Nursing is consistently the largest, most persistent Engpassberuf in Germany’s own shortage analysis. It’s also the occupation in this guide with the clearest language requirement above the general B1 floor.
| Duration | 3 years full-time, generalist training |
| Public-sector pay (TVAöD, 2026) | €1,491 (Y1) → €1,552 (Y2) → €1,653 (Y3) /month |
| Shortage occupation | Yes — one of the largest and most persistent nationally |
| Language for full recognition | B2 German, above the B1 visa floor — not optional for Anerkennung |
Since 2020, Germany merged what used to be three separate qualifications — general nursing, paediatric nursing, and elderly care — into one generalist training: Pflegefachfrau/-mann. In year three, trainees choose to continue generalist or specialise, and specialising in elderly care still produces the legacy title Altenpfleger/in. Entry needs a Mittlerer Schulabschluss, or a Hauptschulabschluss plus a prior vocational qualification — and a one-year Pflegefachassistenz track exists as an alternate route in if you don’t have either yet.
The B1 visa floor gets you in the door. Full professional recognition as a nurse — the thing that actually lets you practise — needs B2 in most federal states, because patient documentation and safety depend on it. Budget your language study for B2 from the start, not B1.
If this is your route, read the Triple Win programme section on the main Germany guide — it’s the named, government-run nursing pathway with an India intake through Kerala and Telangana, and a Philippines partnership too.