Germany Recruits Indonesian Nurses to Handle Aging Population

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The German Ambassador to Indonesia, Ralf Beste, said that Germany has partnered with Indonesia to hire nurses to handle the growing aging population in Germany. He made this statement during a visit to the Radio Republik Indonesia office in Jakarta on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

Beste said Germany greatly values the hospitality, skills, and dedication of Indonesian workers. The country is also eager to welcome the many young Indonesians who are interested in working there.

“We cherish the friendliness, the skill, the dedication of Indonesian workers. We have good experience with that and we know there are very many young Indonesians who would like to work in our country. And so we try to join forces in that regard,” he stated.

The Ambassador noted that only a few hundred nurses have been sent so far, as this cooperation is still relatively new. However, he remains very optimistic that the number of nurses will continue to increase to meet his country's significant needs.

Beste explained, “It's been starting, so we have not so many results, but a few hundreds. Maybe we can scale it up so that it goes into the thousands. Because Germany is an aging population, we have more and more people who need to be helped when they get elderly. So, there's a growing market and there's something that we are happy to look to Indonesia for help.”

Ambassador Beste said that Germany also facilitates training for nurse candidates while they are still in Indonesia. This initiative allows them to learn about the medical system and gradually master the German language until they are ready to start work.

Previously, German President Steinmeier and Indonesian President Prabowo signed a Global Skills Partnership agreement in the form of a Letter of Intent on June 15. This high-level cooperation reflects both countries’ commitment to ensuring that the entire process of placing Indonesian nurses in Germany proceeds through official, ethical, and structured procedures.