For nursing assistants
Nursing assistant in Germany: Pflegehelfer and Pflegeassistenz
Whether your state regulates your helper or assistant title at all, and what to do if it does. Built from your own answers, free.
Free, no account needed. Supported professions get a personalized roadmap; others can join the waitlist.
The example is for Nurse. Other qualifications on this page have separate requirements.
Services
How we help you
The three services that help most in your profession. You find all others in the overview.
Recognition and state law for nursing assistants
Pflegehelfer, Pflegeassistent and Krankenpflegehelfer are not one nationwide qualification today. State law and the reference occupation determine whether a title is regulated and which recognition procedure applies. A non-regulated assistant job may be possible without a decision; a protected title requires authorisation.
The federal Pflegefachassistenz qualification begins on 1 January 2027. It creates a common training and professional title, while transitional rules preserve certain state-law training pathways. If you already hold a foreign qualification, ask the office in the state where you intend to work which current or new procedure applies to your application.
Which title is yours?
Helper and assistant titles are set by state law and differ between states. The federal Pflegefachassistenz title starts on 1 January 2027.
Care helper
Pflegehelferin / Pflegehelfer
Care assistant
Pflegeassistentin / Pflegeassistent
Healthcare helper
Krankenpflegehelferin / -helfer
Geriatric care helper
Altenpflegehelferin / -helfer
Federal nursing assistant (from 2027)
Pflegefachassistentin / Pflegefachassistent
Documents and the German level for recognition
Ask the office for your title and state. Common evidence includes:
- A qualification certificate and a detailed record of training subjects and hours.
- Evidence of relevant work experience and the duties you performed.
- Identity documents and any translations or certified copies requested by the office.
- For regulated titles, any health, reliability and German-language evidence required for the authorisation.
- If the title is not regulated, ask an employer what training and German level its role requires.
How long recognition takes and what drives the cost
The deadline and fee depend on the applicable state or federal procedure. The clock normally starts only when the competent authority has the required documents; ask it for the applicable deadline before making plans.
Translations and any compensation measure add time and cost. The federal training begins in 2027, but that date does not set an individual recognition deadline.
- Current route
- Depends on title and state
- Federal training start
- 1 January 2027
- Nurse qualification
- A separate recognition route
Which office decides in your state
The table covers verified contacts for selected titles and states. A missing state row does not mean there is no procedure.
| Federal state | Recognition office |
|---|---|
| North Rhine-Westphalia | Bezirksregierung Münster – ZAG-PuG (Pflegefachassistenz)Münster |
| Bavaria | Bayerisches Landesamt für PflegeAmberg |
| Baden-Württemberg | Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart - Referat 98 - Landesanerkennungsstelle für GesundheitsberufeStuttgart |
This is a starting list, not a complete directory of every assistant title. A missing state does not mean recognition is unavailable. Confirm your exact title in the official Recognition Finder.
Working while you wait: the Pflegehelfer bridge
Care work without a protected title may be possible while an application is pending. Employers must assign tasks within local supervision and patient-safety rules.
A helper role is not the same as authorisation to use the registered nurse title. If you are trained as a nurse, keep the nursing recognition application separate and check your residence and employment conditions.
Questions we hear most
Check your roadmap
Check availability for your profession. Build a free roadmap where supported, or join the waitlist.
Check roadmap availability