Nursing crisis in Germany

Have you heard about the nursing crisis in Germany and want to learn more? Are you a skilled worker living overseas and would like to know more about the opportunities that this shortage of professionals in the German nursing care sector can offer you? In this article, you will learn what the nursing crisis in Germany is and how skilled workers can help counteract it.

Germany, like many other countries, is suffering from a shortage of skilled workers. Particularly critical is the shortage in the nursing care sector. According to the Federal Statistical Office, Germany will see a shortage of 280,000 to 690,000 nurses in by 2049. It is this drastic shortage of nursing staff that is referred to as the nursing crisis.

Two things have contributed significantly to the nursing crisis: demographic change in Germany and the lack of appeal of the nursing professions.

Germany has experienced demographic change in recent decades. The baby boomer generation (1946-1964) saw a particularly high birth rate compared to those that followed: X (1965-1980) and Y (1981-1996). For one thing, this leads to an ageing society since there is a larger proportion of older people compared to younger people. In the long term, this means that Germany is going to need more nursing staff. Secondly, however, this also means that a large number of people will leave the labour market within a short period of time and retire. The result is that there will be more demand for nursing staff but less supply. The following generations simply can no longer close this gap.

In addition, the attractiveness of the nursing professions is constantly in decline. Low salaries, a high degree of responsibility, shift work, increasing workloads, permanent stress – all this means that fewer and fewer young people want to pursue these professions.

The nursing crisis will have serious consequences for the German health system in the future. And every individual in Germany will feel that.

There are already long waiting times for appointments with specialist doctors today and this could well become the norm in other healthcare facilities, such as hospitals and emergency rooms, in the future. For nursing staff, the workload is continuously increasing, which will make nursing professions even less attractive in the future.

This additional burden on nursing staff also leads to a deterioration in the quality of care. More and more people will need care. However, supply will dwindle simply due to the lack of nursing staff. Those who can afford it will look for a place in a private care facility. Those who cannot afford this will have to care for their relatives themselves.

But it does not have to come to that. The only sustainable solution for this dilemma is qualified specialists from abroad. They can compensate for the shortage of nursing staff in Germany. In addition, this would mean that increasing numbers of younger people would enter the labour market in Germany and counteract the ageing of society.

However, the working conditions for nursing staff must also improve significantly. Moreover, Germany must be an attractive country for emigration.

Foreign nursing staff are recruited in Germany in various ways, for example through government programmes or so-called relocation agencies. These agencies assist foreign professionals in managing the complex process of immigration and the recognition of qualifications. However, some larger health facilities are also actively recruiting staff from abroad.

Most foreign nurses in Germany most of all come from Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Croatia and Romania.

They work as:  

• nurses
• primary care staff
• geriatric nursing professionals
• midwives or maternity nurses

In order to be allowed to work in Germany in the profession in which you have trained, most qualifications must be officially recognised.

In Germany, nursing professions fall under the regulated professions. Anyone who wants to work in the nursing care sector therefore needs a state licence. Persons from the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland usually receive automatic recognition of their foreign qualifications.  

For persons from third countries, the path to professional recognition is somewhat more complex. Their qualifications usually have to be checked individually in a so-called recognition process. If there are significant differences between the training provided overseas and that in Germany, you will have to undertake adjustment measures, for example in the form of post-qualifications.

In addition to the professional qualifications, the following additional requirements must be met:  

• German language skills: at least level B2
• Health suitability: medical certificate from Germany or the country of origin
• Police clearance certificate or certificate of good standing from Germany or the country of origin as proof of trustworthiness

You can find out more about the recognition of qualifications in our article “Recognition in Germany”.

That depends entirely on which visa foreign nursing staff apply for in Germany. Foreign nursing care professionals are eligible for the following visas:  

• Work visa for experienced professionals
• Work visa for skilled workers
• EU Blue Card
• Opportunity Card

You can find out more about visas in our article “Work visa Germany”.

In 2023, the nursing staff quota of 50 percent was relaxed. This means that facilities can now relieve the burden on nursing professionals by hiring nursing assistants. These can help with basic care, for example washing, dressing, measuring blood sugar, administering medication, etc. This increases the quality of care again and leaves more time for care-home residents and patients.  

But where are these nursing assistants going to come from? And here, too, the answer is: from abroad, for example from third countries. These can be already qualified specialists or people who want to complete a one-year training as a nursing assistant in Germany. What is certain is that this is an opportunity for Germany as well as for people from abroad.