Nursing and health professions
Nigeria is on the WHO list, and German law restricts recruiting. Employers and private agencies may not recruit nurses and other health workers in Nigeria or place them from Nigeria. Whether you may apply yourself is discussed below, with open points.
The WHO list
- The WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List 2023 (55 countries) names countries with a low health-worker density and low health coverage; WHO asks richer countries to avoid active recruitment from them. Nigeria is on the 2023 list (WHO release of 14 March 2023).
- WHO circulated a provisional 2026 update (WHO circular C.L.25.2026 of 8 June 2026, 36 countries; not published on who.int at time of checking) which again names Nigeria. Exemption requests were due by 31 Aug 2026; the final list is still pending. Check the WHO page.
- WHO says neither the Code nor the list limits the freedom of health workers to migrate to countries that admit and employ them.
What German law does (§ 38 BeschV)
- § 38 BeschV: recruitment in, and placement from, the states in the Annex to the ordinance may, for health and nursing jobs, be done only by the Federal Employment Agency. The Annex shown on gesetze-im-internet.de lists Nigeria.
- So private recruiters and agencies cannot lawfully recruit nurses in Nigeria. An agency that does so, or asks you for money, is a red flag (Scams).
- Applying yourself is allowed, but the consequences fall on you: with private placement there is no BA approval and the accelerated skilled-worker procedure falls away. Worker and employer declare own initiative in writing. Targeted recruiting by the employer itself is also covered; hints from friends or family are not. The state of habitual residence decides. It also applies to in-company Ausbildung (§ 16a) and predominantly in-company recognition measures (§ 16d (1)). Fine up to €30,000 (§ 39 BeschV with § 404 (2) Nr. 9, (3) SGB III). Source: state form of the Regierung von Mittelfranken (administrative practice, not statute). Ask a lawyer; the final 2026 list may change the Annex.
- We found no Federal Employment Agency recruitment programme for nurses from Nigeria; check the BA and Make it in Germany.
Recognition: regulated professions
Nursing is a regulated profession: you may work as a nurse only with German recognition; otherwise as an assistant. Federal portal: anerkennung-in-deutschland.de. In Berlin the LAGeSo decides. Fees, processing time and treatment of Nigerian nursing qualifications by the LAGeSo were not confirmed.
| Way | In short |
|---|---|
| Recognition from abroad | If the training is only partly equivalent you get a notice with the missing parts. |
| Qualification measure (§ 16d (1)) | Permit for an adaptation course (Anpassungslehrgang) or aptitude test (Kenntnisprüfung). German as a rule at least A2. |
| Recognition partnership (§ 16d (3)) | Needs a concrete job offer and an agreement with the employer. |
Fair recruiters: the seal Faire Anwerbung Pflege Deutschland does not help for Nigeria: seal holders may not recruit from Nigeria either (§ 38 BeschV). Other health professions (doctors): licensing rules were not covered here; ask the LAGeSo. Documents: Documents.
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