Foreign professional qualification Recognition as geriatric nurse Granting of permission to use the professional title

• You can submit the application with the documents to the competent authority.
• You can also send the application by post to the competent office. Do not send originals!
• Perhaps you can send the application by e-mail. Ask your responsible office beforehand. At a later stage in the recognition procedure, you may need to submit the original documents or the certified copies.

• The competent authority receives the application. It will confirm to you after one month at the latest that the application has been received. Once the competent body has received all the documents from you, it will process your application.

  The competent authority carries out an equivalence test: it compares your professional qualification with the German professional qualification. In doing so, the competent body shall take into account your professional experience, other qualifications and qualifications.

• If the equivalence assessment is successful, the competent body shall examine the other conditions. Then you usually have to prove your knowledge of German, your personal suitability and health suitability.

• The recognition procedure takes a maximum of 4 months. At the end, the competent authority will send you a notification with the result."

• 4 months after submission of all documents (this may include expert opinions that must be requested by the authority).

Lower Saxony State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Family - Lüneburg branch office

Auf der Hude 2
21339 Lüneburg, Germany

• Equivalence of your professional qualification
• Health suitability
• Personal suitability
• German language skills at B2 level

• You have to pay money for the procedure. The competent authority will inform you of the exact costs.

• After 4 months at the latest: You will receive a notification with the result of the equivalence.

• Nursing Professions Act (PflBG)
• Training and Examination Ordinance for the Nursing Professions (PflAPrV)

or by choice by the end of 2024:

• Geriatric Care Act in the version applicable on 31 December 2019
• Training and Examination Ordinance for the profession of geriatric nurse in the version valid on 31 December 2019

• Application form from the competent body
• If there is no application form: an informal application
• Proof of identity (e.g. passport or identity card)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of your professional qualification (e.g. certificates, professional certificate)
• Proof of content and duration of your education (e.g. Diploma Supplement, Transcript of Records)
• Proof of your professional experience in your profession (e.g. employment references)
• Information about an application for recognition that has already been submitted. Then indicate to which body you have submitted the application.

• You do not live or work in Germany yet? Then you may have to prove that you want to work in the profession in Germany. Proof is e.g. applications for a job, invitations to job interviews, personal declaration about your project.

You usually hand in these documents later. The competent authority will inform you when to hand in the documents:

• Proof of your personal suitability: Certificate of good conduct from Germany or your country of origin (e.g. extract from the criminal record, Certificate of Good Standing). The documents must not be more than 3 months old at the time of application.
• Proof of your medical fitness: medical certificate. The documents must not be more than 3 months old at the time of application.
• Proof of your German language skills: language certificate

If your professional qualification is not equivalent, you can make a compensatory measure. A compensatory measure allows you to compensate for significant differences. Significant differences are listed in your decision.

There are several compensatory measures:

• Adaptation period
• Suitability test

If you successfully complete the compensatory measure, you will receive a certificate. You must submit this certificate to the competent authority. The competent body checks the certificate and all other conditions (e.g. your personal suitability or your medical condition). If you meet all the requirements, your professional qualification will be recognised. You will receive permission to use the professional title. You have the same professional rights as a person with the German professional qualification.

Are you from a third country? For the compensatory measure, you may enter Germany. Please ask for advice if you have any questions about entering the country, e.g. from the hotline Working and Living in Germany.

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority. Details of this procedure can be found in the information on the right of appeal at the end of your decision.

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.