Apply for recognition as a nurse with a professional qualification from the EU/EEA/Switzerland

Application

You submit an application for permission to use the professional title "nurse" or "nursing specialist" to the competent authority.
You can submit the application with the documents to the competent authority or send it by post. Do not send originals. Sometimes you can also send the application electronically. The competent authority will inform you.
 

Examination of the application by the Authority

The competent authority will check whether you meet all the requirements for the granting of permission to use the professional title "nurse" or "nursing specialist". A prerequisite is that your professional qualification is recognized.
 

Automatic recognition

As a rule, the automatic recognition procedure applies if you started your vocational training after the EU/EEA accession of your training country. There are other cases in which your professional qualification can be automatically recognised. The competent authority will inform you.

In the case of automatic recognition, the equivalence of your professional qualification is not checked individually. This means that if you meet all other requirements, you will receive permission to use the professional title "nurse" or "nursing specialist". The other requirements include your health suitability, reliability and German language skills.

Certificate of conformity for professional qualifications obtained before the EU/EEA accession of the country of training

Vocational training can also be automatically recognised if it was started before the EU/EEA accession of your country of training (or if it does not correspond to the legal designations). To do this, you must submit a certificate from the competent authority of your country of training stating that your professional qualification meets the minimum standards of the EU ("Certificate of Conformity"). If your professional qualification does not meet the minimum standards, you will need to prove your professional experience. You must have worked continuously in your country of origin as a nurse responsible for general care for 3 years in the last 5 years prior to the application. This must be confirmed by the authority of your country of origin.

Examination of equivalence

If your professional qualification is not automatically recognised, the competent authority will check the equivalence of your professional qualification. The competent authority compares your professional qualification with the German professional qualification as a nurse. The professional qualification is equivalent if there are no significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification.

Possible results of the equivalence test

If your professional qualification is equivalent, your foreign professional qualification will be recognised. The competent authority can confirm the result to you in writing. You still have to meet the other requirements. Then you will receive permission to use the professional title "nurse" or "nursing specialist".

Are there any significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? Perhaps you can compensate for the differences with your work experience, other knowledge, skills or competences (lifelong learning). Knowledge, skills and competencies must be certified by an authority of the state in which you acquired the knowledge, skills or competences.

However, the material differences may not be compensated for by your work experience, knowledge, skills or competences. In this case, the competent authority 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 competent authority will also provide you with compensatory measures that you can take to compensate for the significant differences.
If you decide not to take any compensatory measures, your professional qualification will not be recognised and you will not be allowed to work as a nurse in Germany.

Compensatory measures

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 exam that is combined with an exam interview.
   

As a rule, you can choose between an adaptation period or an aptitude test.
If you successfully complete the compensatory measure and meet all other requirements, you will receive permission to use the professional title "nurse".

Nied. State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Family - Lüneburg Branch Office

• You have a comparable professional qualification as a nurse from the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
• You want to work as a nurse in Germany.
• Personal suitability: You are reliable for working as a nurse and have no criminal record.
• Health suitability: You can work mentally and physically as a nurse.
• You have German language skills at the required language level. This is usually the language level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The competent authority will tell you which documents you need to submit. Important documents are generally:

• Proof of identity (ID card or passport)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of your professional qualification (e.g. certificates, professional certificate)
• Proof of training
• Proof of your relevant professional experience in a profession that is comparable to the profession of nurse
• Proof of other relevant knowledge for working as a nurse
• Do you still live or work in a third country, i.e. not in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland? Then you may have to prove that you have received a commitment from a health and care facility to work as a nurse in Germany.
   

You only need to submit the following documents if your professional qualification was completed before a certain date (cut-off date). The competent authority will inform you:

• Certificate
  If there is no certificate of conformity: Proof of content and duration of your training (e.g. list of subjects and grades, study book, diploma supplement, transcript of records)
• Certificate: You must have worked continuously and legally in the profession for at least 3 years during the last 5 years prior to the issuance of the certificate.
   

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

• Proof of your personal suitability: extract from the criminal record or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin. The proof must be no more than 3 months old at the time of application.
• Proof of your health fitness: Medical certificate. The proof must be no more than 3 months old at the time of application.
• Proof of your German language skills: Language certificate
   

The competent authority will tell you which documents you need to submit as a simple copy, as a certified copy or in the original.

The competent authority will inform you about the costs. The costs generally depend on the effort required for processing.

In addition, additional costs may arise (e.g. for translations, certifications or compensatory measures such as an adaptation period or an aptitude test). These costs vary from person to person.

There is no deadline.

Sometimes documents are still missing in the procedure. The competent authority will then inform you by when you have to submit the documents.

• Forms: Forms can be obtained from the competent authority.
• Online procedure possible: Ask the competent authority whether you can submit the application online.
• Personal appearance required: No

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (e.g. file an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. We recommend that you first talk to the competent authority before taking legal action against the decision.

Freedom to provide services

Would you like to offer services only sometimes and for a short time in Germany? Then most of the time you don't need the state permit. You must meet these requirements:

• You must be established in another state of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
• You will need to prove your professional qualification.
• You must notify the competent authority of your activity in writing.

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

European Professional Card

You can apply for a European Professional Card (EBA). You can submit the application online on the website of the European Commission. The European Professional Card is an electronic procedure for the recognition of professional qualifications. It only applies to EU countries and certain professions.
 

GNotice of Ease

In the approval procedure, the equivalence is also checked (recognition procedure). You can apply for a separate notification for the result of the examination.

Procedure for ethnic German repatriates

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

Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training

Federal Ministry of Health

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

28.06.2022

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.