The Best Countries To Work as a Healthcare Provider

Updated on May 30, 2021

Healthcare is a universal language. No matter where you live, and regardless of the local language or culture, everybody ultimately needs healthcare at some stage in their lives. If you have healthcare qualifications or you’re an experienced healthcare provider, your skills are both transferable and exportable. Subject to international travel clearance, you can work wherever you’re needed. It might not feel like it sometimes, but that gives you an enormous amount of control over your career. 

You spent time and money honing your skills. It’s only fair that you’re adequately rewarded for them throughout your career. That might mean moving abroad. Pay and conditions for health workers vary dramatically from country to country, and it might be the case that you’d be far better rewarded elsewhere than you are at home. If you have an adventurous spirit and you’re not afraid of leaving your homeland behind, there are opportunities out there for ambitious people like you. 

Based on all the information available to us as we head into June 2021, these are the best countries in the world to work in healthcare right now. If you have itchy feet and you’re considering a change, give them some thought!

The United Kingdom

The UK’s National Health Service is the envy of the world, guaranteeing both essential and non-essential treatment to all of the country’s citizens free of charge. Medical insurance is not required. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are. The NHS is a behemoth of an organisation and constantly needs more staff. Right now, for example, the country desperately needs more than forty thousand more nurses. Current projections suggest that a further 250,000 more healthcare professionals will be required by the end of the decade. That means you’re needed, and when you’re needed, you have the luxury of setting your own terms. While NHS pay packages can be generous if you have the right skills, there’s even more money to be made in the private sector. Not having to learn a new language is a big bonus, too. 

New Zealand

New Zealand is a small island nation off the coast of Australia. It’s also one of the most beautiful countries in the world, as evidenced by the fact that it was chosen as a filming location for both “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings.” Perhaps the only thing better than New Zealand’s natural beauty is the conditions it offers to professional healthcare workers. There’s a skills shortage at the moment, and although there aren’t thousands of posts, they’re willing to pay big money for the right individuals. That could be you. The government is currently hiring 400 specialists per year, with an additional need for a further 25,000 nurses by the end of the decade. 

Israel

It’s not always easy to get a visa to work in Israel as a foreign national, but they make exceptions when it comes to healthcare. Nurses are in especially high demand at the moment, and there’s a particular focus on recruiting nurses and doctors who speak English as a first language. You’ll have to take and pass an Israeli medical licensing exam, but that shouldn’t be an issue so long as your domestic knowledge and qualifications are up to date. Israel offers the highest salary package in the world to nurses, so this is an especially attractive option if nursing is your field of expertise. The cost of living can be fairly high, but your income will be far more than equal to it. 

Canada

This is the easiest move to make for an American healthcare worker – and perhaps also the most rewarding so long as you don’t mind the colder weather! Canada is actively hiring just about every kind of medical professional at the time of writing. There’s a pressing need for doctors, nurses, surgeons, and healthcare assistants. If urgent action isn’t taken this year, their medical workforce will be sixty thousand short by the end of 2022. That can’t be allowed to happen, and so the country will welcome you with open arms if you want to make a move. Canada is a very friendly country, and it’s a fine place to spend your spare time skiing!

Denmark

If the idea of moving to Europe attracts you, you could do a lot worse than choose Denmark. Copenhagen is frequently voted the friendliest city in the world, and this is a land of myths and legends! It’s a great place to come if you’re into Vikings, with plenty of museums, historical sites, and spectacular scenery. Most of us are interested in Vikings to a greater or lesser degree, whether it’s because we watched the popular HBO series or because we’ve played the casino games  “Vikings Go Wild” at UK casino websites. Back on the topic of healthcare, landing yourself a job in the healthcare industry in Denmark probably would feel a lot like winning the jackpot on that aforementioned online game. There’s a plan in place to recruit one thousand nurses from overseas as a minimum, and primary healthcare workers are also in short supply. You don’t have to be an online casino expert like those who write all the reviews for casino sister sites to know the odds are in your favour based on that! 

Switzerland

If not Denmark, why not Switzerland? Even the country’s flag is a Red Cross, albeit with the colours inverted! The country is short of a little over ten thousand nurses at the moment, with most projections showing that the problem is likely to get worse within the next five years. Switzerland is known around the world for the high pay that it offers its key workers, and medical employees are among the most generously rewarded. That’s a winning combination. There is a drawback with this, though. As well as being fluent in English – which the Swiss see as a desirable skill – you also have to be fluent in at least one of Italian, German, or French. That’s great if you have that fluency already, not so much if you need to learn it. Still, learning a new language is never a bad thing, and the working conditions in Switzerland might make it a worthwhile use of your time. 

Don’t put up with a bad salary if you’re a healthcare professional. You really don’t have to. Take advantage of the world of work that’s available to you instead, and head abroad to a country that will truly value you! 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.