Visa and Residence
As a citizen of a Member State of the European Union (EU) or an EFTA Member State (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland), you have freedom of movement and can enter Germany and reside here for up to 3 months without a visa or residence permit. All that is required for entry is a valid passport or national identity card. You can stay for more than 3 months, if you have a job, if you are self-employed or if you have enough money to support yourself in Germany. There are no limits to your access to employment and self-employment in Germany. Your spouse and children can also live and work in Germany without restrictions.
If you are a national of a country outside the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), you must apply for a visa at a German diplomatic mission (visa offices of the Embassies and Consulates General) in your home country before entering Germany. You can only work in Germany, if you possess a residence title specifically for this purpose. Generally, you must apply for a visa before your arrival in Germany. For information on visa requirements and application forms, please refer to the portal of the Federal Foreign Office.
For your entry to Germany, you will obtain a national visa for long-term stays (Schengen visa are only for short-term stays).
After you have entered the country, while your visa is still valid, you must apply for your residence permit at the competent immigration authority (i.e. where you live). Initially you will receive a temporal residence permit (“Aufenthaltserlaubnis”). Important: Please always apply in time for the extension of your residence permit. After a certain period of residing in Germany (in most cases after 5 years), provided that you fulfil the requirements, you may obtain a permanent residence permit (“Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt”) or a permanent settlement permit (“Niederlassungserlaubnis”). Here you can find the addresses of the Foreigners’ Authority in your area: https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/en/
For further information, please check the portal Make it in Germany: https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/visa-residence
Would you like to work or pursue vocational training in Germany? Here is some information on the types of visas and residence permits you may apply for, depending on the purpose of your stay:
Germany actively seeks international skilled personnel. Therefore, there are different possibilities for professionals from third countries to live and work in Germany. There are specific residence permits for work purposes:
Have you completed higher education or qualified vocational training outside Germany? Then you can apply for a residence permit in accordance with Sections 18a and 18b AufenthG (German Residence Act). This permit allows you to seek employment in Germany as a qualified professional.
You can apply for a residence permit in accordance with Section 19c AufenthG (German Residence Act) combined with Section 6 of the Employment Ordinance (Beschäftigungsverordnung), if you meet the following criteria:
- You possess a vocational (non-academic) qualification of at least 2 years, which is recognized in your country of origin AND
- You have at least 2 years of work experience in your profession AND
- You are employed for a qualified job in Germany.
If you have completed higher education, you are considered an academic professional. You are required to find a qualified job in Germany in order to obtain a visa and a residence permit for work purposes. You may take a job that requires an academic qualification or a lower qualification level (at least vocational training). If you intent to work in a regulated profession, i.e. nursing or other health professions, you will have to apply for recognition of your qualification. However, this is not necessary for activities that do not require a professional practice permit (most craft trade occupations and occupations in the field of industry and commerce). Generally, your employment conditions (salary, working hours etc.) must be equivalent to those of domestic employees. You must earn enough income to support yourself in Germany. If your salary is above the income level required for the Blue Card, you will obtain a Blue Card. If your salary is below this level, you will obtain a residence permit for academic professionals.
If you possess a vocational (non-academic) qualification and a job for qualified employment, you are also eligible to apply for a residence permit. In order to obtain a residence permit in accordance with Sections 18a AufenthG (German Residence Act) to work in your specific profession, you will always first need to have your qualification recognized. This also applies for non-regulated professions, i.e. professions that do not require a professional practice permit.
However, there has been an important change in migration rules:
You can apply for a residence permit in accordance with Section 19c AufenthG (German Residence Act) combined with Section 6 of the Employment Ordinance (Beschäftigungsverordnung), if you meet the following criteria:
- You possess a vocational (non-academic) qualification of at least 2 years, which is recognized in your country of origin AND
- You have at least 2 years of work experience in your profession AND
- You are employed for a qualified job in Germany
Under these conditions, you do not need a formal recognition of your professional qualification. You only need a statement by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB), which certifies that you possess a state recognized qualification of at least 2 years - a statement for non-academic vocational qualifications.
In any case, you must have received a job offer from an employer in Germany, which should require at least vocational training. It is essential to ensure that the job for which you are being hired requires a professional qualification (at least at the level of vocational training). Your employment conditions (salary, working hours etc.) must be equivalent to those of domestic employees. You must earn a sufficient income to support yourself financially in Germany.
Do you possess a vocational qualification as a nursing assistant? Since March 2024, under certain conditions, you can apply for a residence permit based on your qualification. Employment as a nursing assistant is regulated, which means that you first need to have your qualification recognized. Please ask the Welcome Center Sozialwirtschaft for advice!
Have you submitted an application for the recognition of your professional qualifications? Did the competent authority determine that your professional title cannot be fully recognized due to missing qualifications? In the process of recognition, you may be required to attend a qualification program to compensate for the differences identified. In such cases, you are allowed to live and work in Germany to acquire the missing theoretical and/or practical skills. To do so, you will need a residence permit for the recognition of foreign qualifications in accordance with Section 16d AufenthG (German Residence Act). This permit allows you to pursue compensatory measures, such as training courses, preparatory courses, job-related German language classes in Germany or a technical training period in a company.
In general, the following requirements must be met:
- You have received an assessment notice from the competent authority, stating that your qualification cannot be fully recognized due to missing theoretical and/or pratical skills
- You have successfully registered for a qualification program, which allows you to compensate for the deficiencies identified by the competent authority
- You have German language skills at a minimum level of A2 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
- You must be able to cover your living expenses for the entire duration of your stay
Learn more about the visa requirements:
Once your qualification is recognized, you will obtain a residence permit for skilled professionals.
For more information on the recognition of professional qualifications, please visit the following website: https://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/en/index.php
Please ask for advice! For counseling on professional recognition, you may contact the following advisory offices: https://liga-bw.de/anerkennungsberatung-baden-wuerttemberg/
Would you like to pursue vocational training in Germany? To do so, you will need a residence permit for training, in accordance with Section 16a AufenthG (German Residence Act). Generally, you will need to fulfil the following requirements:
- You have been accepted to a company-based or school-based training position in Germany
- You have good knowledge of the German language (at least at the level of B1 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for the visa and of B2 for the vocational school)
- You must be able to cover your living expenses for the entire duration of your stay
Learn more about the visa requirements:
Your family members (spouses and children below the age of 18) may be eligible to obtain a residence permit, if they meet the following requirements:
- You possess a visa for work or training purposes or a residence permit
- Your living space is sufficient to accommodate your family members
- You have enough financial resources to support yourself and your family members. In the case of children, you may be entitled to receive child allowance and sometimes additional supplements
- Your spouse has a basic knowledge of the German language
Children and young people at the age of 16 or 17 obtain a residence permit only if they move to Germany together with their parents or if they have German language skills at the level of C1. Children above this age cannot obtain a residence permit for family reasons.
If your spouse or children obtain a residence permit for family reasons, they will also have access to the German labor market.
There are different ways to obtain a residence permit for work purposes. For further information, please click here:
- Familiarize yourself with the different requirements for the various visas that allow you to stay in Germany. You can do this by contacting the German embassy or consulate in your country of residence.
- Carefully read the information sheets provided by the German embassy or consulate, as they contain important details about visa requirements.
- Submit your visa application to your local German embassy or consulate in your country of residence. To do so, you need to make an appointment.
- Gather all the necessary documents for your visa application. Depending on the visa type, you may need to provide proof of a job offer by a German employer, work certificates, and a German language certificate.
- The German embassy will check your application.
- In most cases, the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) needs to approve your employment request before the visa is granted.
Applying for a visa may take several months. However, there are ways to accelerate the procedure. Your future employer may enter into contact with the German Federal Employment Agency (BA). He or she is required to present the job announcement, a declaration regarding the employment relationship and information about the qualifications of potential applicants. If all requirements are fulfilled, the German Federal Employment Agency will approve your request for employment.
With the so-called fast-track procedure for skilled workers according to Section 81a AufenthG (German Residence Act) your future employer may present an application for your entry and stay in Germany. However, please note that this procedure is not always faster. For more information regarding these options specific to your case, please contact us for individual counseling.
Do you have any questions? Please do not hesitate to contact the team of the Welcome Center Sozialwirtschaft. We will be glad to get back to you.