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Application for a professional license as a nursing specialist from EU/EEA/Switzerland

Would you like to work as a nursing specialist in Germany? Then you need a state permit. You can have your foreign professional qualification recognised.
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Detailed description

The profession of nursing is regulated in Germany. This means that in order to work as a nursing professional in Germany, you need a state permit. With the permit, you can use the job title “nurse” and work in the profession. You can also apply for the job title “nursing professional”.

Even if you have a professional qualification from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can still obtain state permission from the responsible authority in Germany. To obtain permission, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized. In the recognition process, the responsible authority compares your professional qualification from abroad with the German professional qualification and checks their equivalence. The equivalence of the professional qualification is an important prerequisite for the granting of state permission.

A professional qualification from the EU, EEA or Switzerland is usually automatically recognised when you apply for recognition. This means that no equivalence assessment is carried out. It is assumed that the training is equivalent. However, there may be exceptions to this rule. This depends on which country you completed your training in and when. If you started your vocational training after your training country joined the EU/EEA, your professional qualification is usually automatically recognised.

If your professional qualification does not come from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, different rules apply.

In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must also fulfill other requirements for the permit to be granted.

You can also apply for the procedure from abroad.

 

Information

Prerequisites

  • You have successfully completed training as a nursing specialist in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland and are entitled to work there independently as a nursing specialist.
  • You want to work as a nurse in Germany.
  • Personal suitability: You are reliable to work as a registered nurse and have no criminal record.
  • Medical suitability: You can work mentally and physically as a registered nurse.
  • You have German language skills at the required language level. This is usually language level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Documents required

  • Application (available online)
  • Documents according to leaflet (available online)
  • Proof of language proficiency B2/ technical language test (see leaflet)
  • Medical certificate (available online)
  • Official certificate of good conduct according to § 30 Para. 5 BZRG

Please note

Your professional qualifications are not equivalent and the differences are too great? Then you may be able to work in the profession with partial professional access. With partial professional access, you can work in the profession without recognition. There are certain requirements for this. Your professional qualification must include at least one so-called reserved activity of the German professional qualification. Reserved activities may only be carried out by specially trained people. You must also prove that you are personally suitable, medically suitable and have the necessary knowledge of German.

With partial access to the profession, you are only allowed to take on certain tasks as a nursing professional. You apply for partial access to the profession at the responsible authority.

Do you only want to offer services in Germany occasionally and for a short period of time? In this case, you usually do not need a state permit. You must meet the following requirements:

  • You must be established in another EU, EEA or Switzerland country.
  • You must provide proof of your professional qualifications.
  • You must provide evidence of German language skills at the required language level.
  • You must prove your personal suitability.
  • You must report your activity in writing to the responsible authority.

The competent authority will inform you whether you are permitted to provide services or whether you have to take an aptitude test.

You can apply for a European Professional Card (EPC). You can apply online on the European Commission's website. The European Professional Card is an electronic procedure for the recognition of professional qualifications. It is only valid for EU countries and certain professions.

The permit procedure also includes an examination of equivalence (recognition procedure). You can apply for a separate notice of the result of the examination.

As a late repatriate, you can choose to go through the recognition process according to the laws mentioned here or according to the Federal Expellees Act. You can decide for yourself. The responsible authority will advise you on which process is right for you.

Deadlines

No

Procedure

  • You submit an application to the responsible authority for permission to use the professional title “nurse” or “nursing specialist”. Or you apply for the professional title “nursing specialist”. You can submit the application and the documents to the responsible authority, send them by post or upload them electronically. Do not send originals.
  • The responsible authority will check whether you meet all the requirements for being granted permission to use the professional title “nurse”. One requirement is that your professional qualifications are recognised.
  • As a rule, the automatic recognition procedure applies if you began your vocational training after your training country joined the EU/EEA. There are other cases in which your professional qualification can be automatically recognized. The responsible authority will inform you.
  • With automatic recognition, the equivalence of your professional qualification is not checked individually. This means that if you meet all other requirements, you will be permitted to use the professional title “nurse”, “nursing specialist” or “nursing professional”.
    • Vocational training can also be automatically recognised if it was started before your country of training joined the EU/EEA (or if it does not correspond to the legal designations). To do so, you must submit a certificate from the competent authority in your country of training that your professional qualifications correspond to the EU's minimum standards ("certificate of conformity"). If your professional qualifications do not correspond to the minimum standards, you must provide evidence of your professional experience. You must have worked continuously for 3 years in the last 5 years before submitting your application as a nurse responsible for general care in your country of origin. The authority in your country of origin must confirm this to you.
  • If your professional qualification is not automatically recognized, the responsible authority will check the equivalence of your professional qualification. The responsible authority will compare your professional qualification with the German professional qualification as a nursing professional. The professional qualification is equivalent if there are no significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification.
  • If your professional qualification is equivalent, your foreign professional qualification will be recognized. The responsible authority can confirm the result to you in writing. You must still meet the other requirements. You will then be permitted to use the professional title “nursing professional”, “nurse specialist” or “nursing specialist”.
    • Are there significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? Perhaps you can compensate for the differences with your professional experience, other knowledge, skills or competences (lifelong learning). Knowledge, skills and competences must be certified by an authority in the state in which you acquired the knowledge, skills or competences.
    • However, it may be that the essential differences cannot be compensated for by your professional experience, knowledge, skills or competences. In this case, the responsible body will tell you the essential differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification and why you cannot compensate for these essential differences. The responsible body will also tell you compensatory measures that you can take to compensate for the essential differences. If you decide not to take compensatory measures, your professional qualification will not be recognized and you will not be allowed to work as a nursing professional in Germany. There are various compensatory measures:
      • Adaptation period: The adaptation period lasts a maximum of 3 years.
      • Aptitude test: In the aptitude test, only those areas in which significant differences have been identified are examined. The aptitude test consists of a practical test combined with an interview.
    • If you successfully complete the compensatory measure and meet all other requirements, you will be permitted to use the professional title “nurse”, “nurse professional” or “nursing specialist”.

Processing time


  • up to 2 months in the accelerated procedure

  • up to 4 months in the regular procedure

Fees

225.00 EUR - 450.00 EUR


plus 42.00 EUR for the certificate

Legal remedies

An objection to a negative decision can be raised within one month of notification at the office specified in the letterhead.

Legal basis

Section 1 Paragraph 1, 40, 41, 42 43 Nursing Professions Act

www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pflbg/__1.html


§ 2 Nursing Professions Act

www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pflbg/__2.html


§§ 43 ff. Nursing Professions Training and Examination Ordinance - PflAPrV

www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pflaprv/__43.html


§ 10 Federal Expellees Act

www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bvfg/__10.html


§ 17 Professional Qualifications Assessment Act

www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bqfg/__17.html

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Keywords: Foreign qualification Equivalency assessment Recognition in Germany adaptation course foreign degree professional qualification work permit Permission to use the professional title professional recognition Access to occupation adaptation period notice of recognition recognition procedure Aptitude test Certificate of Equivalence EU/EEA/Switzerland healthcare profession Professional Qualifications Assessment Act Directive 2005/36/EC

Last updated: 16.02.2025