nursing studies in Germany

Entry requirements for nursing in Germany

The nursing field is mainly taught in professional-technical courses in Germany (Asbildung nursing courses). Students will study nursing in Germany for a short period and will receive professional and theoretical training. The applicants can study in the top nursing universities in Germany, which will last three to four years for undergraduate studies and three years for postgraduate studies. One of the most critical conditions for international nursing students in Germany is A1 German knowledge at the undergraduate and B2 at the postgraduate level. International students who want to study nursing in Germany must be over 18 years old and have a 12-year diploma. After passing the entrance exam of the top German nursing universities, they will be accepted. A nursing student in Germany must have been trained for 2100 hours in theory and 2500 hours in practice for at least three years to graduate from a German university. Then, students must acquire various skills and obtain a passing degree in these fields.
The duration that a nursing student in Germany learns these subjects depends on the university where they study, which is usually three years and a maximum of four years. After completing the nursing theory course, a nursing student in Germany must enter a professional program. Vocational training is known as a nursing internship program, which is a pretty popular way to become a nurse in Germany. This program is for people who are interested in continuing their studies in nursing in Germany but do not have the necessary training and work as interns in various departments. They will receive a salary according to the hours they work. It usually takes three years and ends with a government exam. After passing the exam, students are registered as nurses, which allow them to start working as a nurse immediately with complete information about the nurse’s job in Germany. Vocational students will do internships work in the following departments.
• Surgery
• Orthopedics
• Internal medicine
• Aging
• Obstetrics (gynecologist)
• Neurology
• Children
• Psychiatry
• Caring for mother and baby
• Outpatient care

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Topics reviewed in this article:

• German nursing universities
• Necessary documents for admission
• The nursing study cost in Germany
• Nurses’ income in Germany
• Nursing study visa in Germany
• Work after graduation

German nursing universities

If you want to study nursing in Germany and you have the required conditions, you can see the top nursing universities in Germany in the following.

·         HS Osnabruck University of Applied Sciences

·         Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences

·         HS Esslingen University of Applied Sciences

·         Catholic University of North Rhine-Westphalia

·         Alice Salomon HS Berlin

·         HS Bremen University of Applied Sciences

·         Luther Nuremberg University of Applied Sciences

·         Baden-Württemberg State Cooperative University (DHBW)

·         Hochschule Bremen University of Applied Sciences (HSB)

·         Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW)

Necessary documents for admission

You must provide documents to prove that you have the conditions to study nursing in Germany. You must present the following documents to obtain admission in nursing from German universities:

• CV in German
• 12-year diploma with all transcripts
• University degrees (if any) with transcripts
• SOP motivation letter
• Identity card and national card
• Passport size photo
• Medical Certificate
• Two letters of recommendation to study nursing in Germany
• German language certificate A1 for an introductory course and B1 for vocational training
• Passport

The nursing study cost in Germany

The applicants can study nursing in Germany at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in public universities by passing the entrance exam. The nursing study cost in German public universities is about 120 to 350 euros per semester. After completing the theory course, nursing students in Germany will enter a practical program. They will receive a reasonable salary while studying nursing in Germany for practical work because of working in medical centers and learning. The nursing students in Germany can work as nurse assistants to receive a salary while studying theory courses. The nursing students can learn practical nursing from the beginning if they take German nursing courses in Ausbildung, which costs about 300 to 500 Euros.

Nurses’ income in Germany

The salary that the nursing students receive in professional courses is between 1000 and 1200 Euros in Germany. The nurses’ income in internships and professional programs in the first year is about 1100 euros, in the second year 1200 euros, and in the third year 1300 euros. Their salaries in Germany will increase significantly after graduation and entering the job market, ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 euros per month and up to 4,000 euros.

Nursing study visa in Germany

Studying nursing in Germany will require a German student visa. Required documents to obtain a German student visa are in the following:

• Passport
• Letter of financial viability
• Picture
• Language Certificate
• Provide all educational certificates
• Working experience
• No criminal record letter
• Health certificate
• Student insurance
• Completed visa application form
• Acceptance letter
• Receipt of visa application fee payment

You must apply for a nursing permit to the German Immigration Office after obtaining your study residence card. Also, you must prove your financial viability to support your family and apply for family reunification to the German immigration office. Only students’ spouses and children under 18 can join them as companions.

Work after graduation

German nursing graduates can work in hospitals and medical centers. The nursing sector in Germany will need about 150,000 new nurses by 2025. Therefore, this country is hiring many nurses. The applicants who have studied nursing in Germany and have the required conditions will have a better chance to be employed than fully qualified nurses who want to find a job in Germany. University graduates are not the only ones to be considered. The applicants who have attended and completed their German nursing courses in Ausbildung can also enter the job market after graduation. After graduating and entering the job market, a nursing student in Germany can obtain permanent residence in Germany for three years and then a German passport. Germany’s current unemployment rate is 0.6 percent, which is pretty low in the current situation and the economic downturn that has swept the world, indicating a workforce shortage crisis in Germany.