Other routes: nursing and Chinese-cuisine cooks
Nurses (§§ 16a, 16d, 18a AufenthG)
Nursing is a regulated profession. There is no government recruitment programme for China comparable to Triple Win, so you organise the route yourself or through an employer. The Embassy leaflet (August 2025) describes three ways:
| Way | Main requirements |
|---|---|
| Work as a nurse | Full recognition, German B2, the licence (or its assurance) and a job contract |
| Recognition in Germany (§ 16d) | A deficit notice from the recognition body, German B1, a place in an adaptation course; living costs €1,200 gross (about €941 net) a month in company-based measures |
| Nursing training (§ 16a) | Training contract, German B1 or a German course of at least 20 hours a week |
In Berlin the Landesprüfungsamt für Gesundheitsberufe decides on recognition, see Recognition. Employers carrying the seal Faire Anwerbung Pflege Deutschland pay recruitment costs themselves. How many Chinese nurses actually take this route is not known to us.
Specialty cooks (§ 19c (1) AufenthG with § 11 (2) BeschV)
A route made for cooks of Chinese cuisine working full time in a speciality restaurant in Germany. According to the Embassy leaflet (April 2024):
- Your documents go first to the China International Contractors Association (CHINCA) for a pre-check.
- At least 2 years of vocational training as a cook and a cook qualification certificate.
- A "Training Certificate for Labourers Working Abroad" plus hygiene and Chinese-cooking test certificates from one of three cooking schools (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou).
- A full-time contract with a speciality restaurant; the Federal Employment Agency must approve. Fee €75.
Anyone selling a "chef visa" package outside this procedure is not offering the legal route. See Avoiding scams.
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