Foreign occupational physicians

In order to work as an occupational health physician in Austria, doctors from EEA countries and Switzerland, have to fulfil two conditions:

• They must be authorised to exercise their profession independently AND
• they need to have completed medical training which is recognised by the Austrian Medical Chamber.
   

With regard to training, a differentiation is made between whether they have completed specialist training as an occupational physician in another country or whether they have completed other types of training.

The International Office of the Austrian Medical Chamber acts as a contact point for questions related to exercising the medical profession in Austrian for doctors who have trained abroad, and carries out procedures for the recognition of medical training qualifications in Austria (Email contact: international@aerztekammer.at

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The legal basis for this recognition procedure is the EU Directive 2005/36/EC, which regulates the migration of doctors within the European Union, and the Physicians Act.

Specialist training for occupational medicine

In accordance with EU law, this specialist training is recognised in Austria as training to become a specialist in occupational medicine. However, the doctors in question have to know the applicable occupational safety and health regulations and adhere to them. The Medical Chamber therefore recommends that these doctors attend a specialist course at one of the academies for occupational medicine. In order to work as an occupational physician in Austria, an adequate knowledge of German and registration with the Austrian Medical Chamber is required. 

Further information is available on the web page (Information in German)

If a doctor's knowledge of occupational medicine was obtained in other ways, it needs to be recognised as being of equal value by the Austrian Medical Chamber. This depends upon the doctors in question having acquired the knowledge needed to care for employees as a company doctor. These occupational physicians also have to be familiar with the relevant occupational safety and health regulations. If necessary, the Austrian Medical Chamber will stipulate that they have to attend relevant courses held at the academies for occupational medicine.

Applications for the recognition of training in occupational medicine which has been completed abroad have to be made to the Austrian Medical Chamber:

Österreichischen Ärztekammer, 1010 Vienna, Weihburggasse 10 - 12 (e-mail: post@aerztekammer.at)

If recognition has been obtained and the doctor has a suitable knowledge of German, s/he has to register with the Austrian Medical Chamber. 

For more detailed information see: Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection (general information in German),  

and the Austrian Medical Chamber, http://www.aerztekammer.at