Nursing recognition in Berlin
Nursing is a regulated profession: you may work as a nurse in Germany only with German recognition. Otherwise you can work as a nursing assistant or take the paths below. The placement arrangement between the Federal Employment Agency (BA) and the Brazilian nursing council (Cofen) under § 16d (4) AufenthG (2022) has been suspended since May 2024; no resumption is known. Ask the BA's International Placement Services (ZAV) before relying on it.
Ways
| Way | In short |
|---|---|
| Recognition first | Apply for recognition from abroad. If your training is only partly equivalent, you get a notice with the missing parts. |
| Qualification measure (§ 16d (1) AufenthG) | Residence permit for an adaptation course (Anpassungslehrgang) or an aptitude test (Kenntnisprüfung). German is, as a rule, at least sufficient (A2). |
| Recognition partnership (§ 16d (3)) | Needs a concrete job offer and an agreement with the employer. The consulates list this visa (brasil.diplo.de). |
| Placement agreement (§ 16d (4)) | Only where the BA has a placement agreement with the country. Not confirmed for Brazil. |
Statute: § 16d AufenthG. Visa steps: Visa application.
Brazilian qualifications
- Brazilian nurses hold a bacharelado em enfermagem; technicians and assistants (técnico, auxiliar de enfermagem) are lower-level qualifications. How German authorities rate each of them against the German generalist nursing training: not confirmed. Expect a notice listing missing content.
- The consulates run an advice service for people from Brazil; see brasil.diplo.de, Meu Caminho. The AHK Brazil-Germany in São Paulo gives free guidance on recognition (ProRecognition, per the consulate page).
Who decides in Berlin
The LAGeSo (Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales). Fees and processing times were not confirmed. The federal portal anerkennung-in-deutschland.de has a Recognition Finder. Employers with the seal Faire Anwerbung Pflege Deutschland commit to fair recruitment.
Documents: Documents (apostille). General recognition: Recognition.
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