Several European Union countries are grappling with shortages in healthcare-related occupations, as highlighted in the 2023 EURES report on shortages and surpluses. Specialist doctors and nursing professionals are particularly sought after, prompting several EU member states to introduce streamlined work visa procedures for foreign professionals.
Among the countries facing significant shortages are Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, and Denmark. Ireland and Switzerland are notably reliant on foreign doctors and nurses, with Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland showing the highest dependency on foreign-trained doctors. Similarly, Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria have the highest reliance on foreign-trained nurses.
The 2023 EURES report identifies a range of healthcare occupations experiencing shortages across these countries, including specialist medical practitioners, generalist medical practitioners, nursing professionals, health care assistants, and various other health professionals such as midwifery professionals, physiotherapists, dentists, pharmacists, and audiologists. With aging populations exacerbating these shortages, foreign professionals in these fields have increased opportunities to secure employment and obtain work visas in these nations.
Germany, in particular, consistently reports shortages in its healthcare sector. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), approximately 12 percent of doctors in Germany—amounting to around 62,000 individuals—were foreign nationals in 2023, marking a seven percent increase over the past decade.
