Erlaubnis zum Führen der Berufsbezeichnung "Gesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpflegerin" oder "Gesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpfleger" bei Berufsqualifikation aus EU/EWR/Schweiz Erteilung

• §§ Sections 41 (2-7), 43, 58 (1), 64a (3) of the Nursing Professions Act (Pflegeberufegesetz - PflBG)
• §§ Sections 43, 43a, 46, 47, 48 of the Training and Examination Ordinance for the Nursing Professions (Nursing Professions Training and Examination Ordinance - PflAPrV)
  
  

or

• §§ Sections 66a (2), 64a (3) of the Nursing Professions Act (Pflegeberufegesetz - PflBG)
  • in conjunction with Sections 1 (1) sentence 1 no. 2, 2 (3a) and (5-6) of the Nursing Act (KrPflG) in the version applicable on December 31, 2019
  • in conjunction with Sections 20, 20a, 20c of the Training and Examination Ordinance for the Nursing Professions (KrPflAPrV) in the version valid on December 31, 2019

Would you like to work as a healthcare and pediatric nurse in Germany? Then you need a state permit. To do this, you must submit an application and have your foreign professional qualification recognized.

The profession of healthcare and pediatric nurse is regulated in Germany. This means that you need a state license to work as a healthcare and paediatric nurse in Germany. With the permit, you can use the job title "Gesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpflegerin" or "Gesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpfleger" and work in the profession. You can also apply for the job title "Gesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpflegerfachperson".

If you have a professional qualification from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can also obtain a state license from the competent authority in Germany. In order to obtain the permit, you must have your foreign professional qualification recognized.

On January 1, 2020, nursing training in Germany was reformed and the new Nursing Professions Act came into force. There is a transitional period for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications on the basis of the Nursing Act. Your foreign professional qualification may still be recognized under the old Nursing Act until 31 December 2024. The competent authority will advise you.

In the recognition procedure, the competent body will compare your professional qualification with the German professional qualification and check the equivalence. The equivalence of the professional qualification is an important prerequisite for the granting of a state license. In addition to the equivalence of the professional qualification, you must also meet other requirements for the permit to be issued. Further requirements include, for example, sufficient German language skills and health suitability.

If your professional qualification does not originate from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, other regulations apply.
You can also apply for the procedure from abroad.

The responsible office will tell you which documents you need to submit. Important documents are generally

• Proof of identity (identity card or passport)
• Marriage certificate (if your name has changed due to marriage)
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of your professional qualifications (e.g. certificates, professional certificate)
• Proof of training
• Proof of your relevant professional experience in a profession comparable to healthcare and pediatric nursing
• Proof of other relevant knowledge for working as a healthcare and pediatric nurse
• Information about an application for recognition that has already been submitted. Then state the office to which you have submitted the application.
• Proof that you wish to pursue gainful employment in Germany
• Do you still live or work in a third country, i.e. not in the EU, EEA or Switzerland? Then you may need to prove that you have received a commitment from a health and care institution to work as a nurse in Germany.
  

You usually submit these documents later. The responsible office will inform you when you should submit the documents:

• Proof of your personal suitability: criminal record extract or certificate of good conduct from your country of origin. The certificate must not be older than 3 months at the time of application.
• Proof of your health suitability: Medical certificate. The certificate must not be older than 3 months at the time of application.
• Proof of your German language skills: Language certificate
  

The responsible office will tell you which documents you need to submit as a simple copy, a certified copy or the original.

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

The responsible office will inform you of the costs. The costs generally depend on the time and effort required for processing.

Additional costs may also be incurred (e.g. for translations, certifications or compensatory measures such as an adaptation period or an aptitude test). These costs vary from person to person.

Application

You apply to the competent authority for permission to use the professional title "pediatric nurse" or "pediatric nurse". Or you can apply for the professional title "Healthcare and pediatric nurse specialist".

You can submit the application with the documents to the relevant office, send it by post or upload it electronically. Do not send any originals.

Examination of equivalence

The competent body will then check whether you meet all the requirements. An important requirement is the equivalence of your professional qualification. The competent authority will compare your professional qualification with the German professional qualification as a healthcare and pediatric nurse in accordance with the Nursing Professions Act or the old Nursing Act. 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 recognized. The competent authority can confirm the result to you in writing. You must still meet the other requirements. You will then be granted permission to use the professional title "Healthcare and pediatric nurse", "Healthcare and pediatric nurse" or "Healthcare and pediatric nurse".

Are there any significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification? You may be able to compensate for the differences through your professional experience, other knowledge, skills or competencies (lifelong learning). Knowledge, skills and competences must be certified by an authority in the country in which you acquired the knowledge, skills or competences.

However, it may be that the significant differences cannot be compensated for by your professional experience, knowledge, skills or competences. In this case, the competent authority will inform you of the significant differences between your professional qualification and the German professional qualification and why you cannot compensate for these significant differences.

The competent authority will also inform you of compensatory measures that you can take to offset the significant differences. If you decide not to take compensatory measures, your professional qualification will not be recognized and you will not be allowed to work as a healthcare and paediatric nurse in Germany.

Compensatory measures

There are various compensation measures:

• Adaptation course: The adaptation course lasts a maximum of 3 years.

• Aptitude test: In the aptitude test, only those areas in which significant differences have been identified are tested. The aptitude test consists of a practical examination combined with an interview.
  

As a rule, you can choose between an adaptation period or an aptitude test.
If you successfully complete the compensation measure and meet all other requirements, you will be granted permission to use the job title "healthcare and children's nurse", "healthcare and children's nurse" or "healthcare and children's nurse".

There is no deadline.

Sometimes documents are still missing from the procedure. The responsible office will then inform you by when you must submit the documents.

Partial access to the profession for professional qualifications from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland

Your professional qualification is not equivalent and the differences are too great? Then you may be able to work in the profession with partial access to the profession. With partial access to the profession, you can also work in the profession without recognition. There are certain requirements for this. Your professional qualification must include at least one so-called reserved activity of the German professional qualification. Reserved activities may only be carried out by specially trained persons.
You must also provide proof: You are personally suitable, in good health and have the required knowledge of German.

With partial access to the profession, you may only carry out certain tasks as a healthcare and pediatric nurse. You apply for partial access to the profession from the competent authority.

Freedom to provide services

Do you only want to provide services in Germany occasionally and for a short period of time? Then you do not usually need a state permit. You must fulfill these requirements:

• You must be established in another EU or EEA member state or in Switzerland.
• You must provide proof of your professional qualification.
• You must provide proof of German language skills at the required level.
• You must prove your personal suitability.
• You must notify the competent authority of your activity in writing.

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

Notification of equivalence

The equivalence assessment (recognition procedure) also takes place during the authorization procedure. You can apply for a separate decision on the result of the examination.

Procedure for ethnic German repatriates

As a late repatriate, you can go through the recognition procedure either in accordance with the laws mentioned here or in accordance with the Federal Expellee Act. You can decide for yourself. The responsible office will advise you on which procedure is right for you.

You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (for example, by lodging an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. You should first speak to the responsible office before taking legal action against the decision.

• Apply for recognition as a healthcare and pediatric nurse with a professional qualification from the EU/EEA/Switzerland.
• In Germany, you need a state license to work as a healthcare and paediatric nurse.
• With this permit, you can officially call yourself a "healthcare and pediatric nurse" or "healthcare and pediatric nurse" and work in the profession. You can also apply for the job title "healthcare and pediatric nurse".
• Professional qualifications from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland can also be used to obtain a state license in Germany.
• Nursing training in Germany was reformed on January 1, 2020 and the new Nursing Professions Act applies. There is a transitional period for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications on the basis of the Nursing Act. Until 31.12.2024, foreign professional qualifications may still be recognized under the old Nursing Act on a transitional basis.