FSP in Hannover: What You Should Know If You Are Planning to Move to Lower Saxony

Aug 21

4 min read

If you are planning to take the Fachsprachprüfung (FSP) in Hannover, there are some practical details and specific characteristics of the examination that you should know before starting your preparation.

Who organizes the exam and how does the process work?

The Fachsprachprüfung for international doctors in Lower Saxony is organized and conducted by the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen (ÄKN) on behalf of the Niedersächsischer Zweckverband zur Approbationserteilung (NiZzA). NiZzA is the competent authority responsible for Approbation and Berufserlaubnis procedures for doctors who obtained their medical qualifications abroad.

The Ärztekammer Niedersachsen conducts the Fachsprachprüfung for international doctors who are referred for the examination by NiZzA as part of their Approbation or Berufserlaubnis application process. It is important to know that you cannot register for the FSP separately or independently with the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen.

The procedure works as follows: after submitting an application for Approbation or Berufserlaubnis, NiZzA reviews the submitted documents. Once all required documents have been provided, the candidate is asked to pay the Fachsprachprüfung fee in advance.

For 2026, the examination fee is €595. Payment should only be made after receiving the official payment request from NiZzA. Once payment has been received, NiZzA directly registers the candidate for the Fachsprachprüfung with the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen. The Medical Association then provides the examination date.

The pass rate

The FSP in Lower Saxony has historically had a relatively high failure rate.

According to official data provided by the Lower Saxony state government based on figures from NiZzA and the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen, the failure rate exceeded 50% in several years: 53% in 2018, 59% in 2019, 55% in 2020 and 53% in 2022. In 2022, the non-pass rate reported by the ÄKN was 51.5%.

The Lower Saxony state government has also emphasized that these figures demonstrate how important adequate language preparation is. Some candidates take the FSP with a B2 certificate, but still do not have sufficient language skills to handle a complex clinical situation at C1 level.

How much does the exam cost?

Since January 1, 2026, the examination fee for the Fachsprachprüfung for doctors in Lower Saxony has been €595.

The fee must be paid in advance to NiZzA, but only after receiving the corresponding payment request. Candidates should therefore not make a payment independently before receiving the official request.

If a candidate does not attend the examination, they may nevertheless be required to cover costs that have already been incurred if it was not possible to assign the examination place to another candidate.

What happens if you do not pass the exam?

There are several important points to know:

The result of the Fachsprachprüfung is communicated by the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen to NiZzA. If the examination is passed, NiZzA then continues with the Approbation or Berufserlaubnis procedure.
If the candidate fails, they must decide whether to repeat the Fachsprachprüfung or withdraw their Approbation/Berufserlaubnis application.
The FSP must be repeated in full. It is not possible to repeat only one of the three examination parts.
The number of examination attempts is not limited.
Each new attempt requires the corresponding fee to be paid again. In 2026, the fee is €595.

One positive aspect is that, according to the official information, candidates who fail are informed about the language areas that need to be improved. This allows them to make their subsequent preparation more targeted.

Official state government data also show that almost all candidates who fail their first attempt subsequently repeat the examination.

Contact details for the competent authority

For the Approbation and Berufserlaubnis procedure for doctors who obtained their medical qualifications abroad, the competent authority in Lower Saxony is the Niedersächsischer Zweckverband zur Approbationserteilung (NiZzA).

📍 Niedersächsischer Zweckverband zur Approbationserteilung (NiZzA)Abteilung 1Berliner Allee 20 A30175 Hannover

📧 abteilung1@nizza.niedersachsen.de📞 +49 511 8972-9221 / 9222

For specific questions regarding the Fachsprachprüfung, the relevant contact is the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen:

📧 fachsprachpruefung@aekn.de📞 0511 380-02

The headquarters of the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen are located at:

📍 Ärztekammer NiedersachsenBerliner Allee 2030175 Hannover

It is important to note that NiZzA and the ÄKN have different responsibilities: questions concerning Approbation or Berufserlaubnis should be addressed to NiZzA, while the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen is responsible for specific questions regarding the FSP.

How to prepare with RevolingoMed

At RevolingoMed, you can choose the preparation format that best suits your needs:

🩺 Individual FSP lessons, tailored to your language level and your specific difficulties.
👥 FSP group courses, allowing you to practise together with other candidates.
📚 Self-study preparation, with access to our Google Classroom platform specifically dedicated to the FSP in Hannover/Lower Saxony, including materials covering the exam structure and typical clinical situations.
🎯 Individual 1:1 exam simulations, allowing you to practise all three examination parts and receive targeted feedback.

👉 FSP group courses, complete 1:1 FSP course, 1:1 exam simulations, 6-month access to the Google Classroom E-Learning platform.

For the administrative part, we would also like to remind you of our previous article on the documents required for Approbation as well as our certified translation service.

📩 info@revolingomed.com🌐 www.revolingomed.com📞 +49 157 8506 5019

This article is for informational purposes only. Procedures, fees and requirements may change over time. We therefore recommend always checking the latest information directly with the Niedersächsischer Zweckverband zur Approbationserteilung (NiZzA) and the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen (ÄKN) before submitting your application or taking the Fachsprachprüfung.