Recruiting nursing staff from abroad: costs, procedure and recognizing reputable agencies

Short answer for employers: International nurses can be recruited through the Triple Win program, the Western Balkan regulation, or private agencies. Expect total costs of €15,000–€30,000 per specialist and a lead time of 6–12 months. The accelerated skilled workers procedure (€411 fee) can shorten visa issuance to approx. 4 months. Since the PUEG (July 2023), a...

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Shortage of skilled nursing staff: causes, figures and solutions for employers

Five nursing homes closed, 550 beds cut. That was Hamburg in 2024. Not because of a lack of residents, not because of renovations. Because there was no staff. What made headlines in Hamburg has long been a quiet reality in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saarland, and parts of Bavaria. Outpatient services are turning away clients. Wards are being merged. Nurse managers…

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Recruiting nursing staff for hospitals and nursing homes: what actually works

Anyone who wants to recruit nursing staff today knows the starting situation: positions remain open for months, applications are scarce, and every unplanned resignation strikes at the heart of staff scheduling. This applies to nurses in hospitals just as much as to nurses in nursing homes. The question is no longer whether there is a shortage of skilled workers, but rather which path to...

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Recruiting nursing staff from abroad: Practical guide 2026

Short answer for employers: International nurses can be recruited through the Triple Win program, the West Balkan regulation, or private agencies. Expect total costs of €15,000-€30,000 per skilled worker and a lead time of 6-12 months. The accelerated skilled worker procedure (€411 fee) can shorten visa issuance to approx. 4 months. The shortage of skilled workers in the...

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Recruiting nursing staff from Georgia

Georgia as a Country of Origin: An Overview Georgia, the small country in the South Caucasus located between Europe and Asia, is increasingly coming into the focus of German HR managers in the healthcare sector. With a population of approximately 3.7 million people and a long tradition in medical education, the country offers qualified nursing staff who are a real alternative to…

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Pathways of responsibility - How countries of origin organize the transfer of medical professionals to Germany

When discussing the migration of skilled workers, one quickly thinks of personal stories: people packing suitcases, entering a new country, learning a foreign language. These individual journeys are real—and moving. But behind them lie much larger structures. Government programs, authorities, bilateral agreements, and national strategies steer and...

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