University studies (long-term)
National (long-stay) visa for full-time studies at a German university under § 16b of the Residence Act, including the preparatory study path (Studienkolleg / preparatory language course) and the study-application path. Approval depends on a university admission decision, sufficient financing (at least 992 EUR/month, or 1091 EUR/month for study applicants, proven a year in advance), and — depending on the application track — an APS certificate.
Vocational training (dual apprenticeship)
National (long-stay) visa for dual-system vocational training in Germany under § 16a of the Residence Act. Requires a training contract with a German training employer, a vocational-school place, German at CEFR B1 (or a pre-training language course), and secured living costs of at least 990 EUR gross per month.
Skilled workers with academic education
National (long-stay) visa for taking up qualified employment in Germany with a recognised academic degree (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 18b of the Residence Act; EU Blue Card under § 18g where the salary thresholds are met). Requires a concrete job offer for a qualified position and a degree that is recognised in Germany (or comparable to a German academic degree).
Scientists and researchers
National (long-stay) visa for taking up research activity in Germany (residence title for research purposes under § 18d of the Residence Act). Requires a hosting agreement (Aufnahmevereinbarung) — or equivalent contract — with a German research institution or university, a doctoral degree or a degree giving access to doctoral programmes, secured livelihood of at least 1,091 EUR per month (when no employment relationship is established; with employment, at least the statutory minimum wage), and medical insurance for entry.
IT specialists
National (long-stay) visa for IT specialists without an academic degree (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 19c Abs. 2 of the Residence Act). Requires a concrete job offer, sufficient relevant professional experience, and a gross salary of at least the statutory minimum wage. Where the salary thresholds are met, the EU Blue Card under § 18g applies (IT-specialist threshold: 41,041.80 EUR/year, 2024).
Skilled workers with vocational training
National (long-stay) visa for taking up qualified employment in Germany with a recognised vocational qualification (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 18a of the Residence Act). Requires a concrete job offer for a qualified position and an Anerkennungsbescheid (formal recognition decision) from the responsible body in Germany for your foreign vocational qualification. Where only partial recognition is granted, the Recognition-of-Foreign-Qualifications visa should be pursued instead.
Recognition of foreign professional qualification
National (long-stay) visa for taking up an adaptation measure or knowledge test in Germany to recognise a vocational qualification obtained abroad (residence title under § 16d of the Residence Act) — or for entry to take up employment after full recognition has been granted. Different documents apply to the two paths: with a partial-recognition decision, evidence of the adaptation measure and of livelihood is required; with full recognition, the recognition certificate and an employment contract are required. Both paths require German skills at CEFR A2 minimum.
Accompanying family members
National (long-stay) visa for family members joining or accompanying the holder of a German residence title (e.g. skilled worker, student, researcher) in Germany (family reunification under § 29 of the Residence Act). Requires legalised proof of the family relationship (marriage certificate for spouses or registered partners, birth certificate for children) and — for minor children travelling with only one parent — additional custody-proof documents.
Short-term quota-allocated employment
National (long-stay) visa for short-term quota-allocated employment in Germany (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 19c Abs. 3 of the Residence Act, in conjunction with the Beschäftigungsverordnung). You enter for a time-limited activity (often combined with a qualification measure) and return to Vietnam afterwards. Requires a Vorabzustimmung from the Federal Employment Agency or the responsible foreigners-authority, a concrete job offer, and proof of your family and economic ties to Vietnam.
Voluntary service
National (long-stay) visa for participation in a voluntary service in Germany (residence title under § 19e of the Residence Act). Covers the Federal Volunteer Service (Bundesfreiwilligendienst — BFD), the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ), the Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ), and other recognised voluntary services. Requires a contract with the placement organisation or sponsor, secured livelihood of at least 752 EUR per month (pocket money plus where applicable in-kind benefits like free accommodation and meals), and typically German skills at CEFR A1.
Professional drivers
National (long-stay) visa for taking up activity as a professional driver in Germany (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 19c of the Residence Act, in conjunction with the Beschäftigungsverordnung). Entry first takes place for the qualification measure in Germany (obtaining the required CE driving licence and the basic qualification for commercial freight transport); subsequently you take up the actual professional-driver employment. Requires a job offer, an existing driving licence (in original), two declarations of the employment relationship (one for the qualification measure including supplementary form C, one for the subsequent employment), and medical insurance.
Specialty cooks
National (long-stay) visa for taking up employment as a specialty cook in a Vietnamese specialty restaurant in Germany (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 19c paragraph 1 of the Residence Act, in conjunction with the Beschäftigungsverordnung). Requires at least two years of cook training at a vocational school in Vietnam (no online training), at least two years of practical experience as a cook at qualified businesses in Vietnam (kitchen-help-level activity is not sufficient), a concrete job offer from a Vietnamese specialty restaurant in Germany with a declaration of the employment relationship, and the full menu of that restaurant.
Intra-corporate transfer of employees (ICT card)
National (long-stay) visa (ICT card) for employees transferred within their company (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 19 of the Residence Act, implementing EU Directive 2014/66/EU). The ICT card enables transfer as an executive, specialist, or trainee from a third-country company to a German branch of the same company or corporate group. Requirements: an employment contract with the sending branch in the third country signed at least six months before the transfer and continuously valid until the end of the transfer; a return clause to the sending branch; proof of qualification matching the role; and, if not already covered by the contract, a separate assignment letter.
Recognition partnership
National (long-stay) visa for entering Germany in order to complete the recognition procedure for a foreign vocational or academic qualification (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 16d of the Residence Act, in the recognition-partnership variant). Unlike entry after completed recognition, here the recognition is applied for after entry. Requirements: a vocational or academic qualification; a ZAB notice confirming state recognition; a written agreement with your employer to complete the recognition procedure (with deficits remediated within max. 3 years); an Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (with supplementary form A); and German language skills at A2 level minimum.
Jobseeker visa for recognised skilled workers (Chancenkarte)
National (long-stay) visa for jobseeking by persons whose foreign qualification is already recognised in Germany (residence title for jobseeking under the Chancenkarte provisions of the Residence Act, introduced by the 2024 Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz reform). The Chancenkarte allows entry to Germany to look for employment or vocational training, provided you have either an academic qualification with an ANABIN entry of 'H+' for both your degree and the university, or a vocational qualification with a formal recognition decision (Anerkennungsbescheid) from the competent body in Germany. During the stay, light trial employment as well as part-time employment in the qualified field is generally permitted; the main purpose of the Chancenkarte remains jobseeking.
Vocational-training-place jobseeker (up to 25 years) and job seeker
National (long-stay) visa for entering Germany in order to look for a vocational-training place or employment (residence title for vocational-training-place or jobseeking under § 17 of the Residence Act for vocational-training-place jobseekers up to 25 years old, and under the general jobseeker provisions of the Residence Act for already-recognised skilled workers). Applicants qualify through one of three paths: with recognised academic qualification, with recognised vocational training, or as a vocational-training-place jobseeker under 25 with a university-entrance school qualification or a German-school-abroad diploma. Language skills at B1 level are generally required if you have recognised vocational training; for those with a recognised academic qualification language proof is not mandatory but increases the plausibility of the application.
Employment of practitioners (workers with substantial experience)
National (long-stay) visa for taking up employment as a practitioner — people with many years of relevant professional experience whose foreign vocational or academic qualification is NOT formally recognised in Germany (residence title for the purpose of employment under § 19c of the Residence Act, in the practical-experience pathway expanded by the 2024 Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz reform). The intended activity must constitute qualified employment. Requirements: a foreign academic or vocational qualification with a ZAB notice (or, in the special case of a German chamber of foreign trade, a certificate with a BIBB positive-evaluation note); employer references for prior practical activity; a social-insurance record from the home country; a concrete job offer in Germany with a declaration of the employment relationship; and medical insurance.
Jobseeker visa under the point system (Chancenkarte)
National (long-stay) visa for jobseeking or training-place seeking under the point system — the Chancenkarte for applicants whose foreign qualification is NOT (yet) formally recognised in Germany (residence title for jobseeking under § 20a of the Residence Act, introduced by the 2024 Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz reform). You meet the requirements if you reach a minimum number of points — points are earned in categories such as language skills, prior residency in Germany, professional experience, partial-recognition or deficit notice, and joint application as a couple. During the stay, light trial employment and part-time employment in your qualified field are generally permitted; the main purpose of the Chancenkarte remains jobseeking or training-place seeking.
Visa for self-employment
Visa for taking up self-employed gainful activity in Germany — as a founder, entrepreneur, or freelancer (legal basis § 21 of the Residence Act). Requirements: an economic interest in the activity, a positive effect on the German economy, and secured financing for the venture. These are assessed by the consular post in coordination with the responsible German authority on the basis of your business plan and the documents you submit.
Visa for an au-pair stay
An au-pair stay in a family in Germany lets young people learn the language and culture. If you are between 18 and 27 years old, you can apply for an au-pair visa for a stay in Germany of at least six and at most twelve months. The aim of an au-pair stay is to round out your language skills and broaden your general knowledge. During the stay you live with a family in which German is spoken in daily life, and you take care of at least one minor child. Legal basis is § 19c Abs. 1 of the Residence Act in conjunction with § 12 of the Employment Regulation (BeschV — Au-pair employment).
Visa for an intensive German-language course
If you wish to improve your German skills during a stay in Germany, this page has the information for the intensive language-course visa. A visa for an intensive language course can be granted for up to 12 months. An intensive course is one with at least 18 lessons per week — weekend or evening courses do NOT qualify. Legal basis is § 16f of the Residence Act. IMPORTANT — scope: if the language course serves as preparation for studies (e.g. as a condition in the admission letter), apply for a study visa. If it precedes vocational training, apply for the vocational-training visa. If it is part of an adjustment measure for the recognition of your vocational qualification, apply for the recognition-of-foreign-qualifications visa. If it serves as preparation for school attendance, apply for the school-attendance visa.
Visa for a study-related internship
Visa for a study-related internship in Germany — for foreign students whose internship is a substantive part or substantive complement of their studies. The Central Office for Foreign Employment (ZAV) at the Federal Employment Agency assesses the internship placement and issues a corresponding certificate. Legal basis is § 16e of the Residence Act.
Visa for school attendance
Under certain conditions, a visa for school attendance in Germany can be granted. A visa for the purpose of school attendance can be granted at the earliest from grade 9 onwards, if the parents bear the costs of school attendance. The school must be a general-education school with international orientation leading to the Abitur or a comparable qualification. The classes must be composed of students of various nationalities. The school is typically a boarding school (Internat) — meaning the school also provides accommodation. For minors under 18, the parents must consent to the child travelling alone to Germany. Legal basis is § 16f of the Residence Act. IMPORTANT — student exchange programmes: this information does not apply to student exchanges. If you plan a time-limited stay as part of an exchange, different documents are required — please contact the visa section by email in good time.
Visa for a qualification measure toward skilled-worker status
If your professional qualification has only been partially recognised in Germany, you can apply for a visa to obtain the necessary qualifications in Germany. Prerequisite is a deficit / partial-recognition notice (Defizit- bzw. Teilanerkennungsbescheid) from the responsible state authority or chamber of industry and commerce, which lists the essential differences from German training and the necessary adjustment measures. With this visa you can complete the adjustment and compensatory measures in Germany and at the same time already start working. After completing the training and obtaining full recognition, you can apply for permanent residence in Germany. Legal basis is § 16d of the Residence Act. IMPORTANT — scope: if you do not yet have a deficit notice, first apply for the recognition procedure with the responsible body (see visa for recognition of foreign vocational qualifications). Since 1 March 2023 it is also possible, with the employer's support, to complete the recognition procedure only after entering Germany — see visa for the recognition partnership.