7 EU Countries Facing Critical Shortages of Doctors & Nurses Are Offering Visas to Foreign Medical Professionals
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Switzerland, Germany, Norway, and Ireland are among the EU countries experiencing shortages in the healthcare sector.
2. Specialist doctors and nursing professionals are the most commonly and severely needed roles in the EU.
3. Some EU countries have relaxed immigration rules to attract foreign healthcare professionals.
The 2023 EURES report on shortages and surpluses highlights significant healthcare sector shortages in several EU countries. Specialist doctors and nursing professionals are among the most in-demand roles, prompting many EU states to simplify work visa procedures for foreign professionals.
Countries with notable healthcare shortages include Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, and Denmark. Ireland and Switzerland, in particular, heavily rely on foreign doctors and nurses.
Among EURES countries, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland show the highest dependency on foreign-trained doctors, while Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria rely heavily on foreign-trained nurses.
2023 EURES Report on Shortages and Surpluses
Most In-Demand Healthcare Professions in EU Countries:
- Specialist medical practitioners
- Generalist medical practitioners
- Nursing professionals
- Healthcare assistants
- Health professionals not elsewhere classified
- Midwifery professionals
- Physiotherapists
- Dentists
- Pharmacists
- Audiologists and speech therapists
With an ageing population exacerbating the need for healthcare workers, foreign professionals in these roles have better chances of securing employment and work visas in these countries.
Germany's Healthcare Sector and Foreign Professionals:
Germany consistently reports shortages in the healthcare sector. In 2023, 12% of doctors in Germany, or 62,000, were foreign nationals—a 7% increase from a decade earlier. Overall, 115,000 foreign doctors have moved to Germany, making the medical profession the second most recognized foreign qualification in 2022.
In addition to doctors, Germany faces a significant shortage of nurses, needing an additional 150,000 by 2025. The German authorities are actively seeking nursing staff from abroad, including Latin America.
Recently, Germany and Denmark have eased some immigration laws, increasing the chances for foreign workers to obtain work visas and help fill these critical healthcare roles.