Pflegeassistenz in Austria 2026: Training, B1 German and Jobs
Written by
Azra Mehanic
Founder, Move to Austria
Reviewed by
Azra Mehanic
Editorial and source review · August 10, 2026
Understand the one-year 1,600-hour PA route, permitted duties, admission, B1 registration, foreign recognition and job search.
Pflegeassistenz Is a Regulated Nursing Profession
Pflegeassistenz, or PA, is not an unregulated helper label. PA professionals support people of all ages in home care, outpatient services, hospitals and nursing homes. They assist with personal care, mobility and nutrition, observe health status, measure vital signs and carry out defined diagnostic or therapeutic measures delegated by doctors or graduate nurses. The legal scope matters: an employer cannot use a PA contract to assign DGKP responsibility.
The Standard PA Education Is 1,600 Hours
Full-time PA education normally lasts one year and contains 1,600 hours of theory and practice at a nursing school or recognised course. Other pathways include vocational schools, social-care programmes and the nursing-assistant apprenticeship pilot. Standard admission generally includes ninth-grade completion or the compulsory-school examination, health suitability, trustworthiness, sufficient German and an admission interview or standardised process. Providers decide admission and may publish additional deadlines or evidence.
B1 Is Required for Professional Register Entry
After qualifying, a PA must enter the Health Professions Register before working. Nursing in Austria lists German B1 for PA registration, although a training provider or employer can require stronger practical German. Prepare for care documentation, vital signs, safe delegation, incident reporting and communication with vulnerable patients. A course attendance paper is not automatically the language proof accepted by the register, so check the current accepted evidence.
Foreign PA Qualifications Need a Formal Decision
A foreign certificate does not become Austrian PA merely because the tasks appear similar. EU, EEA and Swiss qualifications normally use professional recognition; third-country qualifications use nostrification through the competent provincial authority. The decision compares education and may require examinations, training or placements. With an appropriate final decision, limited supervised PA work during compensatory measures may be possible for up to two years, but registration and the exact authorised scope remain mandatory.
Search for PA Jobs With the Correct Title and Conditions
Use Pflegeassistenz and PA in searches for hospitals, care homes, rehabilitation, mobile services and home nursing. Check the collective agreement, pay group, credited experience, shift supplements, weekly hours, work location and whether recognition is a condition precedent. PA appears on Austria's nationwide 2026 shortage list, but third-country applicants still need a suitable residence route and cannot work before professional and immigration approval. Avoid listings that confuse PA with 24-hour self-employed care.
Helpful resources
Official sources
Requirements and fees can change. Verify your individual case with the responsible authority before applying.
- Nursing assistant level 1: duties, training and B1 — Nursing in Austria
- Official PA and PFA training overview — Austrian Public Health Portal
- Application and temporary work during nostrification — Nursing in Austria
- Provincial contacts for PA and PFA nostrification — Nursing in Austria
- Austria-wide shortage occupations 2026 — Austrian Federal Government migration portal
