Employers in healthcare and childcare must complete certain checks before or at the start of employment. For staff recruited from India, most of these can be prepared before departure — if the employer specifies them early. Left until arrival, they delay start dates by weeks.
Measles Protection
Under the Measles Protection Act, people working in certain facilities must prove that they are immune to measles. The obligation applies in particular to staff in community facilities such as Kitas and schools, and in a range of medical facilities including hospitals and practices; it applies to people born after 1970. Proof is usually a vaccination record showing two measles vaccinations, or a medical certificate confirming immunity based on a blood test.
Whether the requirement applies to a particular facility type, such as a residential care home or an ambulant care service, depends on how the law classifies it. Check with your local health office.
Preparing in India: candidates should bring their vaccination records, translated where necessary. Where records are missing, a blood test for measles antibodies in India, documented by a doctor, avoids delay. Vaccination after arrival is possible but must be completed before work starts where proof is mandatory.
Occupational Health Care
German occupational health rules oblige employers to arrange mandatory occupational health appointments for certain activities and to offer them for others. In healthcare this commonly relates to infection risks; for night workers, health examinations are a right under working-time law. These appointments take place after arrival with the employer's occupational physician. Schedule them in the first days.
Employers are also expected to offer appropriate vaccinations where the activity involves an increased infection risk, for example against hepatitis B in many healthcare roles. Candidates who bring vaccination records make this easier.
Police Certificates
Indian Police Clearance Certificate: for the visa and for employer due diligence, candidates can obtain a Police Clearance Certificate through the Passport Seva system. Ask for it early; processing times vary.
Extended certificate of good conduct: employers in childcare, youth services and other roles involving children must see an erweitertes Führungszeugnis, the extended German criminal-record certificate. Once the worker is registered in Germany, they apply at their local citizens' office with a written request from the employer. It covers German records; the Indian certificate covers the time before. Some care providers also request a standard or extended certificate for adult care roles.
Hygiene Instruction
Staff handling food in certain settings — kitchens in care homes, Kitas, hospitals — must receive instruction under the Infection Protection Act before starting such work, with refresher training at intervals. This is delivered by the employer or the health office after arrival.
Other Checks Worth Preparing
- Medical fitness: some employers request a pre-employment medical examination; agree in advance what it covers and who pays
- Professional registration documents: for nurses, the Indian registration and certificate of good standing for the recognition file
- Language certificates: original certificates for roles requiring German
- Driving licence: for ambulant care roles involving driving; see our driving licence guide
A Pre-Departure Checklist for Care and Childcare
- Vaccination record with two measles doses, or antibody test result
- Other vaccination records available
- Indian Police Clearance Certificate
- Professional registration and good-standing certificate where relevant
- Language certificate originals
- Employer's written request for the extended certificate of good conduct, ready for the first registration appointment
After Arrival: First-Week Sequence
1. Address registration at the citizens' office, with the request for the extended certificate submitted at the same time where needed 2. Occupational health appointment 3. Hygiene instruction 4. Submission of measles proof to the employer 5. Supervised start
Data Protection
Health information is sensitive personal data. Collect only what the law requires, store it securely and limit access. Workers should know why each document is requested.
Where We Help
We build these requirements into candidate preparation in India, so that each worker arrives with the documents your facility needs. See our pages on care assistants and childcare educators.
