Health Professions Register for Foreign Nurses in Austria
Written by
Azra Mehanic
Founder, Move to Austria
Reviewed by
Azra Mehanic
Editorial and source review · August 12, 2026
Prepare qualification, identity, German, medical and criminal-record evidence for lawful PA, PFA or DGKP practice.
Registration is the final legal gate to nursing work
PA, PFA and DGKP professionals must be entered in Austria’s Health Professions Register before they may practise or use the corresponding professional title. Recognition or nostrification establishes the qualification, but it does not replace registration. The rule also applies to foreign-trained professionals and to temporary lower-level work permitted by a final decision with compensatory measures.
Choose the correct registration authority
Arbeiterkammer generally registers employed, unemployed and job-seeking members, including new PA and PFA entrants. Gesundheit Österreich GmbH registers recognised academic professionals such as DGKP and primarily self-employed or voluntary professionals. Confirm responsibility for your situation before booking; a personal application requires an appointment, while online registration requires ID Austria and uploaded documents.
Prepare the full evidence set
Official checklists require identity and nationality evidence, a passport photo, the relevant diploma or recognition/nostrification decision, proof of trustworthiness and medical fitness, and German evidence where required. Criminal-record certificates from Austria and relevant countries of residence may be necessary and, like the medical certificate, must not be older than three months at application. Name changes need documentary proof.
Foreign documents and German need special care
Foreign-language records generally need German translations by a court-certified translator. For a foreign qualification, German must normally be shown unless it clearly follows from at least one year of full-time education in German or the applicant’s life history. PA and PFA require B1 for register entry; DGKP requires B2. A course-attendance confirmation is not an examination certificate.
Register before the first shift—and track renewal
After the authority checks the complete file, it issues confirmation of registration; this confirmation permits professional practice while the professional card is sent by post. Registration and the card are valid for five years, so keep contact details current and renew on time. Our eligibility assessment can map the correct profession and file order, but the registration authority alone decides the application.
Helpful resources
Official sources
Requirements and fees can change. Verify your individual case with the responsible authority before applying.
