The German nursing labor market is looking for qualified personnel internationally, and in this search, one country of origin is coming into focus that many clinics might not immediately think of: South Korea. The country has a history as a source of nursing staff for Germany. Between 1966 and 1977, around 10,000 to 12,000 South Korean nurses came to the Federal Republic and significantly shaped hospital care during those decades.<\/p>\n
Nearly sixty years later, German healthcare faces a shortage of similar structural magnitude. In May 2025, the Federal Association of Private Providers of Social Services (BPA) reported approximately 11,000 trained foreign caregivers stuck in the German recognition process. Concurrently, the situation in the Korean healthcare system has changed in a way that makes the country newly attractive from the perspective of German employers.<\/p>\n
This post shows the qualifications South Korean nurses bring today, where German and Korean training overlap, how the recognition process works, and why the current situation in the Korean healthcare system re-establishes South Korea's strategic importance as a region of origin.<\/p>\n
Korean nursing migration to Germany did not begin with a government agreement, but with a private initiative. Dr. Lee Su-kil, a Korean doctor at the Mainz University Hospital, began placing nurses from his home country in German hospitals in the 1960s. His German colleague Reinhold R\u00f6rig, director of the Mainz clinic and also CEO of the Rhineland-Palatinate Hospital Association, supported him organizationally. The first private placement agreement between Lee Su-kil and the Korea Overseas Development Corporation (KODCO) was concluded in January 1966. Starting in October 1966, the first larger groups of South Korean nurses landed in Berlin-Tempelhof and at other airports in the Federal Republic.<\/p>\n
On July 26, 1971, a formal bilateral recruitment agreement came into force: the\u00a0\u201eProgram for the employment of qualified Korean nurses and nursing assistants in German hospitals\u201c<\/em>. On the German side, the lead was taken by the German Hospital Association (DKG), and on the Korean side by KODCO. Officially, the program was framed as development aid, and according to this interpretation, the Korean women were supposed to be \u201etrained\u201c in Germany to later take their knowledge back home. In reality, most of them were already fully qualified nurses with a solid state education based on the American model.<\/p>\n On German stations, the Korean colleagues encountered a concept of nursing that was foreign to them. Basic care, such as washing, feeding, and making beds, was traditionally not part of a nurse's duties in Korea; instead, it fell to relatives at the bedside. This system is still prevalent in large parts of East Asia today. In Germany, however, close physical basic care was a central nursing activity, and the Korean colleagues had to readjust their professional understanding of their role. This area of tension is repeatedly echoed in the memoirs of the pioneers.<\/p>\n Although the employment contracts were for a fixed term of three years and the return was expected, a considerable portion of the nurses decided to stay in Germany, partly after legal disputes over residency permits and contract extensions. Today, the Korean community in Germany numbers around 80,000 people and forms the second-largest Korean diaspora in Western Europe. Regionally, it is concentrated in the Rhine-Main area, the Ruhr area, Berlin, and Krefeld, where the association structures of former guest workers remain active to this day.<\/p>\n This generation has left a legacy that continues to resonate in many German clinics. The reputation for technical discipline, professional diligence, and a high commitment to performance continues to shape the perception of Korean colleagues in the German healthcare system.<\/p>\n Those who pursue a career in nursing in South Korea undergo training that is more academically structured than the traditional German nursing training. Three structural elements characterize the system.<\/p>\n For about two decades, previously three-year college nursing programs have been shifting toward four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs at universities. At top institutions like Yonsei University College of Nursing or Seoul National University, the BSN has long been the standard. The trend toward academicization is clear. South Korea produces approximately 105 nursing graduates per year per 100,000 inhabitants, more than four times the OECD average of just under 27.<\/p>\n A typical Korean BSN curriculum comprises approximately 130 ECTS credits over four academic years, with about 74 credits in the core nursing area. Compulsory subjects include internal medicine and surgery, pediatrics, gynecology, geriatrics, psychiatry, community nursing, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and evidence-based practice. Additionally, general education subjects, ethical foundations, and research methodology are included.<\/p>\n Since 2017, the\u00a0Medical Law on Nurse Licenses<\/em>, only graduates of accredited universities are admitted to the state examination. The Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing Education (KABONE), which is itself certified by the Korean Ministry of Education, is responsible for accreditation. KABONE mandates at least 1,000 hours of practical training in clinical settings for every accredited degree program, specifically in university hospitals, community care centers, and specialized facilities. Clinical nursing instructors and university-affiliated practical supervisors oversee the practical phases.<\/p>\n The training concludes with the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination (KNLE), a state examination administered annually in January by the Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute (KHPLEI). Without passing the KNLE, no one receives a professional license as a nurse in South Korea. The examination covers the classic fields of clinical nursing. In terms of structure and requirements, the examination is comparable to similar licensing exams in the USA (NCLEX-RN) and other developed nursing markets.<\/p>\n Korean nurses thus have a qualification profile that largely meets the requirements of the EU's Professional Qualifications Directive 2005\/36\/EC for general nursing care. A key difference lies in their self-perception: Korean nursing is traditionally more focused on technical, medically related tasks, such as administering medication, monitoring, documentation, and assisting with diagnostic procedures, while close physical care is left to family members.<\/p>\n Germany has undergone significant changes in its training landscape recently. With the Nursing Professions Act (PflBG), which came into force on January 1, 2020, the previously separate training programs in general nursing, pediatric nursing, and geriatric nursing were merged into a generalized nursing education. The new professional qualification is now called \"Pflegefachfrau\" (female nursing professional) or \"Pflegefachmann\" (male nursing professional).<\/p>\n According to the Ordinance on Training and Examinations for Care Professions (PflAPrV), the three-year training comprises a total of 4,600 hours of structured training time, of which 2,100 hours are theoretical and practical instruction at the nursing school and 2,500 hours are practical training in various facilities and care settings. The qualification is assigned to Level 4 of the German and European Qualifications Framework and is automatically recognized EU-wide.<\/p>\n Since 2020, there has also been the option of a primary qualifying university nursing education, which concludes with a Bachelor's degree and also grants the professional title of registered nurse (Pflegefachfrau\/Pflegefachmann). Reserved activities according to \u00a7 4 PflBG, i.e., assessment and determination of individual care needs, management of the care process, and quality assurance, may only be carried out by individuals with this professional title or the equivalent existing professional titles.<\/p>\n Anyone wishing to employ a Korean nursing professional in Germany should realistically assess their training profile. A comparison summarizes the most important structural key points.<\/p>\n Both systems provide for a three- to four-year formal education with a state diploma and require a state examination as a prerequisite for professional licensure. Structured internships under the supervision of clinically qualified instructors are part of the mandatory program, as are competencies in all classic care areas: internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, pediatrics, geriatrics, and outpatient care. Statutorily anchored core professional tasks (nursing process, assessment, documentation) and a continuing trend toward academicization complete the picture. This trend is more advanced in Korea and has been institutionally anchored in Germany since 2020.<\/p>\n Deviations occur in three dimensions: scope of clinical practice, nature of task allocation, and professional self-perception.<\/p>\n At\/On\/Upon\u00a0Scope of practice<\/strong>\u00a0in Germany at least 2,500 hours, in Korea at least 1,000 hours. This difference is the most common reason for compensatory measures in the German recognition procedure.<\/p>\n At the\u00a0Basic care<\/strong>\u00a0In Germany, the central focus of nursing care lies within professional institutions, while in Korea, it is typically provided by family members. This culturally ingrained difference must be actively addressed during onboarding.<\/p>\n To\u00a0Autonomy and powers<\/strong>The German Professional Association for Nursing Professions (DBfK) reported in its survey\u00a0\u201eNurse, how are you?\u201c<\/em>\u00a02025, that 77 percent of internationally trained nurses working in Germany state they have fewer responsibilities here than in their home country. This finding is particularly relevant for Korean bachelor's degree graduates.<\/p>\n The\u00a0theoretical-academic component<\/strong>\u00a0in Korea is traditionally higher and more research-oriented than in traditional German nursing training. Korean nurses often bring with them an academic self-image that should be contextualized in the German hospital landscape.<\/p>\n In the current constellation, many things are reminiscent of the situation in the 1960s, but with the roles reversed. Germany has a structural shortage of care workers, while South Korea has a pool of well-trained nursing professionals. What has changed since then is the internal pressure within the Korean healthcare system itself.<\/p>\n In May 2025, the BPA estimated the number of foreign nurses stuck in the recognition process at around 11,000. From the perspective of the association operators, about half of these would be deployable in elderly care in the medium term, and the other half in hospitals. In the survey, the DBfK names\u00a0\u201eNurse, how are you?\u201c<\/em>\u00a02025 recognition periods, language barriers, and lack of development prospects as central obstacles to skilled labor immigration.<\/p>\n While Germany is looking for nurses, South Korea is producing more of them than its healthcare system can absorb, and at the same time is losing them in large numbers.<\/p>\n The numbers are clear:<\/p>\n The result of this series of numbers is a generation of highly qualified Korean nursing professionals who either do not enter the profession at all or leave it after a short time. Scientific studies on the willingness of Korean nursing students to migrate also show an increasing openness to emigration.<\/p>\n This creates a window of opportunity for German hospitals and care facilities. The combination of high qualifications, a structurally unstable Korean labor market, and a positive historical connection to Germany results in a strategically attractive profile for South Korean nurses. From an ethical perspective, recruiting from South Korea is more justifiable than from traditional recruitment countries facing their own supply shortages, because South Korea itself has a surplus of training places and a pronounced retention problem. The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel can plausibly be adhered to within this framework.<\/p>\n Nursing is a regulated profession in Germany. Anyone who wants to work as a qualified nurse in a German facility must go through a recognition process. The rules for qualifications from third countries apply to Korean professionals.<\/p>\n Until the end of 2024, the transitional provisions pursuant to Section 66a of the Professional Qualification Recognition Act (PflBG) allowed the federal states to conduct recognition procedures according to the old Nursing Care Act or the Old People's Nursing Act. Since 2025, the reference profession is uniform nationwide: \"Pflegefachfrau\" or \"Pflegefachmann\" (registered nurse\/nursing specialist). This significantly simplifies procedures, the documentation situation, and communication with employers.<\/p>\n Due to the high practical training hour requirement in German training (2,500 hours) compared to the Korean minimum (1,000 hours), full equivalence for Korean applicants is rather the exception. Nationwide, according to practical experience, only around seven percent of all applicants from third countries receive an immediate positive decision. Therefore, Korean applicants can typically expect a compensatory measure.<\/p>\n In practice, the knowledge test is often preferred. It is more predictable than an adaptation course, offers a suitable examination framework for applicants with university degrees, and can be better integrated into the onboarding process for employers.<\/p>\n For admission to the nursing profession, German at level B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is usually required. In some federal states, such as Bavaria, B1 is sufficient for certain types of employment. In practice, language acquisition is by far the most common reason for delays in the entire recognition process and at the same time the most important factor for long-term professional success.<\/p>\n Depending on the federal state, completeness of the documents, and waiting times for language certificates or examination dates, the overall process can take up to two years. A joint demand from BPA and the Association of Substitute Health Insurance Funds from 2024 to introduce a so-called presumption of competence, meaning that nursing staff with at least three years of training and a language certificate are immediately recognized as skilled workers, has not yet been implemented politically.<\/p>\n In the 16 federal states, the procedures are carried out differently in parts, with different authorities, partly different language requirements, and partly different processing times. An recognition granted in one federal state is valid nationwide; however, until the procedure is completed, the choice of federal state can have a noticeable impact on the timeline.<\/p>\n The formal recognition pathway describes only half of recruitment success. The other half is determined in the first twelve months at the German workplace. Three aspects are well-documented from past experience with Korean and generally Asian nurses.<\/p>\n Passing a B2 test certifies general reading comprehension and communication skills, but not specialized competence in shift handovers or doctor-patient conversations. Structured language and specialized support during the first six months is considered a decisive factor for retention in the company, according to all available experience reports. Models that combine language coaching with nursing-specific units and specifically practice German nursing documentation have proven particularly effective.<\/p>\n There is a tension between the technically and medically oriented Korean understanding of nursing and the holistic German nursing practice, which already shaped the generation of the 1960s and continues to exist in a modernized form. What is needed is not one-sided adaptation, but a conscious addressing of different role models during onboarding. Clinics that actively address this, for example, through intercultural introductory workshops, through German-Korean mentoring programs, and through clear communication about what is considered core basic care in Germany, report significantly higher retention rates.<\/p>\n Korean migrants in Germany are well-organized. Active associations exist in Krefeld, Frankfurt, Essen, Berlin, Mainz, Munich, and the Ruhr area, including HanDo e.V. for the second generation and Gl\u00fcckauf e.V. for former guest workers. For newly arriving nursing professionals, contact with these networks is an important factor for cultural, social, and psychological integration.<\/p>\n The 60th anniversary of the German-Korean agreement on recruiting Korean miners in December 2023 brought German-Korean labor migration back into public awareness. The Korean Miners and Nurses Museum in Essen and various commemorative events have made the historical connection institutionally visible. Employers who are aware of and actively utilize this cultural framework can offer their Korean nurses and caregivers a tangible welcome structure.<\/p>\n As a recruitment agency focusing on the German healthcare sector, we support\u00a0TalentOrbit International GmbH<\/strong>\u00a0Clinics, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes in establishing international recruitment channels. Our expertise lies in guiding the process from application in the country of origin to professional recognition in Germany in a structured manner, while setting realistic expectations on the employer's side.<\/p>\n For employers looking to explore the Korean labor market, this means specifically: an honest assessment of where the six to twenty-four months until full deployment arise in a typical process, which adaptation measure (training course or skills test) is more sensible for which profile, and how the first twelve months at the workplace can be designed so that the investment in recruiting and recognition pays off in the long term. More on this at\u00a0Our Services<\/a>\u00a0or in the personal initial consultation.<\/p>\nBasic care as a cultural rupture<\/h3>\n
Why many stayed<\/h3>\n
Korean Nursing Education Today<\/h2>\n
Three- and four-year degree programs with a clear trend toward the Bachelor's degree<\/h3>\n
Quality Assurance by KABONE<\/h3>\n
The State Examination KNLE<\/h3>\n
German Nursing Education under the Nursing Professions Act (PflBG)<\/h2>\n
Comparison of Qualifications: Similarities and Differences<\/h2>\n
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\n \nCriterion<\/th>\n South Korea<\/th>\n Germany<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Duration of training<\/strong><\/td>\n 3 or 4 years (increasingly a 4-year BSN)<\/td>\n 3 years full-time; academic nursing training (Bachelor's degree) possible since 2020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Conclusion<\/strong><\/td>\n Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Diploma, approx. 130 ECTS<\/td>\n Registered Nurse, DQR Level 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Theoretical part<\/strong><\/td>\n High, research-oriented<\/td>\n Mind. 2,100 hours (PflAPrV)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Practical sessions<\/strong><\/td>\n Mind. 1,000 hours (KABONE requirement)<\/td>\n Mind. 2,500 hours (PflAPrV)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Accreditation<\/strong><\/td>\n KABONE, mandatory since 2017<\/td>\n Public authorities pursuant to PflBG, automatically recognized EU-wide<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n State Examination<\/strong><\/td>\n KNLE, once annually<\/td>\n Written, oral, practical at the end of the training<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Job Profile<\/strong><\/td>\n Medical-technical, documentation, monitoring; basic care by relatives<\/td>\n Holistic care including comprehensive basic care; reserved activities according to \u00a7 4 PflBG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Similarities<\/h3>\n
Differences<\/h3>\n
Why South Korea is strategically interesting again today<\/h2>\n
The German bottleneck<\/h3>\n
Korea's Care Paradox<\/h3>\n
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Ethical framework conditions for recruitment<\/h3>\n
The German Recognition Procedure for Korean Nurses<\/h2>\n
Unified Reference Profession since 2025<\/h3>\n
Four-step process<\/h3>\n
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Typical findings in Korean certifications<\/h3>\n
Language certificate<\/h3>\n
Procedure Duration and Federal Differences<\/h3>\n
Integration: Success Factors in the First Twelve Months<\/h2>\n
Medical jargon in clinical practice<\/h3>\n
Different understanding of care<\/h3>\n
Social Connection in Germany<\/h3>\n
TalentOrbit as a Partner for International Nursing Recruitment<\/h2>\n