What do I have to do to be able to work in Germany?

Five steps to Germany: Information on job search, visa, relocation, settling in and family can be found on Make it in Germany.

General information on the topic of „Living and working in Germany“ and related issues such as the recognition of qualifications, employment opportunities and social security can be found on the website of the Federal Employment Agency and on the EURES portal (European Employment Services).

What requirements must I fulfill as a skilled worker?

You can find an overview of the requirements here.

Does my foreign professional/university qualification have to be recognised in Germany?

Depending on your country of origin and professional field, your professional qualification may need to be recognised. You can find more detailed information on this at anerkennung-in-deutschland.de. Interested skilled workers should find out about this at an early stage.

FAQ

Here you will find answers to your questions about the immigration of skilled workers and taking up employment in Germany.

How do I apply for a visa?

Which visa you can apply for depends on your professional qualifications and the work you wish to do in Germany.

Online Application

via the Consular Service Portal in the following categories:

• Opportunity Card Information sheet with check list
• Blue Card (EU) Information sheet with check list information
• Taking up employment as an academic Information sheet with check list information
• Taking up employment as a skilled worker with professional training Information sheet with check list information
• Taking up employment with work experience Information sheet with check list information

The online portal guides you step by step through the documents required for your specific purpose of stay. Your documents will be checked for completeness as part of the online process, ensuring that you are fully prepared for your appointment at the foreign mission.

After the successful pre-check, you will receive a link to book an appointment. During the appointment, you may need to present any necessary original documents, provide your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph), and pay the fee

Processing time

In this visa category, most applications are typically processed within 2-5 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.