Working as a nurse/caregiver in Austria

Care professions as “shortage occupations” 

There are various possibilities in Austria to work in care professions (“Pflegeberufe”). The following three care professions are so-called shortage occupations (“Mangelberufe”). In principle, this means that you can apply for a Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations: 

• Registered nurse responsible for general care (“Diplomierte:r Gesundheits- und Krankenpfleger:in”) 
• Nursing assistant level 2 (“Pflegefachassistent:in”) 
• Nursing assistant level 1 (“Pflegeassistent:in”) 

You will have to prove the following within the context of this application: 

• Completed professional training as a registered (qualified) nurse, a nursing assistant level 2 or a nursing assistant level 1 
• A binding offer of employment (“verbindliche Stellenzusage”) in Austria 
• A specified minimum number of points within the context of the point system (“Punkteschema”).

Validation or nostrification of training completed abroad 

If you have completed your training abroad e.g., in your native country as a registered nurse, nursing assistant level 2 or nursing assistant level 1 and would like to work in Austria, your training documents and certificates will have to be recognised (validated) in Austria.

Various bodies are responsible for this process: 

• The universities of applied sciences are responsible for the nostrification (“Nostrifizierung”) of training as a registered nurse from a third country (i.e., from a country which is not part of the EU or EEA).
• The Office of the Provincial Government (“Amt der Landesregierung”) of the respective federal province in Austria in which you intend to work is responsible for the validation process.
• The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection is the responsible body if you have concluded your training in an EU member state.
• The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection is also the responsible body if you have concluded your training in a third country but have already had this training recognised in another EU member state.

The website “Nursing in Austria” serves as the first point of contact for nurses/nursing assistants who have completed their education abroad (in the EU/EEA, Switzerland, or in a third country) and who would like to work in Austria as a nurse with a degree in Health and Nursing Care, a nursing assistant level 2 or a nursing assistant level 1.

By using the guide you can find out

• whether your qualifications need to undergo recognition or nostrification and
• who your contact person is.

Working during the validation/nostrification process 

If you have concluded your training abroad and this corresponds to Austrian higher training for nursing care, and you would like to work in Austria before the completion of the nostrification process, you can submit a special application to the Office of the Provincial Government in the particular federal province in which you intend to work.

If this application is approved in accordance with the Health and Nursing Act, you will be allowed to work in the field of nursing for a period of up to one year (extension possible for a further year) for training purposes and under direction and supervision. 

Under certain circumstances, the working as a nurse/caregiver and the application for a Red-White-Red - Card is also possible without authorization according to the Health and Nursing Act, namely if it was determined during the application for recognition/nostrification that the equivalence is generally given and only individual supplementary exams to the full equivalence are missing. You can register in the so-called health professional register ("Gesundheitsberuferegister") in the respective lower-level nursing/caregiving profession and to work within two years of the issuance of the nostrification notice. The other requirements for registration in the health professional register must also be met.

 

Working after completion of the validation/nostrification process 

You will first obtain complete recognition of your qualifications to work in the field of nursing or in the field of healthcare assistance when the validation/nostrification process relating to your training is fully completed.

Afterwards, you will have to entered into the so-called health professional register (“Gesundheitsberuferegister”). In turn, for this purpose, you will have to demonstrate German language competencies at a B1 or B2 level (depending upon which health career you intend to pursue).

Do you have any questions about a residence permit (“Aufenthaltstitel”) with respect to your work as a nurse? Do you want to employ a nurse who has concluded his or her training abroad and wonder if this person can get a Red-White-Red – Card?