Spain’s health system sees surge in nurse departures to abroad

In 2025, 1,356 Spanish nurses and nursing assistants requested a certificate of good conduct – a document required to work in foreign countries – marking an almost 20% increase over the 1,134 applications recorded in 2024.

The Council of General Nursing (CGE) reports that the outflow is accelerating, with Catalonia leading the trend (271 requests), followed by Madrid (225) and the Valencian Community (217). Galicia alone contributed 45 applications.

CGE president Florentino Pérez Raya warned that “we are at a critical moment for the National Health System,” blaming temporary contracts, job instability and heavy workloads for driving newly qualified nurses abroad. He noted strong demand from countries such as Norway, the United States, Switzerland and Ireland, and urged the Ministry of Health and regional governments to offer stable, permanent contracts and proper professional recognition to retain talent.