Germany-trained specialists can work in Saudi Arabia once the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) classifies and registers them. SCFHS places the German Facharzt certificate in Group 2 of its classification rules, which opens the Senior Registrar grade once you pass the SCFHS written exam and the Consultant grade after five years of experience and a committee assessment or interview. One SCFHS registration covers the whole Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia does not tax employment income. Below is how the Group 2 route works, what to prepare from Germany, and what a Saudi offer is worth in euros.
Key Takeaways
- SCFHS lists the German Facharzt certificate in Group 2, not Group 1.
- Group 2 holders become Senior Registrar on reaching the required score in the written exam.
- The Consultant grade follows after 5 years of experience and an assessment committee or interview.
- Unlike the UAE, an Oberarzt title does not change your group in Saudi Arabia.
- Registration is valid for 2 years and renewal needs 60 CPD hours.
How SCFHS Classifies a German Facharzt
The SCFHS executive rules for classification and registration sort foreign specialty qualifications into groups. Germany sits in Group 2, with the Fachärztliche Anerkennung or Urkunde issued by your state medical chamber as the recognised qualification. The group, not your German job title, decides the grade you start at.
| SCFHS group | Senior Registrar | Consultant |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 (for example the UK, France, the USA) | On obtaining the qualification, no assessment | After 3 years of experience, no assessment |
| Group 2 (Germany) | After reaching the required score in the written exam | After 5 years of experience and passing the assessment committee or an interview |
| Group 3 | Not available | Not available; Registrar only, after an exam or interview and the required experience |
Two points matter for a German applicant. First, the Oberarzt designation that moves a German Facharzt into Tier 1 in the UAE has no equivalent role in the SCFHS rules, so it does not lift you into Group 1. Second, Group 2 consultant status requires specialty training of at least three years, which a German Weiterbildung meets.
The SCFHS Written Exam for Group 2 Specialists
The written exam is a Prometric-delivered specialty assessment. According to Prometric’s SCFHS guidance, these exams run from 2 to 7 hours with 100 to 300 mostly multiple-choice questions, depending on the specialty, and the pass mark varies by exam. You need an SCFHS eligibility number before you can book, the eligibility generally lasts three months, and you have three attempts to pass.
German GPs follow a separate route. The Saudi Medical Licensing Exam (SMLE) for general practitioners has 200 multiple-choice questions and a pass mark of 560. A Facharzt für Allgemeinmedizin is a German specialty certificate, so confirm with SCFHS whether your file is classified in family medicine or under the GP route before you book an exam.
For a German Facharzt who passes, Senior Registrar is the starting grade, and the consultant upgrade comes later through the committee route.
The SCFHS Registration Route Step by Step
- Open a Mumaris Plus account, the SCFHS portal, and request an eligibility number for classification.
- Start primary source verification through DataFlow. The fee is SAR 600, or SAR 1,100 with express processing, and verification takes around 25 working days.
- Sit the written exam through Prometric once your eligibility number is issued.
- Receive your classification, usually Senior Registrar for a German Facharzt who passes.
- Register and activate through Mumaris Plus, which your employer uses to check your standing. Registration lasts two years.
SCFHS also asks non-Saudi applicants for at least one year of experience and for an employment letter from your hospital, issued within three months of applying, confirming your clinical practice, category and start date, according to its classification requirements.
Documents to prepare from Germany
- Medical degree and Approbation
- Facharzt certificate from your Landesärztekammer, with your training record showing the programme length and dates
- Proof of current registration with your medical chamber, plus a verification letter
- An employment letter from your hospital’s HR, dated within three months
- A Good Standing Certificate from the health authority of your federal state
- Certified English translations of German-language documents
Saudi Doctor Salary in Euros
Saudi offers are paid in SAR and free of income tax. In euros, common monthly offers work out as follows:
| Monthly offer (SAR) | Per month (EUR) | Per year (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| SAR 35,000 | about €8,342 | about €100,107 |
| SAR 50,000 | about €11,918 | about €143,010 |
| SAR 65,000 | about €15,493 | about €185,913 |
| SAR 80,000 | about €19,068 | about €228,817 |
In Germany, the TV-Ärzte/VKA scale from 1 June 2026 pays a Facharzt €7,552 to €9,699 and an Oberarzt €9,460 to €10,811 gross a month, before income tax and social insurance. Saudi packages usually add housing or a housing allowance, flights and family medical cover, so compare the whole offer with your German net pay. Because a German Facharzt typically starts at Senior Registrar, check which grade an offer is written for before you compare figures.
Converted at SAR 4.1955 to the euro, 13 October 2026.
Tax: Saudi Arabia and Germany
Saudi Arabia does not levy personal income tax on employment income. Germany keeps taxing your worldwide income for as long as you keep a residence or habitual abode there, so the date you give up your German home matters more than the date you start work in Riyadh or Jeddah. Rental income from German property stays taxable in Germany after you leave. Take advice from a German tax adviser before you set your departure date.
Where Germany-Trained Doctors Work in Saudi Arabia
Hospital jobs concentrate in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province. Government and academic employers include King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, which runs King Abdulaziz Medical City, and King Fahad Medical City. Large private groups include Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group and Saudi German Health. Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare serves the Eastern Province.
How your grade is set, and how to move up from Senior Registrar, is explained in SCFHS classification grades.
Living in Saudi Arabia with a Family from Germany
- German schooling: both Riyadh and Jeddah have German international schools; the German International School Jeddah was founded in 1975.
- Weekend: Friday and Saturday.
- Language: English is the working language in most hospitals and in SCFHS exams.
- One license, whole Kingdom: an SCFHS registration is not tied to one city, so you can move between employers in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province.
Moving From Germany to Saudi Arabia? Start Your SCFHS License With Us
For a German Facharzt, the Saudi route is about two things: passing the Group 2 written exam well, and documenting five years of experience for the consultant committee later. Allocation Assist supports doctors trained in Germany as a medical job consultancy, preparing your SCFHS license file and handling doctor job placement in Saudi Arabia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can German doctors work in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Germany-trained doctors work in Saudi Arabia once SCFHS has classified and registered them. The German Facharzt is recognised in Group 2 of the SCFHS rules.
Which SCFHS group is Germany in?
Group 2. The UK, France, the USA, Canada, Australia and Ireland are in Group 1, which is why German Fachärzte take a written exam that Group 1 specialists do not.
Do German specialists need to take an exam for SCFHS?
Yes. Group 2 holders reach Senior Registrar after achieving the required score in the SCFHS written exam, which Prometric delivers.
Can a German Oberarzt be classified as Consultant in Saudi Arabia?
Not on the Oberarzt title alone. Under Group 2 rules, the Consultant grade needs five years of experience after the specialty and a pass in the assessment committee or interview.
How long does SCFHS registration take for a German doctor?
DataFlow verification takes around 25 working days, and the written exam adds the time to book and sit it. Registration lasts two years once issued.
Is a Saudi salary tax-free for German doctors?
Saudi Arabia does not tax employment income. Germany can still tax you while you keep a residence or habitual abode in Germany.
