Mediation agreements
All important information about the placement agreements between the Federal Employment Agency and other countries.
Here you learn ...
what mediation agreements are
what mediation agreements exist
what the Triple Win program is
everything about the BA's placement monopoly in the nursing sector
Table of Content
1. What are mediation agreements?
2. With which countries do mediation agreements exist?
3. Triple Win Program (placement in nursing)
4. Placement monopoly of the Federal Employment Agency
5. Conclusion Mediation agreements
1. What are mediation agreements?
Placement agreements are bilateral agreements concluded by the Federal Employment Agency with third countries to facilitate the targeted recruitment of foreign skilled workers for the German labor market. In some cases, placement agreements also exist that allow the immigration of unskilled workers (e.g., for seasonal work). Placement agreements regulate the legal framework for labor migration and ensure a structured and transparent recruitment process. Particularly in sectors with an acute shortage of skilled workers, such as the healthcare sector, placement agreements enable the effective and legally secure integration of international workers.
Both employers and skilled workers benefit from these placement agreements: Companies receive regulated access to qualified employees, while foreign skilled workers can take up employment in Germany under fair conditions. Furthermore, these agreements ensure compliance with labor law standards and that migration takes place on a sustainable and cooperative basis. Ultimately, placement agreements are also a political tool, as the employment of foreign workers in Germany has bilateral negotiating value (e.g., in the return of asylum seekers from Georgia and Moldova).
2. With which countries do mediation agreements exist?
A response to a small question from the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag shows that the following mediation agreements currently exist:
Bosnia and Herzegovina (since 04/2013): Health and care professionals
Brazil (since 06/2022): Health and care professionals
India (since 12/2021 – 09/2026) (Kerala only): Health and nursing professionals
Indonesia (since 07/2021): Health and care professionals
Jordan (since 05/2022): Health and care professionals
Philippines (since 03/2013): Health and nursing professionals
Tunisia (since 07/2013): Health and care professionals
Colombia (since 12/2021 – 12/2026): Electronics technician in industrial engineering, electronics technician in IT systems engineering, gardener; expanded to include health and care professionals,
Mechatronics engineer, metalworker; expanded to include educator
Morocco (from 07/2023 to 31.12.2024): Occupations in the construction and electrical sectors
Mexico (since December 2021): Health and nursing professionals, cooks, hotel/restaurant professionals
In addition to these placement agreements, additional intergovernmental agreements exist with Georgia and Moldova. To meet labor demand in agriculture, individuals from Georgia and Moldova can be employed in accordance with Section 15a, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, Number 1 of the Employment Ordinance .
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3. Triple Win Program (placement in nursing)
The shortage of skilled workers in the German nursing sector poses a major challenge. The Triple Win Program offers a sustainable solution by placing nursing professionals from third countries in Germany. Since 2013, the program has enabled the recruitment of already trained professionals from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Philippines, Tunisia, Indonesia, India (Kerala), and Jordan, who undergo recognition training here. Since 2019, the program has been expanded to include young Vietnamese professionals for a three-year generalist nursing training program in Germany. The goal is to prepare qualified nurses linguistically and professionally for the job market and thus contribute to securing long-term care provision.
The program is supported by the International Placement Agency (ZAV) of the Federal Employment Agency (BA) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). Both organizations guarantee a transparent and secure placement process that guarantees high quality standards. Placement agreements with the employment administrations of the partner countries ensure that only nurses from countries with a surplus of skilled workers are recruited, thus avoiding a nursing shortage in the countries of origin. Furthermore, binding minimum salaries and training allowances ensure that the placed nurses are fairly paid and subject to the same rights and obligations as German skilled workers.
Triple Win not only offers German employers a long-term solution to the nursing staff shortage, but also creates new career prospects for international professionals . Employers benefit from nurses who are linguistically and professionally well-prepared, while migrants can build a sustainable future in Germany through a fair process. The program supports nurses from the visa application process to integration into the work environment, ensuring successful integration. Triple Win thus makes an important contribution to the stable and sustainable recruitment of skilled workers in the German nursing sector.
4. Placement monopoly of the Federal Employment Agency
The Federal Employment Agency has a placement monopoly in the nursing sector. According to Section 38 of the Employment Regulations (BeschV) , recruitment in certain countries or job placement from certain countries for employment in health and nursing professions may only be carried out by the Federal Employment Agency . The monopoly list currently includes 55 countries (see appendix to Section 38 of the Employment Regulations). The placement ban primarily affects African countries and is intended to protect the nursing labor market there. A violation of the Federal Employment Agency's placement ban in the nursing sector constitutes an administrative offense under Section 39 of the Employment Regulations (BeschV), which can result in a fine.
Summary of this Page
Placement agreements are a key tool in German labor migration, allowing for the targeted and legally secure recruitment of qualified professionals from third countries for the German labor market. Especially in the nursing sector, programs like Triple Win make a significant contribution to securing skilled workers and guarantee fair working conditions and high quality standards. Both German employers and international skilled workers benefit from these bilateral agreements, while also ensuring that the countries of origin do not suffer a shortage of skilled workers.
