The new Skilled Immigration Act (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz) makes it easier for skilled workers with vocational training and individuals with practical knowledge to immigrate to Germany. With the new law, existing mechanisms for skilled workers with a university degree, such as the EU Blue Card, will be extended.

The first set of changes to the German Immigration Act to facilitate migration of skilled workers has come into effect on 18 November 2023. Please find more details about the changes of the Skilled Immigration Act here.

Citizens of Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as EU citizens may apply to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for their residence permit for work purposes after arrival in Germany and without having obtained a visa prior to travelling to Germany. Please note that you need to register your new residence (Anmeldung) with the authorities (Meldebehörde) within two weeks of having moved in and apply to the local immigraiton office (Ausländerbehörde) for your residence permit within the first 90 days of your stay in Germany.

Please note that you may only take up employment once you have been issued a residence permit explicitly authorising such employment. The citizens of above mentioned countries may therefore also choose to apply for a visa prior to travel, effectively permitting employment from the first day of visa validity.

All other nationalities require a visa prior to travel to Germany.

Please note:

Some visa categories for employment of academic professionals require that you hold a German, a recognised or a comparable foreign academic degree. If you hold a foreign degree, please check whether both your degree and the awarding academic institution are listed as comparable in the official Anabin database. If either is not listed, please have the degree formally assessed through a „Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications“ issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
Some visa categories for employment of non-academic professionals require that you hold a vocational qualification that has been formally recognised by the competent German authority.

Some regulated professions such as medical doctors, nurses, teachers, architects, auditors, tax advisors and more require a formal license to practice their profession in Germany. Please consult the database on recognition of regulated professions.

For nationals of Andorra, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as defined by section 1 (2) no. 6 of the Freedom of Movement Act/EU as well as the United States of America, approval subject to a labour market test may be granted to engage in any employment irrespective of where the employer is seated (§26 (1) Beschäftigungsverhältnis (Ordinance on the Employment of Foreigners) - irrespective of their qualification as a skilled worker (§19c Aufenthaltsgesetz/Residence Act).

Upon submission of all the required documents, the application will be forwarded to the competent German authorities. After the application has been approved by the German Authorities, the German Embassy/the Consulate General will decide upon your application. If a visa will be issued, normally it will be issued for a duration of up to 12 months (in general). The final „EU Blue Card“ will be granted in Germany by the relevant Aliens Authority.

If a visa will be granted, it is possible to enter the other Schengen countries for tourism purposes for up to 90 days (within 180 days).

Advice on planned employment in Germany can be provided by the Federal Employment Agency. They can also issue you with a pre-approval (Vorabzustimmung) if necessary. If the pre-approval will be submitted at the time of application, the processing time will be approximately two weeks.

Processing time:

In this visa category, most applications are typically processed within two weeks up to three months. This also applies to accompanying family members.

Although we will provide you with a file number, please understand that we cannot respond to questions regarding the status of your visa application. Should we have any questions are should we require additional documentation to process your application, we will contact you.