There is no single answer, because the level depends on what you are applying for and where. Here is what the official sources we read say.

• Nursing Ausbildung: Make it in Germany says the requirement is B1 or B2, depending on the state.
• Visa for training or adaptation: The Stuttgart authority’s FAQ says it assumes B1 is needed for a residence permit under § 16d of the Residence Act.
• Practising as a nurse after recognition: The same FAQ says B2 is needed, and it must be shown when the certificate is issued, not necessarily at the start.
• Triple Win (India): The Federal Employment Agency asks for at least B1 at the time of the visa application, with a B2 exam later in Germany.

Route B is covered in depth in our guide to nursing Ausbildung in Germany from A1 to placement. You can also read the general Ausbildung eligibility and salary guide.

Make it in Germany lists a school requirement of a medium-level school leaving certificate, plus a health certificate and a police clearance. Whether your Indian schooling meets the school requirement is decided by the training provider and authorities, so ask early.

The Federal Employment Agency runs the Triple Win programme for India, a government-backed way to recruit nurses.

• Who can apply: graduates of an accredited Indian nursing institution with a GNM diploma, a B.Sc (Basic) in Nursing or an Indian nurse registration certificate, aged 18 or over.
• Language: a German course from A1 to B1, held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. B1 must be proven at the time of the visa application.
• Cost: the page says placement, language and technical preparation and integration support are free for applicants.
• Recognition: expected within 12 months of starting work. The permit changes once nurses pass recognition and the B2 exam in Germany.
• Employers: the page names hospitals and elderly care homes among the employers.

The Stuttgart authority’s published FAQ gives a clear picture of the process in Baden-Württemberg. Other states follow the same federal law but may differ in detail.

1. Apply for recognition. You need permission to use the title Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann before you can work as a nurse.
2. Wait for the decision. With complete documents the authority must generally decide within four months, and often faster.
3. Close the gaps, if any. You choose between an adaptation course, which averages 8 to 11 months, or a knowledge exam with an oral and a practical part.
4. Show B2 German. It must be proven when the certificate is issued.

The same FAQ adds that the Altenpflege title can be granted on request, but only if the foreign training corresponds to the German elder-care training. Otherwise recognition is limited to the general Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann title. It also says there is no official positive list of countries, so each application is judged individually.

Germany has created a new nationwide assistant-level profession. According to the federal family ministry, the Bundesrat approved the law on 17 October 2025.

• Training starts on 1 January 2027 and usually lasts 18 months full-time.
• The usual entry requirement is a Hauptschulabschluss, though a positive assessment by the training school can also open the door.
• Trainees receive an appropriate training allowance.

The government pages we read did not state a language level for this training, so ask the training school directly. Treat it as a possible stepping stone, not a shortcut, because many Indian candidates still aim for the full nursing qualification.