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Visa for skilled workers with vocational training or academic degree
General information
As a skilled worker with vocational training qualification, you can be issued with a residence permit to engage in skilled employment that your qualification enables you to perform. Please not that some university degrees from foreign universities are classified as vocational training qualifications in Germany.
As a skilled worker with an academic qualification recognised in Germany, you can be issued with a residence permit to engage in skilled employment that your qualification enables you to perform.
Online Application
The online application is possible through the Consular Services Portal . After you have uploaded your documents, your application will be checked for completeness. Communication regarding any additional information required will be conducted directly through the Consular Services Portal.
At your appointment, you will need to present all original documents and your biometric photos.
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.
Employer’s declaration to be completed by your employer in Germany.
Work contract and job description.
Original German university degree or recognized foreign university degree and printouts from Anabin data base - the qualification and academic institution need to be listed as equivalent or comparable and the university need to be rated with H+
or
Statement of comparability for foreign higher education qualifications, issued by the central office for foreign education (ZAB)
and if requested
Permission to exercise a profession issued by the authority responsible for recognising qualifications or assurance of permission to exercise a profession (for example, for medical professions). More Information on recognition: www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de
Notification of recognition of foreign vocational training: written notification of the agency responsible for recognition of vocations in Germany or (in the case of regulated professions in which permission is required to exercise the profession, for example, in the care sector; complete list is available from the Federal Employment Agency or the European Commission)
and if requested
Permission to exercise a profession issued by the authority responsible for recognising qualifications or assurance of permission to exercise a profession (for example, for medical professions). More Information on recognition: www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de
Detailed curriculum vitae in German or English language.
Information sheet with checklist to download (akademic degree)
Information sheet with check list to download (vocational training)
Information section 82 (1) residence act
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
You will receive the link to book an appointment once all documents have been reviewed in the Consular Services Portal.
Processing time
In this visa category, most applications are typically processed within 3-5 weeks (calculated from the day you procided all documents).
In the visa process, the interest in entering the country must be carefully weighed against the security interests of the Federal Republic of Germany. For visa applications for study and research stays and similar employment, special attention must be paid to ensuring that the knowledge acquired in Germany cannot be misused for purposes that could impair or threaten the peaceful coexistence of nations and/or public order, security, or health in Germany. This may, in individual cases, lead to a longer processing time for the visa application. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to apply for the visa early.
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.