The 2023 EURES report on shortages and surpluses states that a number of EU nations are facing a shortage in healthcare-related jobs.
Among the most in-demand positions are those of specialists in medicine and nursing. EU member states are striving to close these shortages by providing accelerated Schengen work visa applications for foreign workers.news articles.The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, and Germany are among the nations having severe shortages in the healthcare sector.
Notably, Ireland and Switzerland are substantially dependent on foreign physicians and nurses. In terms of medical professionals, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland are the most dependent on foreign physicians, while Austria, Switzerland, and Ireland are the most dependent on foreign nurses. The majority of in-demand healthcare occupations in EU nations
The healthcare professions with the greatest shortages in these nations are as follows:
specialists in medicine
generalist physicians
healthcare providers
aides in healthcare
Medical practitioners who are not classified elsewhere
Experts in midwifery
Physiotherapists
Dental professionals
chemists
Speech therapists and auditorologists
Due to the exacerbation of shortages caused by an aging population, foreign professionals operating in these industries are more likely to secure jobs and work permits in these countries. Germany has a history of reporting shortages in the medical field. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), 62,000 doctors in Germany (12 percent) were foreign nationals in 2023, up 7% from ten years earlier.In total, 115,000 foreign medical professionals relocated to Germany, and as of 2022, they had the second-most prestigious foreign credential.
According to Schengen.News, Germany will also need an additional 150,000 nurses by 2025 due to a severe shortage. The German government is actively looking to hire immigrant nurses, particularly those from Latin America.Furthermore, a few EU nations, such as Denmark and Germany, have lately loosened immigration regulations, which raises the possibility that foreign workers will be granted work permits.
