Germany Work Permit for Assistant Nurses
Germany
Residency
At a glance
Germany's assistant nursing work route is for third-country nationals with a concrete German job offer as an assistant in nursing and qualifying German or recognized foreign nursing-assistant training. It generally requires a job offer, qualifying assistant-nursing training or recognition, and Federal Employment Agency approval.
- Type
- Assistant-nursing work residence
- Job fit
- Nursing and care assistants with German job offers
- Core requirements
- Job offer, assistant-nursing training or recognition, BA approval
- What to know
- Over-45 applicants face Germany's salary or pension rule
- Salary requirement
- €55,770 per year for applicants age 45 or older
- Job offer required?
- Yes
Summary
Germany has a specific employment route for nursing and care assistants whose training is below the three-year professional-nurse level. It can be used when a third-country national has a concrete German assistant-level job and meets the federal or state requirements for that assistant occupation.
This route is useful because assistant training may be too short for the ordinary skilled-worker definition. It does not remove the need for German recognition where the assistant role is regulated.
Eligibility
You generally need:
- A concrete job offer in Germany as a nursing or care assistant.
- German assistant training or a foreign nursing or care qualification recognized in Germany for assistant-level work.
- Compliance with the federal or state rules governing that assistant occupation. Current Federal Employment Agency guidance describes the underlying recognized training as generally lasting at least one year.
- Federal Employment Agency approval. The Agency checks that the working conditions are comparable to those of German nursing assistants.
- Any health, language, reliability, or professional documents required by the recognition authority or employer.
- If you are age 45 or older and entering German employment for the first time, gross annual pay of at least €55,770 in 2026 or adequate retirement provision.
The salary threshold is updated yearly. Recognition and language standards can differ by state and exact occupation, so the recognition decision is more reliable than a translated job title.
What This Route Allows
The residence title permits work in the approved nursing-assistant job under Section 19c(1) together with Section 22a of the Employment Ordinance.
Official guidance says a fixed-term contract normally produces a title for the contract period plus three months. With an indefinite contract, the title is generally limited to a maximum of four years at a time. Extension and later settlement depend on continued eligibility and the separate residence rules.
What This Route Is Not
This is not the route for a fully recognized professional nurse; that person may fit the Skilled Worker route. It is also not a route to work first and complete all recognition later when the role requires recognition.
It does not cover an untrained care aide merely because an employer uses the word "assistant." The training and recognition must meet the legal requirements.
Agency approval is handled internally in the visa process, but that does not mean it is optional.
Next Steps
- Identify the exact German assistant occupation and the state in which you will work.
- Use the official Recognition Finder to locate the competent authority and obtain recognition for assistant-level work.
- Obtain the job contract and employer declaration and confirm the pay and over-45 rule for the application year.
- Gather the recognition decision, training records, any required language or health evidence, passport, and insurance documents.
- Apply through the responsible German mission; the Federal Employment Agency review normally occurs inside that process.
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