Kateryna Pakhaliuk, Pharmacist

My procedure in brief

My story

“Colleagues gave me a lot of information. I think it's great when people who already have recognition in Germany pass on their knowledge. This really helps others.”

Kateryna Pakhaliuk had decided long before the war that she wanted to go to Germany. But it was not meant to happen so suddenly. “The war made everything happen more quickly,” recalls the pharmacist from Dubno, a small city 160 kilometres east of Lviv. The twelve months of planning time became eleven days. Shortly after the start of the war, Kateryna Pakhaliuk fled with both of her daughters and arrived in Hanover in March 2022.

This was where Kateryna Pakhaliuk benefited from the preparation she had made for her new start in Germany. She sought advice from the IQ recognition and training advice service at the Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce on the recognition of her professional qualification. “The adviser explained the path to recognition for me step by step. I first had to sit the specialist language examination as I needed the language skills for the subsequent knowledge test. It is very important that everything happens in a structured way.”

Kateryna Pakhaliuk already had German language skills at level B2 and completed a preparation course for the specialist language examination. She passed the specialist language examination at level C1 in September 2022. Passing the specialist language examination allows you to obtain a restricted authorisation to practise a profession from the Lower Saxony Chamber of Pharmacists. The specialist language examination is not needed for recognition itself. Restricted authorisation to practise allows you to work as a pharmacist for a limited period under supervision.

She submitted the application for the granting of approbation (licence to practise medicine in Germany) as a pharmacist on 28 November 2022 to the Lower Saxony Chamber of Pharmacists. She initially received a restricted authorisation to practise a profession in January. She now had to sit the knowledge test for the approbation. “I could also have opted to have the equivalence of my degree curriculum checked, but that would have meant needing to have a further 200 pages translated. That would have cost a lot of money and taken a long time. I therefore decided against this and prepared for the knowledge test,” explains Kateryna Pakhaliuk.

She attended an online preparation course for the knowledge test. She received financial help from the Garbsen job centre with the costs of the preparation course and with the costs of having documents translated for the application.

From March 2023, Kateryna Pakhaliuk worked part-time in the Bach-Apotheke – a pharmacy in Garbsen – as a pharmacist under supervision and continued to prepare for the knowledge test. “Practising with other course participants really helped me. We did this online. I would recommend this to anybody preparing for the knowledge test. The practical experience in the pharmacy also helped me and gave me confidence,” recalls Kateryna Pakhaliuk. 

Kateryna Pakhaliuk's knowledge test took place in July 2024. “The test covered the topics of pharmaceutical practice, pharmacology and law for pharmacists. Taking the test was obviously very stressful but overall the examiners were very kind.” Kateryna Pakhaliuk received her result after 45 minutes. She passed! “Finally! The preparation is finally over. That's what I was thinking. My children were also very pleased that there was no more studying.”

Kateryna Pakhaliuk received her certificate of approbation soon after passing the knowledge test. With this she is able to work as a pharmacist without restrictions in Germany. She is still working at the Bach-Apotheke in Garbsen but now has a permanent contract. And she would like to remain in Germany. “I am happy in Germany. I'm obviously very concerned about the situation in Ukraine. The path here wasn't that easy, but it was worth it.”

The interview with Kateryna Pakhaliuk took place in May 2025. The Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce provided advice and support during the recognition procedure. The knowledge test was organised by the Lower Saxony Chamber of Pharmacists.