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Visa for an internship
To find out whether you require a visa to enter Germany, see „Who needs a visa?“.
The residence permit from Switzerland and Liechtenstein L, B, or C entitles the holder to a tourist stay in the Schengen area for 90 days. An internship according to § 15 BeschV for up to 90 days per year is not considered employment within the meaning of the Residence Act and can be undertaken with the residence permit from Switzerland and Liechtenstein (§ 30 BeschV). If the internship exceeds 90 days, third-country nationals need to obtain a visa in advance.
Purpose and target group
- You are studying abroad at an accredited university or have successfully completed your studies no more than two years before applying for a visa. The university is considered accredited if it is positively listed with H+ or H+/- in the anabin information portal
- You are aiming for a degree that is comparable to a degree in Germany.
- You are aiming for a degree that is comparable to a degree in Germany.
- Sie haben bei Praktikumsbeginn bereits 4 Fachsemester oder mehr abgeschlossen.
- You can provide proof of an internship agreement with an institution in Germany.
- The internship corresponds to your studies.
- The institution undertakes in writing to pay your living and travel expenses that may be incurred at public institutions. This applies for up to six months after the end of the internship.
Does the Federal Employment Agency have to be involved?
Since an internship constitutes an employment relationship the pre approval of the Federal Employment Agency (ZAV) is also required for unpaid internships. Your internship provider in Germany must submit the application for the agreement to the ZAV Student Placement Service. Your employer can find the application form, information on the procedure and the necessary documents as well as the contact address of the ZAV in the information sheet for study related intership on the website of the Federal Employment Agency
What documents must be submitted during the application process?
To apply for a visa at the embassy, you will need the following documents in the original with one set of copies. Please sort the individual sets (original + one set of copies) in the order listed below.
Please do NOT staple the application documents!
A current biometric passport photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light-coloured background) according to the photo sample table of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The photo should not be older than three months.
Personally signed passport (original with one copy of the passport data page), with at least two completely empty pages and sufficient validity.
If you do not have your habitual residence in Switzerland, the German Embassy in Bern is not responsible for processing your application.
Internship contract and employer’s declaration
In case the internship is unpaid: Proof of financial means with one copy is required. Proof of these means can be a grant agreement, blocked account or a formal declaration by a third person in Germany.
Confirmation of agreement by the Federal Employment Agency is necessary for a mandatory internship.
Study-related internships require the agreement as per § 15 Nr. 6 BeschV of the Federal Employment Agency. The agreement needs to be applied for by the German hosting institution/ company in advance (guidance for the host is available here).
Detailled training program.
Your enrolment at the university.
Proof of health insurance for Germany. In line with EU standards (covering the entire Schengen area, minimum coverage of 30,000 €, valid from the day of entry for the duration of the internship.
Detailed curriculum vitae in German or English language.
Information sheet with check list to download
The German Embassy Bern reserve the right to ask for additional documents at any time during the processing of your application.
Postage expenses of 7 Swiss Francs
and
Visa fee of 75 Euro payable by cash in Swiss Francs or in Euro by Visa or MasterCard (information here).
Appointment booking
Please book an appointment here to submit your application. New appointments are regularly activated in the appointment system. Unfortunately, there are no additional appointments.
To submit your application, please appear in person at the visa section of the embassy (Willadingweg 78, 3006 Bern) at your pre-booked appointment. Please book one appointment per person. The visa office will accept your complete application documents and the fee and take your biometric data. It is not possible to submit an application without an appointment.
Processing time
In this visa category, most applications are typically processed within 2 weeks (calculated from the day you procided all documents).
During the application process
Please do not contact the mission abroad to check the status of your application during the normal processing period. Such inquiries are extremely time-consuming for the visa department and cannot be answered. We will contact you by email as soon as the decision has been made. In principle, all communication can only take place with the applicant themselves, a legal representative or an authorized person.
Decision about the application
You will be informed as soon as the embassy has decided on your application. Your passport is required for the visa to be issued.
Please check your visa label as soon as you have your passport with the visa in your hands. You should inform us immediately of any errors so that we can issue a new visa.