In order to be granted a permit to practise a profession in Germany, you must be able to prove a certain level of language competence.
What you should know:
Currently, in order to be granted a permit to practise a profession, a language certificate for the level B2 according to the Common European Reference Framework for Languages (CEFR) is required. For permission to travel to Germany, however, level B1 (CEFR) is sufficient. The Level B2 qualification can then be acquired here in Germany. In future, proof of language competence shall be based on
a B2 specialised language test for the nursing care sector. Some Federal States are already preparing for this transition. The States of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will be the first to introduce the B2-specialised language tests. In those States, both general language courses and course that prepare you specifically for working as a professional in the nursing care sector will be offered.
The legal basis for professional language courses in German is the “Regulation on the Profession-related Promotion of Knowledge of German Language” (DeuFöV). The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is responsible for implementing these DeuFöV courses. The BAMF permits both public and private organisations to do this. The BAMF may issue certificates of entitlements to persons who are in the middle of the recognition phase regarding their foreign professional qualifications.