Support the recognition process
The professional recognition and professional licence are a decisive element in the recruitment of international nurses. It is obvious that obtaining a professional licence as soon as possible is in the interest of both the recruited person and the recruiting company. The support that a company provides to its nurses in the recognition process is also an indicator of its welcome culture and an important component of sustainable operational and professional integration. In order to facilitate the recognition process, it often helps to find a personal contact person who works at the relevant competent authorities.
Responsible recognition authorities
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Federal state |
Responsible authotity |
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Baden-Wurttemberg |
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Bavaria |
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Berlin |
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Brandenburg |
Landesamt für Arbeitsschutz, Verbraucherschutz und Gesundheit |
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Bremen |
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Hamburg |
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Hesse |
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Mecklenburg- Vorpommern |
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Lower Saxony |
Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Soziales, Jugend und Familie |
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North Rhine-Westphalia |
Bezirksregierung Münster, Zentrale Anerkennungsstelle für Gesundheitsberufe |
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Rhineland-Palatinate |
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Saarland |
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Saxony |
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Saxonxn-Anhalt |
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Schleswig-Holstein |
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Thuringia |
The professional recognition process
The recruited nurses can enter Germany according to §16d AufenthG for the purpose of recognising their vocational qualification acquired abroad. Before entry – and thus before the visa is issued – the application for professional recognition must have already been received by the responsible recognition office with all the necessary documents and an indication of the desired reference profession (nurse according to PflBG or healthcare professional and nurse according to KrPflG, or also geriatric nurse and healthcare professional and paediatric nurse).
Accelerated skilled workers procedure
If there is a concrete job offer, the employer can apply through the “accelerated skilled workers procedure” on behalf of the foreigner on payment of a fee. In the accelerated skilled workers procedure, the Immigration Office plays a key role and is responsible for:
- advising the employer about the entry conditions for the skilled worker,
- checking the legal requirements for non-German nationals,
- implementing the recognition procedure and
- getting the approval of the Federal Employment Agency.
All authorities involved are subject to tight deadlines. If all the conditions are met, the Immigration Office will issue a pre-approval for visa issuance on the basis of which the diplomatic mission assigns an appointment for the visa application within three weeks and, as a rule, decides on visa issuance within another three weeks after application.
Compliance with the specified deadlines is possible only if all the necessary documents are submitted in the required quality. Otherwise, interruptions to the deadlines will occur.
The recognition procedure should not take more than three to four months in total.
Alternatively, the regular entry procedure and, if necessary, the procedure for obtaining a preliminary approval from the Federal Employment Agency according to § 36 para. 3 of the Rules of Employment (BeschV) is still possible; the skilled worker and the employer can choose the procedure that seems more favourable to them.
The relevant recognition authority carries out an equivalence test. The Gutachtenstelle für Gesundheitsberufe (GfG) (Assessment Centre for Healthcare Professions) makes template assessments available for selected qualifications, so that the recognition authorities can decide quickly.
Due to the legal framework conditions, the template assessments are also issued for the old healthcare and nursing training as well as the new generalist nursing training. This is based on the agreed transitional arrangement (§66a PflBG), which says that up to the year 2024 there is the choice of deciding between the old or the new German nursing training, in order to ensure a sufficient range of post-qualification offers.
In the case of nursing qualifications from third countries, there are often substantial disparities to the given reference profession quoted in an assessment (so-called deficit assessment). In such cases, the foreign vocational qualification is assessed as being not equivalent, so that disparities need to be compensated for with the help of a compensation measure in Germany (§16d AufenthG).
Professional alignment course or knowledge test?
Es gibt zwei Möglichkeiten des Ausgleichs. Eine Option ist die Kenntnisprüfung, die in praktischer und mündlicher Form erfolgt. Hier wird geprüft, ob die antragstellende Person, die zur Ausübung des Berufs in Deutschland erforderlichen Kompetenzen, mitbringt. Die Kenntnisprüfung bezieht sich auf die wesentlichen Inhalte der deutschen Ausbildung und erfolgt in deutscher Sprache, was für nicht muttersprachliche Teilnehmer*innen eine Hürde sein kann. Bei Nichtbestehen der Prüfung, darf diese nur einmal wiederholt werden. Der Weg über die Kenntnisprüfung schreibt keinen praktischen Einsatz in deutschen Einrichtungen vor. Die zweite Option für Ausgleichmaßahmen sind Anpassungslehrgänge, die gezielt die wesentlichen Unterschiede zwischen der internationalen Berufsqualifikation und dem deutschen Referenzberuf ausgleichen. Neben theoretischem und praktischem Unterricht gehören, entsprechend der behördlichen Vorgaben, zur Qualifizierung auch praktische Einsätze in Gesundheits- und Pflegeeinrichtungen. Anpassungslehrgänge schließen mit einem Abschlussgespräch ab. Sie müssen mit der zuständigen Anerkennungsbehörde abgestimmt werden.
Public access to the anabin database for healthcare professions
Click here to go to the database
Professional alignment course or knowledge test?
The missing content can be compensated for in the framework of an individually tailored professional alignment course. Alternatively, there is the opportunity to take a knowledge test (directly or after a preparation course). Both the knowledge test and the professional alignment courses can only take place in Germany, after the nurse has arrived.
The decision of whether a professional alignment course or a knowledge test should be taken, in order to compensate for the disparities, is the responsibility of the nurse.
It is a good idea for the employer to advise the nurse on both options and explain their advantages and disadvantages. There is also the possibility, both for the employer and the nurse, to receive advice from the professional recognition offices via the sponsorship programme “Integration through qualification” (IQ) both in Germany and abroad. The nurse should also be informed about this possibility.
In every case, a compensation measure means that it is necessary at an early stage to reach an agreement with possible training institutions, who offer the professional alignment courses or preparation courses for the knowledge test.
Find out about possible dates for the course locally in your federal state, so that you can take these into consideration during planning.
Do you have questions about the recognition procedure?
Further information
- Anerkennung-in-deutschland.de is the information portal of the German federal government on recognition of foreign vocational qualifications. Here you will find everything from compiling the documentation to qualification analysis, a glossary and field reports.
- You can also find further information on make-it-in-germany.com
- You can find concrete support at the Service Center for Professional Recognition, the ZSBA.
- Do you need advice on suitable offers for compensation measures in your region? Then get in touch directly with your IQ network.
- You can also involve the Germany Agency for International Healthcare Professionals, the DeFa.
- Comprehensive information on the topics of recruiting skilled workers and professional recognition is available on: www.unternehmen-berufsanerkennung.de
Employer seal
Employer seal:
We promote recognition
The seal sponsored by the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) “WE PROMOTE RECOGNITION” identifies employers who have supported their internationally skilled workers to a particularly high degree in the recognition of their foreign vocational qualifications.
The commitment takes the form of financial support for applicable fees for example, but also includes the facilitation of in-house adaptation qualifications, implementation of in-house mentoring programmes or personal support in dealing with the authorities. The focus is on the employer’s proactive engagement which is checked online using a three-step, ca. 10-minute test and can then be submitted directly as an application for the seal.
All companies from the fields of industry and commerce as well as trade, who actively support and accompany their employees in the process of professional recognition, can apply throughout Germany.
You can find information on the participation requirements here.
Knowledge of German – not only important for professional recognition
Die kommunikative Handlungssicherheit spielt für internationale Pflegefachpersonen und auch deren Arbeitgebende und Kolleg:innen eine zentrale Rolle. Sprachliche Kompetenz ist essenziell um den (Arbeits)Alltag gestalten zu könne und nicht zuletzt auch erforderlich, um den Anerkennungsprozess erfolgreich abschließen zu können. Mehr zum Thema Sprachförderung und -entwicklung finden Sie im Anforderungsfeld Promotion of language development.
INGA Pflege
The DKF coordinates an innovative professional alignment course: the INGA Pflege project. You can find further information, an overview of this professional alignment course and contact persons here
The most important things for your to-do list
Nurses from abroad have the right to choose between a knowledge test and a professional alignment course. Find out as early as possible about programmes for compensation measures and language promotion in your region, before you decide on the country you want to recruit in.
Explain to interested applicants from abroad in an understandable way, about the support they can expect from you during the recognition process. Ask if the interested applicants would like things to be done differently and look for solutions that are acceptable together.
Find out the location of your respective recognition authority. Cultivate contacts with this authority on equal terms, because you can also profit from their recommendations. Does your company have locations in regions where different recognition authorities are responsible? Possibly even different federal states? Then enter into a dialogue with them individually because these authorities may have different requirements.
Approach and enable participation in a recognition process with urgent priority. Give nurses who have qualified abroad time off work for all issues regarding the recognition process. The in-house working times of the nurses affected should be adapted to the required phases in the recognition process.
Find out how you can make continual language promotion for nurses recruited from abroad possible. Clarify which costs you are prepared to cover and inform the interested applicants about this.
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