Germany’s private care sector is calling for urgent reform to accelerate the recognition process for international nursing professionals. In a recent statement, the Federal Association of Private Providers of Social Services bpa appealed to the new government to adopt a more pragmatic approach that could quickly bring thousands of trained professionals into the workforce.

Long Wait Times Despite High Demand

According to bpa President Bernd Meurer, it currently takes many international care workers more than a year — on average 500 days — to have their qualifications formally recognized. Until that happens, they are often barred from working in positions that match their training, despite Germany’s chronic shortage of qualified nursing staff.

“Although many of these professionals have completed three-year nursing programs or even hold degrees, and possess the required German language skills, they are stuck in limbo for months,” Meurer noted in an op-ed for the specialist outlet epd sozial.

A Call for “Presumption of Competence”

To address the bottleneck, the association is promoting the introduction of a “Kompetenzvermutung”  or “presumption of competence.” This would allow qualified international nurses to start working immediately in care homes and outpatient services, with formal recognition to follow later.

The concept, developed jointly by the bpa and the Association of Substitute Health Insurance Funds vdek, aims to streamline bureaucratic processes and alleviate staffing shortages, without additional costs to taxpayers.

Legal Reform Could Set the Framework

Meurer proposes that Germany’s Nursing Professions Act be amended to recognize international nursing diplomas and degrees as equivalent to domestic qualifications, provided they meet a minimum three-year training standard and sufficient language proficiency.

The reform, he argues, is both cost-effective and urgently needed: “We estimate that around 11,000 trained international nursing professionals are currently in Germany, waiting to work. With a simple legislative change, they could start supporting the care sector tomorrow.”