What you will do
- Patient care in hospitals, care homes, and home-care services
- Wound care, medication, and treatment assistance
- Documentation and care planning
- Supporting doctors and coordinating with therapists
Requirements
A secondary school certificate (at least Hauptschulabschluss plus a 2-year assistant qualification, or Mittlere Reife). B2 German is the practical standard because the theory exams and patient communication are in German. Health fitness certificate and clean police record are standard.
Why this trade is popular with international applicants
Germany has a structural nursing shortage, which means faster visa processing for non-EU applicants, the highest trainee pay of any common Ausbildung, and near-guaranteed employment after graduation. Hospitals actively recruit abroad, so application support in English is more common here than in other trades.
The visa path
This trade qualifies for the Section 16a training residence permit (B1 German, signed training contract, up to 20h/week side work). Full walkthrough on the Ausbildung hub.