Germany needs nurses
Security for the future of healthcare personnel.
Thanks to the good living conditions in Germany, a large proportion of the population enjoys good health well into old age. With life expectancy rising and society ageing, and the number of young people entering the workforce continuing to fall, the demand for care staff is increasing, as is the demand for basic medical care. It's true that Germany has a stable healthcare system, but care staff are more in demand and more important than ever. Hospitals, long-term care facilities and other healthcare establishments are always on the lookout for care staff with different levels of qualification to cover the growing need in the health and care professions. The need is likely to continue to grow over the next few years. International nursing staff have long been an important pillar of German clinics and care facilities. As a result, more and more multicultural teams are working in German healthcare establishments.
Would you like to become part of the German healthcare system and work in multicultural teams in a wide range of establishments in Germany? Find out here how to start a career with a bright future in the healthcare sector!
The tasks to be performed in the care sector.
As a member of the nursing staff, you look after people of all ages at all stages of their lives. In Germany, the professional title of nurse (‘Pflegefachfrau/-mann’ or ‘Pflegefachperson’) now covers health and nursing care, paediatric care and care for the elderly.
Healthcare personnel can work in the following areas:
- Acute care in a hospital setting (e.g., hospital)
- Long-term care in a hospital setting (e.g., care facility)
- Outpatient care (outpatient care at individuals' homes)
- Medical rehabilitation (outpatient and inpatient)
- Palliative care (outpatient and inpatient)
Your care duties will include observing, advising, supervising and providing independent care to patients in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Depending on your specialisation and qualifications, you will also be required to document and evaluate care measures, carry out medical prescriptions and assist doctors in their interventions. At the same time, as a nursing staff member, you will be a competent contact person for relatives.
In Germany, basic care activities account for a large proportion of nurses' daily work. These tasks are not entrusted to relatives or only to care assistants, but also, to a large extent, to nurses. Basic care activities include physical care, nutrition, mobility, promoting independence and preventive measures (prophylaxis).
Figures on care staff in Germany
1.7 million
People employed in the care sector are subject to social insurance. 16% of them are of foreign nationality.
Approximately 35,000
jobs in care facilities are vacant.
Access conditions for foreign healthcare personnel.
In Germany, care professions are regulated occupations. To work permanently in Germany in the care sector, you need a license to practice, which is issued by the state. Generally, the following formal requirements must be met in order to work as a nurse in Germany:
- Recognized qualification: The nursing diploma you obtained in your home country must be recognized in Germany. You have two options: you can either have an equivalency assessment carried out based on your training documents, or you can waive this and directly pursue a compensation measure. In the first option, the competent authority checks, based on your documents, whether your qualification is equivalent to German diplomas. The German nursing diploma ("Pflegefachfrau/-mann" or "Pflegefachperson") is considered the reference profession. If your diploma shows differences from the German training, you can either take a knowledge exam or undergo an adaptation internship to demonstrate equivalent knowledge. The second option allows you to voluntarily sign a waiver of the equivalency assessment, which gives you the immediate opportunity to pursue a compensation measure. This option shortens the process and reduces administrative costs. However, the qualifications you have already obtained (e.g., continuing education) and your professional experience will not be taken into account. As a result, the knowledge exam or adaptation internship may be more extensive than if it had been part of the equivalency assessment. Before making your decision, you have the right to seek advice. The Central Service for Professional Recognition (Zentrale Servicestelle Berufsanerkennung - ZSBA) can provide free advice on waiving the equivalency assessment. The application for professional recognition is made through the competent authority in the federal state where you are supposed to work. The recognition issued there is valid throughout Germany.
- Sufficient knowledge of German: For recognition, you need to have at least B2 level proficiency according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
- Medical fitness: With a certificate, you must prove that you are physically and mentally healthy and fit to practice as a nurse. This can be a corresponding certificate from your home country or a medical certificate issued in Germany.
- Aptitude personnelle / fiabilité : pour montrer votre fiabilité, vous avez besoin d’un justificatif prouvant votre impunité. Selon la situation, vous devez présenter un extrait de casier judiciaire (Führungszeugnis) ou un certificat de bonne conduite (Certificate of Good Standing) de votre pays d’origine ou un extrait de
For professional recognition, nationality is not a determining factor, but rather the country where the diploma was obtained. Nurses from the EU/EEA and Switzerland typically receive automatic recognition of their foreign qualification. You can find all information related to professional recognition, verification, subsidies for recognition procedure fees, adaptation internships, and the competent German authorities on the German government's information portal for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications, "Anerkennung in Deutschland," which is available in multiple languages, or in our section related to recognition.