A Filipino nurse can work as a nurse in Germany, but nursing is a regulated profession. Before you can practice, Germany has to recognize your nursing qualification, and the official guidance asks for German at level B2.
This guide explains the steps in plain words, using official German and Philippine sources. Each point links to its source so you can check it yourself. This is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice.
What makes nursing different
Nursing is a regulated profession in Germany. That means recognition of your qualification and a license to practice are required before you can work as a nurse, on top of the visa. The official Recognition Finder shows, for a general nurse, which German profession yours is compared with, which authority handles your case and how the procedure works. The outcome depends on your qualification documents and how they compare with the German nursing qualification.
German language: B2
The official Make it in Germany guidance for nursing states that German at level B2 is required for professional recognition and licensing of nurses. B2 is an upper-intermediate level. If you are at A1 or A2 today, plan for language learning as the longest part of your preparation.
Four routes a nurse can use
Professional recognition
The main route for nurses. You have your qualification compared with the German one, complete the recognition procedure and receive the license to practice. The Recognition Finder shows the exact steps and the authority for your case.
Qualified employment (skilled-worker visa)
Once your qualification is recognized, you can work in Germany on a skilled-worker visa with a job that matches it. The law sets no minimum salary of its own; pay must be comparable to that of a German employee in the same role. If you are 45 or older when you first apply, the salary must be at least EUR 55,770 a year (2026) unless you can show adequate old-age provision.
Recognition partnership
Recognition can be completed after you arrive, while you work for a participating employer under a signed agreement. You need a German certificate at A2 or higher issued within the last 12 months by an approved institute such as the Goethe-Institut or telc, and the employer must have experience with vocational training. Your spouse or partner and minor children can join you; the partner needs their own A1 certificate. Nursing recognition itself still asks for B2, so ask the authority handling your case what applies to you.
Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)
A job-search visa for people without a job offer yet, valid for up to one year, with trial work or side work of up to 20 hours a week. With a fully recognized qualification you need no points. Otherwise you need at least 6 of 15 points, and partial recognition of your qualification is worth 4 of them. You must show financial proof of EUR 1,091 a month, EUR 13,092 for a year.
The Philippine side: OEC and PEOS
Filipinos who leave to work abroad also need papers from the Philippine government, separate from the German visa.
- Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). It is your exit clearance at Philippine immigration and exempts you from travel tax and the airport terminal fee. The Philippine Embassy in Berlin, through MWO-Berlin, helps with OEC and employment-contract verification for Germany.
- Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS), a free online DMW seminar. If this is your first time working abroad, you must complete it before you can get your OEC. Workers who have worked abroad before do not need it.
Where do I start?
- Open the Recognition Finder, choose the general nurse profile and read the procedure and the competent authority for your case.
- Start German now and aim for B2. Book an exam at an approved institute when you are close.
- Gather your nursing qualification documents for the recognition procedure.
- Decide your route: recognition first, or a recognition partnership with an employer.
- Complete PEOS and secure your OEC before you travel.
Want to know exactly where you stand? Answer a few questions and get a free roadmap that shows what you already meet, what is missing and your next steps as a nurse.
Not a nurse? Read the caregiver guide or the general guide: how to work in Germany from the Philippines.
Official sources
- Make it in Germany: nursing professionals
- Recognition Finder: general nurse profile
- § 18a AufenthG: skilled workers with vocational training
- Recognition partnership (§ 16d AufenthG), official information sheet
- § 20b AufenthG: Opportunity Card points
- German Federal Foreign Office: Opportunity Card visa information
- Philippine Embassy Berlin: Overseas Employment Certificate
- DMW: Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS)
Last checked: September 20, 2026. This is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice. Figures change, so confirm them on the official pages.