diagnosed condition such as dyslexia or ADHD you can apply for adjusted exam conditions before the next sitting.
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Last attempt ahead? Check your options before you sit it
We transfer you to medical schools in other EU countries whose degree leads to the German Approbation. In a free consultation we check which of them accept your passed courses and plan your route back to Germany.
Book a free transfer consultationWhy students get stuck
In short: Medical students in Germany who fail rarely lack ability. They got in with top grades or years of waiting. The usual reasons are burnout, depression or anxiety, a family crisis, paid work beside the programme, exam anxiety and an undiagnosed learning difference.
The preclinical years in Germany are dense: anatomy, biochemistry and physiology within four semesters, then all of it again in two days of Physikum. One weak semester can turn into a chain of second attempts.
None of this means you chose the wrong profession. I grew up in Stuttgart, started dental medicine in Sofia in 2015 at 24 and graduated in 2021. A slower start says nothing about the doctor you will become.
Switch early
In short: In Germany the best moment to transfer is before the third attempt. As long as no final fail is on record you leave in good standing, with recent coursework and every door open. After a final fail a transfer abroad is still possible.
- You have failed the same exam twice.
- The written Physikum has gone wrong once and the preparation felt the same the second time.
- Your faculty has set a deadline for a missing certificate.
- You already hold a decision stating endgültig nicht bestanden.
If one of these applies to you, book a free transfer consultation now rather than after the next exam.
Next four weeks
- Week 1: read the study regulations and the letter from the examination office, and note the one-month deadline for an objection.
- Week 1 to 2: request access to your exam file and talk to the student advisory service of your faculty.
- Week 2 to 3: if anxiety, low mood or reading speed play a part, see a doctor and ask about adjusted exam conditions.
- Week 3 to 4: order your transcript of records and the module descriptions of all passed courses.
- Before you register for the last attempt: book a free transfer consultation and compare the third attempt with a transfer and a planned return to Germany.
Transfer within the EU
In short: A transfer from a German medical faculty to a medical school in another EU country is possible, and Medschool Experts organises it. The receiving university assesses your transcript and module descriptions. Which universities fit you, and which year you can enter, depends on your profile.
A study transfer is a complicated undertaking. Every university checks hours, content and syllabi in its own way, and the documents have to arrive in exactly the right form. Our experts have almost ten years of experience with study transfers, and we regularly achieve placements into higher years, at times Year 4 or Year 5.
Thousands of Germans study Medicine in other EU countries, and BAföG can be granted for a full degree in another EU country.
Free transfer consultation
Transfer abroad, return to Germany: check your options
Send us your transcript. We tell you which EU universities accept your courses, which year you can enter and how your route back to Germany looks, step by step. Free and without obligation.
Check my transfer optionsReturning to Germany
In short: Yes, you can come back. A medical degree from another EU country is recognised in Germany under Directive 2005/36/EC and section 3 of the Federal Medical Code. You apply for the Approbation at the authority of your federal state. There is no knowledge test for EU degrees.
A re-entry into a German medical programme stays closed after a final fail, so the plan is to graduate abroad and return as a doctor. With the Approbation you start specialist training in a German hospital like any other graduate.
Free transfer consultation
Plan your way back to Germany from day one
Your Approbation depends on where and how you graduate. We choose your university with exactly that in mind and show you the timeline in a free consultation.
Book a free transfer consultationCosts
In short: Studying Medicine at a public university in Germany costs a semester contribution of roughly €150 to €400, but a final fail costs the whole degree. Tuition at European medical schools starts at about €3,500 a year, and living costs in many Central and Eastern European cities are €5,000 to €8,000, below Munich, Hamburg or Frankfurt.
How we help
Medschool Experts reviews your transcript and module descriptions in a free transfer consultation, finds EU medical schools that fit your profile, prepares the application and the documents, and plans your route back to Germany. More than 500 students have been placed so far. The first step is always a free transfer consultation.
The author's view
I grew up in Stuttgart and know how much a place in Medicine is worth in Germany. I took a different road, started dental medicine in Sofia in 2015 at 24 and graduated in 2021. Today nobody asks where I sat my first anatomy exam.
Students who write to us after a second failed Physikum often plan to try harder with the same method. I would rather they decided with both options on the table. The third attempt is a bet on one day. A transfer made in good standing is a plan.
Summary
Failing medical school in Germany is a matter of counted attempts. Each part of the state examination and most course exams allow three. The third fail is final, ends your enrolment and closes Medicine at every German university.
The block ends at the border. A transfer to a medical school in another EU country is possible, the degree leads to the German Approbation without a knowledge test, and we plan that route home with you from the first day.
Conclusion
Do not walk into a third attempt without a second plan. The transfer consultation is free, and it shows you which EU universities accept the courses you have already passed and how you come back to Germany as a doctor. Book your free transfer consultation.
Failing medical school in Germany: 7 questions and answers
How many attempts do I have in the Physikum?
Three. Under section 20 of the licensing regulations for doctors each part of the state examination may be repeated twice. The written and the oral-practical part are counted separately.
What does endgültig nicht bestanden mean?
It means the last permitted attempt was failed. You lose the right to be examined, the university exmatriculates you, and no German university may enrol you in Medicine again.
Can I get a fourth attempt?
Not in the state examinations. For course exams some faculties allow a hardship application for one extra attempt. An attempt can also be cancelled if you withdrew correctly because of illness or if the exam had a procedural defect.
How long do I have to object?
Normally one month from the written decision. Ask for access to your exam file straight away.
Can I study Medicine abroad after a final fail in Germany?
Yes. The block applies only to German universities. Medschool Experts organises transfers to medical schools in other EU countries, and the year of entry depends on your profile.
Is my EU degree recognised in Germany afterwards?
Yes. A medical degree from another EU country is recognised under Directive 2005/36/EC, and you receive the Approbation without a knowledge test.
Does the consultation with Medschool Experts cost anything?
No. The transfer consultation is free and without obligation.
What students say about Medschool Experts
Over 500 placements at 25+ partner universities across 10+ countries. See how our students experienced their path into medical school abroad in our student stories.
About the author
Marcel Kloos
Founder and owner of Medschool Experts, federally recognised dentist
Marcel Kloos is the founder and owner of Medschool Experts, a placement agency for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy degrees abroad. Since 2021 the team has secured more than 500 study places at 25+ partner universities in Europe and worldwide.
Study medicine abroad: Marcel's own path
Born in Stuttgart, Marcel started his degree late: at 24 he enrolled at the Medical University of Sofia, Faculty of Dental Medicine, and graduated in 2021 from the English-language programme. He went through the same steps his clients face today — nostrification of school certificates, entrance interviews, finding a flat in Sofia and later the recognition of a foreign degree. He is a federally recognised dentist.
What Marcel does at Medschool Experts
Today Marcel lives in Bern and runs Medschool Experts full-time. He visits every partner university in person, negotiates placement agreements directly with faculties and deans, and leads the free consultations in which applicants learn at which university they can start next semester. His YouTube channel on studying medicine abroad has helped thousands of applicants compare universities, costs and recognition.
Topics Marcel writes about
- Study medicine abroad independent of your high school diploma grades: universities, costs and admission
- Study dentistry, veterinary medicine or pharmacy in Europe in English
- Tuition fees and living costs at medical schools in Europe and worldwide
- Recognition of foreign medical degrees in the EU, Switzerland, the UK and the US
- Transferring between medical schools and returning home into a higher semester
All articles by Marcel Kloos are based on first-hand visits to the universities and conversations with current students. Book a free consultation to discuss your own path.
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