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FOREIGN DOCTORS IN GERMANY
Immigrant and foreign-trained doctors are vital to Germany’s healthcare system
By The Immigrant Times
Some 121,000 doctors with a migration background work in Germany. Physicians from Syria make up the largest group. The photo on the right depicts surgeon Mahmood Alhaj Ali, working in the district hospital in Freiberg, Saxony. Photo by Wieland Josh.
February 2026: Germany’s healthcare system is becoming increasingly dependent on immigrant and foreign-trained doctors, with new data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) highlighting both the scale of international recruitment and its importance for addressing workforce shortages.
The share of foreign doctors (those without German passports) in human medicine and dentistry has risen significantly over the past ten years. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 13 per cent of doctors, or 64,000, did not have German citizenship in 2024. Ten years earlier, the figure was seven per cent or 30,000. By way of comparison, the proportion of foreign nationals in the total working population was 15 per cent in 2024 (2014: 9%). Many of the earlier arrivals now have German citizenship. The German Statistical Office estimates that about 121,000 doctors working in Germany trained abroad or migrated to the country as physicians, including many who have since acquired German citizenship. They account for just under a quarter (24%) of the total medical profession.
The data also reveal a marked demographic contrast. Germany’s physician workforce is ageing, with a substantial proportion approaching retirement age, while immigrant doctors tend to be considerably younger. In 2024, among foreign doctors, just under half (49%) were younger than 35, compared with 18 per cent of German doctors. This generational imbalance means migration is not only filling existing vacancies but helping stabilise the future age structure of the profession at a time of rising demand for medical care.
Recognition of foreign qualifications remains a central pathway into employment in hospitals and outpatient care. Medicine is among the professions with the highest number of recognition procedures each year, reflecting both sustained inflows of internationally trained physicians and the return of German students who complete medical degrees abroad due to limited domestic study places.
Figures from the German Medical Association illustrate the diverse origins of foreign-trained doctors working in Germany. Physicians educated in Syria make up the largest group, numbering around 6,600, followed by Romania (4,300), Turkey (2,900), and Russia (2,800). Significant numbers also come from Austria (2,700), Greece (2,600), Ukraine (2,300) and Poland (1,900), alongside doctors trained in Azerbaijan (1,900), Egypt (1,800), Iran (1,600) and Jordan (1,300).
The distribution reflects several overlapping migration dynamics, including free movement within the European Union, long-standing labour migration links and the longer-term labour-market integration of refugee populations. In particular, the prominence of Syrian physicians illustrates how refugee migration can translate into sustained participation in essential sectors once licensing and language requirements are met.
The growing reliance on internationally trained doctors is especially visible outside major urban centres. Rural regions have faced persistent recruitment difficulties as older practitioners retire and younger German doctors gravitate toward cities offering greater professional flexibility and infrastructure. In many smaller towns and district hospitals, foreign physicians have become crucial for maintaining services and preventing practice closures.
This pattern is also evident in eastern Germany, where demographic decline and workforce shortages are particularly pronounced. Hospitals and medical practices in several eastern federal states report a substantial presence of foreign doctors, many of whom originate from Syria, Romania and Ukraine. The reliance on migrant professionals in these regions coexists with comparatively strong anti-immigration political sentiment, highlighting a tension between healthcare needs and aspects of public debate. For many communities, however, internationally trained doctors are not an optional supplement but a key factor in sustaining access to medical care.
Despite their growing importance, foreign doctors often face structural challenges, including lengthy licensing procedures, administrative hurdles and demanding language requirements. Policymakers have increasingly debated faster recognition processes and targeted recruitment strategies as part of broader efforts to address healthcare staffing shortages.
Taken together, the latest figures reinforce a broader conclusion: migration has become a structural component of Germany’s healthcare workforce. As retirements accelerate and demand for medical services continues to rise, immigrant and foreign-trained doctors are likely to play an even more central role in maintaining the country’s medical provision.
Further reading from The Immigrant Times: Foreign doctors in Europe || Filipino health and care workers in Britain ||
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