JAKARTA - Indonesia’s Ministry of Health of Indonesia and Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency have agreed to establish Migrant Career Centers across 38 health polytechnics (Poltekkes) to channel surplus healthcare graduates into overseas jobs.

The remarks were delivered in Jakarta on April 2 during the signing of a cooperation agreement at the Ministry of Health of Indonesia, where Vice Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono and Vice Migrant Worker Protection Minister Christina Aryani spoke on the initiative.

“The establishment of Migrant Career Centers at 38 Poltekkes (Health Polytechnics) will provide a comprehensive information ecosystem, including financing schemes, to strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesian migrant workers in the international market,” said Deputy Minister Christina.

According to the ministry, Indonesia has filled only about 20% of the rising global demand of healthcare workers, partly due to gaps in language skills, cultural readiness, and structured deployment pathways.

The country’s health polytechnics turn out more than 42,000 graduates each year, with the country on track for a surplus of 50,000 nurses by 2029, but only a small share—around 10%—currently find work abroad.

As of 2026, Jakarta has signed government-to-government (G-to-G) placement deals to several key countries, including Japan and Germany. 

The Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA), which was effective starting July 2008, dispatches nurses and caregivers to Japan. The Indonesia-Germany ‘Triple Win’ Program, which started back in 2021, has placed 329 Indonesian nurses in Germany as of mid 2025. First deployments hit in 2023, with batches ramping up through ongoing JCM meetings into 2026.

“So far, many of our graduates have shown great potential, but they haven't had a clear path to study abroad. With this collaboration, we want to ensure that the path is available, clear, and safe,” said Dr. Yuli Farianti, director general of health human resources at Indonesia’s Ministry of Health.