Germany Work Visa

Foreign nationals that wants to live and work in Germany must first apply for a Germany work visa at the German mission in their home country. Germany is one of the top destinations for foreign workers due to its strong economy, robust infrastructures, high quality of life, and welcoming attitude towards foreign workers.

In this article, we’ll be discussing about the various types of German work visa and their requirements so feel free to ask questions on areas you don’t understand using the comment section.

What is a German Work Visa?

A German work visa (National D Visa) is a legal document that allows foreign nationals that wants to live and work in Germany to travel to the German Port of Entry (airport, seaport, and land) to request admission into Germany for the purpose of working.

The German work visa has a validity period of 1 year so it is important for foreign workers to apply for a resident title immediately they arrive Germany.

You can also read our article on: Canada Work Permit

Who needs a Germany Work Visa?

Foreign nationals who are not citizens of European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland with a valid job offer from a German employer must first apply for a German work visa in order to live and work in Germany.

German Work Visa Exempt Countries

Citizens from EU and EEA member states, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, United States and United Kingdom do not need to apply for a Germany work visa before travelling to Germany to live and work.

What is a Resident Title?

A German resident title is a legal document that is issued to a foreign employee upon his or her arrival to Germany. This document replaced the previous work permit and is valid for a maximum period of 4 years.

This document gives a foreign employee the right to live and work in Germany for up to 4 years and it can be extended if the reason for the initial resident title still exist and the applicant continues to meet all the requirements.

General Requirements for a German Work Visa

Below you will find the general requirements for a German work visa;

Job offer from a German employer: You must first secure a job from a German employer to be eligible for a German work visa.

Educational requirement: You must have the relevant educational qualification for the job offer that you got from a German employer.

Financial requirement: You must have the financial capacity to take care of yourself during your stay in Germany.

German language requirement: Depending on the type of job you will be doing, you must prove your knowledge of German language at least on level A1 or A2.

Types of German Work Visa

Germany has over 5 types of work visas. These visas serves different purposes so it’s important to have a basic understanding of each of these visas so you can know the type that best suites your needs.

Qualified Employment (Skilled Workers)

The German government issues this type of work visa to foreign skilled workers with university degree or vocational training qualification.

Requirements

Job Offer: You must have a job offer in a qualified position from a German employer. The job offer must be for a position that requires a university degree or vocational training qualification and your job do not necessarily have to be related to your qualification.

Educational qualification: Your qualification must be recognized in Germany or equivalent to its German counterpart.

License: If your job is in a regulated profession like health, you must get a license to be able to practice.

If you are 45 years and above and traveling to Germany to work for the first time, your German employer must pay you an annual gross salary of 53,130 euro. If your annual gross salary is less than 53,130 euro, you must have an adequate pension provision.

EU Blue Card

The German government issues this type of work visa to highly skilled foreign workers with university degree or vocational training qualification.

Requirements

University degree : You must have a German university degree or a university degree from a foreign country that is comparable to the German counterpart.

Tertiary level qualification: If you don’t have a traditional university degree, then you must have a tertiary level qualification that took at least 3 years to complete.

Job offer: You must have a job offer that pays at least an annual gross salary of 48,300 euro.
- Your job offer must be for at least 6 months.
- Your job position must match your qualification.

License: If your job is in a regulated profession, you must obtain a license to practice.

Professional Experienced Worker

This type of work visa is issued to foreigners with university degree or vocational training qualification and an extensive work experience.

Requirements

University degree: You must have a university degree from a German institution or a degree from a foreign university that is recognized in Germany.

Vocational training qualification: If you have a vocational training qualification, you must have undergone 2 years of training to obtain it.

Work experience: You must have at least 2 years work experience in the last 5 years.

Job offer: You must have a job offer that pays an annual gross salary of 43,470 euro.

You job offer must be in a non-regulated profession that doesn’t require license to practice.

If you are 45 years and above, then your German employer must pay you an annual gross salary of 53,130 euro or you must have an adequate pension provision.

Self Employment and Freelance

This type of German work visa is issued to foreign nationals that want to travel to Germany to set up a business or conduct an independent freelance jobs.

Requirements

If you want to travel to Germany to set up a business, then;
- Your business must have an economic interest in Germany and their must be a demand for the product and services that you intend offering.
- Your business must have a positive impact on the German economy.
- You must set up your business in Germany with your own money or a loan.
- If you are 45 years and above, you must have adequate pension provision in place.

If you want to travel to Germany for freelance jobs, then;
- Their must be a high demand for the freelance services that you are offering.
- Their must be an economic interest in the services that you are offering.
- You must have enough funds to sponsor your projects.
- If your are 45 years and above, you must have sufficient retirement savings.

Researcher

This is the type of German work visa that the German government gives to foreign nationals that want to travel to Germany to conduct a research. If you want to travel to Germany for research purpose, we have listed below the requirements.

Requirements

You must have a hosting agreement or a work contract with a research institute in Germany

The research institute must be willing the cover your cost of travel and living.

What is the function of Federal Employment Agency (BA)?

The Federal Employment Agency is a German government agency set up to evaluate the merit of every German work visa application.

They evaluate each work visa application to ensure that the job meets the required salary and working condition. The Federal Employment Agency (BA) also ensures that their are no available German, EU or EEA citizen available or willing to take up the position.

They also ensure that if the job must be given to a foreigner, it doesn’t have a negative impact on local workers. Every work visa application must first be approved by the Federal Employment Agency (BA) before the consulate that is processing the visa can go on with the rest of the application process.

You can also read our article on: Australia Student Visa

German Work Visa application process

The German work visa application process is not stressful if you have the required information. Below is a break down of the application process of a German work visa;

Online application

Create an online account: The first step of applying for a German work visa online is to first create an account by visiting the Consular Services Portal of the German Federal Foreign Office using your phone number and email address.

Complete the online application: After creating an online account, kindly proceed with the visa application by completing the online application form.

Gather and upload the required documents: After filling out the online application form, you have to gather all the documents listed on the document check list in an accepted electronic format. After gathering all the document, kindly upload them.

Submit your application: After uploading the required documents, submit your application and wait for a submission confirmation email.

Book a visa appointment: After submitting your work visa application, proceed by booking an appointment at the German consulate in your home country.

Attend your visa appointment: When you attend your visa appointment, you will make the necessary visa payment and also submit your biometric (fingerprints and photo).

Offline application

If you are unable to submit your work visa application online, below are the step by step breakdown of how you can submit your application in person at the German embassy in your home country.

Complete the application Form: Complete the application form online through the VIDEX platform or download the application form as PDF file.

Book an appointment: After filling your application, proceed by booking an appointment at the German consulate in your home country.

Gather the required documents: While waiting for your visa appointment date, gather and arrange all the required documents on the document check list in a file.

Attend your visa appointment: On your visa appointment date, you will submit your work visa application in person and pay all the required fees. You will also submit your biometric on that day.

Is biometric submission mandatory for a German work visa?

Yes biometric submission is an important part of a German work visa application. If you fail to submit your biometric, your work visa application will be denied.

Kindly note that if you have submitted your biometric within the last 5 years, you don’t need to submit a new biometric as German visa biometric is valid for 5 years.

What is the Cost of a German Work Visa?

The cost of a German work visa is 75 euro per applicant.

What do I need to do after moving to Germany?

After your work visa application is approved and you move to Germany, you have to;

Register your residents within your first 2 weeks in Germany at the local residents registration office. You will be issued a resident certificate which you will use to apply for resident title.

Apply for a resident title/permit which will enable you to live, work and open a bank account in Germany

Apply for a health insurance through your employer

What is the validity period of a German work visa?

The German work visa is only valid for 1 year. You are expected to apply for a resident title as soon as you arrive Germany which can be valid for up to 4 years. If your work contract is not up to 4 years, you will be issued a resident permit that will be valid for the duration of your contract.

How can I apply for Permanent Residency in Germany?

Applying for permanent residence in Germany has various requirements like the number of years that you have lived and worked in Germany, knowledge of German language, and your integration into the German society and system.

Below you will find a break down of the requirements depending on the type of German work visa that you intend applying for.

Qualified Employment (Skilled Workers)

If you are under this work visa category, then you have to meet the following requirements below to be able to apply for permanent residence in Germany;

You have to live and work in Germany for at least 3 years

You have to contribute to pension insurance for at least 3 years

You must have a knowledge of the German language at level B1

You must have a knowledge of the German law, culture and society.

EU Blue Card

If you an EU Blue Card holder, you must meet the following requirements below to to able to apply for permanent residence in Germany;

You have to live and work in Germany for at least 21 to 27 months

You must have a good knowledge of German language at level B1

You can also read our article on: UK Graduate Visa

Self Employed and Business Owners

If you are a business owner in Germany, you must meet the following requirements below to be able to apply for permanent residence in Germany;

You must live in Germany for at least 3 years

Your business must be successful

You business must create a full time employment for at least 10 German citizens or permanent residents.

How can I apply for German Citizenship (Naturalization)?

You can apply for German citizenship if you meet the following requirements below;

You have lived in Germany for at least 5 years.

You have the financial capacity to support yourself without relying on the German government.

You have good knowledge of German language at level B1

You do not have any criminal record.

You abide to the German law and principles.

You have good knowledge of the German law, culture and values.

Here at Schmick Travel, we have expert consultants with many years of experience. If you want us to assist you with your German work visa application process, kindly get in touch with us and one of our expert consultant will be happy to assist you.