What It Really Takes to Hire One International Nurse in Germany
A Data-Driven Look at the International Nurse Hiring Journey in Germany
At Destination Germany, we've had the privilege of helping hospitals and elderly care centers across the country find incredible nursing talent from abroad. Behind every nurse we place is a powerful story of commitment, preparation, and persistence—not just from the candidates, but from our team and partners too.
As we continue to grow, I wanted to take a moment to share some real-world insights and numbers from our journey so far.
The Journey from Learning German to Getting Hired
Internationally trained nurses who want to work in Germany must go through several steps—from learning the language to passing interviews and getting their qualifications recognized. Over time, we’ve learned that hiring one international nurse requires far more than just matching CVs to job descriptions.
Here's a look at what the numbers tell us, based on our actual experience:
100 nurses begin learning German
50 nurses reach a basic German level
We speak to those 50 nurses
Out of those, 25 become submittable candidates over time
And approximately 8 of them receive job offers from hospitals in Germany
That means, based on our current experience, about 8% of the nurses who start learning German with this goal actually get hired.
This is not due to a lack of experience or motivation. In fact, what stops most candidates from being submitted to employers is their German speaking skills—not their education or work history.
Why This Data Matters
These numbers give us—and hopefully, our partners and collaborators—a realistic view of what it takes to make international hiring happen in healthcare. They also highlight why strong German language training and ongoing support are essential to the process.
The numbers aren’t fixed—they evolve as we get better at identifying the right profiles, as candidates get more determined, and as we learn to work even more closely with hospitals to understand their expectations.
But what stays constant is this: We’re in the business of making international nursing placements happen.
A Recent Success Story: One Nurse’s Journey
Let me share one story that brings these numbers to life.
Last week, one of our candidates received her job offer from a Universitätsklinikum in southern Germany. She is a qualified nurse from India with over two years of experience—but what made her stand out was her sheer determination to come to Germany.
She started preparing for this journey two years ago. She didn’t just learn the language once—she repeated her A2 and B1 German levels because she wasn’t satisfied with her first results. That kind of commitment speaks volumes. And now, she joins a growing group of nurses who’ve made their German dream come true with our help.
Are You a Nurse, a Language Institute, or a Recruiting Partner?
Whether you're a nurse preparing for a career in Germany, a language institute training healthcare professionals, or a recruitment partner who has access to qualified candidates—we’d love to hear from you.
At Destination Germany, we’ve already placed nurses with institutions like Caritas, a Universitätsklinikum, and an old age home. We know what it takes, and we’re scaling up.
Let’s build more success stories, together.
Interested in learning more or partnering with us? Feel free to connect or send us a message—we’re just getting started.