Nursing Ausbildung Guide

Short answer: Nursing Ausbildung (Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann) is a three-year training under its own law, not the standard dual system: you study at a nursing school and train in practice with a care provider. You receive training pay, cannot be charged school fees and finish with a state exam. Entry usually needs a middle school certificate or equivalent.

This guide explains how nursing training is organised, who can apply, what it costs and pays, and how it ends. It covers the training you start in Germany, not the recognition of nursing qualifications earned abroad. Visa and entry rules are outside the scope of this site.

Nursing Ausbildung at a glance

Topic	Details
German name	Pflegefachfrau / Pflegefachmann (Berlin’s health authority also uses Pflegefachperson)
Legal basis	The Pflegeberufegesetz (PflBG, Nursing Professions Act). The Vocational Training Act does not apply
Duration	3 years full-time, up to 5 years part-time
Structure	Lessons at a nursing school (Pflegeschule) plus practical training. The practical part is the larger share
Contract with	The provider of the practical training, such as a hospital or care provider
Entry	Middle school certificate or an equivalent, or other routes (see below)
Training pay	Required by law for the whole training
Ends with	A state exam

How it differs from a dual Ausbildung

Most trainings in this guide are dual: you have a contract with a company and attend a vocational school (see what Ausbildung is). Nursing is organised differently. The PflBG says the provider of the practical training signs the contract with you and is responsible for organising your practical training. That provider either runs a nursing school or has an agreement with one. The school coordinates the lessons with your practical training. You are an employee of the provider for the whole training.

What nurses learn

The law says the training prepares you for independent, comprehensive nursing of people of all ages, in acute and long-term inpatient care and in outpatient care. It lists tasks such as assessing care needs and planning care, organising and steering the care process, carrying out and documenting care, advising and supporting patients and their relatives, starting life-saving emergency measures until a doctor arrives, carrying out medical orders independently and working with other professions.

How the training works

• Lessons. Theory and practical lessons are taught at a nursing school that the state has approved or recognised. The school’s own curriculum is based on a national framework.
• Practical training. It consists of compulsory placements, a deepening placement and further placements. The compulsory placements cover general acute care in hospitals, general long-term care in inpatient facilities and general outpatient care. Specialised placements, such as paediatric and psychiatric care, can take place in other suitable facilities.
• Practical guidance. The facilities must provide supervised practice guidance for at least 10 percent of the time of each placement.
• Intermediate exam. It takes place at the end of the second third of the training.

According to the Berlin health authority, if your contract includes a matching deepening placement, you can decide in the last third of the training whether to continue as a Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann or to switch to a qualification in paediatric nursing or in geriatric nursing.

Who can apply

The PflBG says you can start the training with any one of these:

• A middle school certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss) or another certificate recognised as equivalent.
• A lower secondary certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) or an equivalent, together with a completed vocational training of at least two years, or a completed state-regulated nursing assistant training of at least one year.
• Another completed ten-year general school education.

You also need to be reliable for the profession, healthy enough for it, and have the knowledge of German that the profession requires. The law does not name a language level, so ask the nursing school which level it expects. If your certificate comes from outside Germany, ask the school or the state authority whether it counts as equivalent. See our guide to the German level for Ausbildung for the general picture.

Pay, costs and your rights

• Training pay. The provider must pay an appropriate training pay for the whole training, and you are treated like other trainees for social insurance. The law sets no figure. See our Ausbildung salary guide for the general picture, and check the employer’s offer.
• No fees. Agreements that make you pay for the practical training, or pay a fee or school fees for the lessons, are void. The school provides teaching and learning materials free of charge, and the provider must give you the training materials you need, including textbooks and instruments. The law has one rule for trainees funded by the employment agency, where the school invoices the course costs to the funder.
• Release for school and exams. The provider must release you for school lessons and exams and give you time to prepare.
• Probation and termination. The first six months are a probation period, unless a collective agreement sets another length. During it, either side can end the contract at any time. Afterwards, it can be ended only for an important reason, or by you with four weeks’ notice.
• Absences. Holidays count toward the training time. Illness and other absences you are not responsible for count up to 10 percent of the lesson hours and 10 percent of the practical hours.

The state exam

The training ends with a state exam. Its content and procedure are set in a separate training and examination ordinance, so ask your nursing school for the details. If you do not pass, or cannot take the exam through no fault of your own, your contract is extended on your request until the next possible repeat exam, by up to one year. After you pass, you can apply for the licence to use the title Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann.

Studying nursing at a university

The PflBG also allows a primary qualifying nursing degree. It is a dual study programme of at least three years with practical placements, and it leads to the same licence. The Berlin health authority says it usually takes seven semesters and ends with a Bachelor of Science.

How to apply

1. Search for “Pflegefachfrau” and “Pflegefachmann” on the official boards and on the career pages of hospitals and care providers. Our guide on where to find Ausbildung openings lists the boards.
2. Check which nursing school the provider works with and which entry requirements and German level it expects.
3. Check which specialisation placement the contract offers, if you may want to specialise.
4. Send a tailored application: a cover letter, a CV and copies of your certificates.
5. Read the training contract carefully before you sign.

Is it right for you?

• You want to care for people of all ages, including people who are ill or dying.
• You can work in a team and communicate clearly with patients, relatives and colleagues.
• You can work carefully and keep records.
• You are ready to learn and work in German, including medical vocabulary.

Common mistakes

• Treating it like a standard dual Ausbildung. It has its own law, and the provider of the practical training is your contract partner.
• Paying for school or for a place. The law voids agreements that make trainees pay school fees. Never pay for a place.
• Assuming a language level without asking. Check with the nursing school.
• Relying on a pay figure from a random website. Check the employer’s offer.
• Ignoring the contract details, such as the specialisation placement, probation and working hours.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the nursing Ausbildung?

Three years full-time and up to five years part-time, according to the PflBG.

Do I pay school fees?

No. The law voids agreements that make trainees pay school fees or a fee for the practical training. If the employment agency funds you, the school invoices the course costs to the funder.

Which school certificate do I need?

A middle school certificate or an equivalent, or a lower secondary certificate with a completed two-year vocational training or a completed nursing assistant training, or another ten-year general school education.

Is nursing a dual Ausbildung?

It combines school and practice, but it follows its own law and the Vocational Training Act does not apply. Your contract is with the provider of the practical training.

What if I do not pass the state exam?

On your request in writing, your contract is extended until the next possible repeat exam, by up to one year.

Sources

• Gesetze im Internet: Pflegeberufegesetz (PflBG), in German
• Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs: Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann, in German

Last updated: 26 October 2026. Training rules, requirements and pay change, so check the official pages above and the employer’s posting before you apply.