By this stage you have already decided to take the leap and relocate your life to another country. You have researched what it is like living and working in Germany, you have considered the salary compared to your home country, you have looked at the cost of living, and you have taken care of any other loose ends that need attended to. You are ready to go! All that remains is to arrange your visa! Work visas vary from country to country and from visa type to visa type so make sure you check out the below infographic for a helpful breakdown of different types of German work visas, their respective costs, and what type of paperwork is required.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Work Visa For Germany
If you’re currently living in your home country, but are looking to start a new life, it can be difficult to decide between countries. Germany is one of the top destinations for people migrating to other places. The quality of life is high, while the cost of living is low compared to other Western nations. So, if you’re considering moving from your country to Germany, what should you know about getting a visa?If you will be coming to Germany to search for work, there are a number of different visas available. The application procedure and requirements vary with each German visa category. This article is meant to give you an overview of the possibilities and to provide information on the process so that you can make an informed decision about which visa best suits your needs.
Employment in Germany
Article
Are you interested in taking up a job in Germany or maybe working as an Au-Pair? If your answer is yes, you will find detailed information on the required documents here.
Visa Needed?
All persons who wish to seek gainful employment in Germany are required to obtain a residence permit in the form of a visa. Where needed, a work permit will be included in the visa issued for this purpose.
Before submitting your visa application, please check here whether your foreign professional qualification needs to be recognized in Germany.
Where and how to apply?
Citizens of the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, as well as EU citizens may apply for their residence permit for work purposes after entering Germany without a visa. However, in cases where an employment is intended to begin directly after arrival in Germany, a visa (which includes the work permit) has to be issued in advance, since it is not possible to start working in Germany before having the obligatory work permit.
Citizens of other countries are required to apply and obtain a visa for work purposes prior to entry at the German Embassy in Washington, the Consulate Generals in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York or San Francisco.
All German Missions require that you schedule an appointment in order to apply for a visa. Appointments have to be booked via our free online appointment system.
Click on the Consulate Finder below to find out where to submit your application and to learn about any specific application procedures. Due to local particularities handling and processing may vary slightly among the German missions involved.
Except for rare instances, you have to submit your application in person. Upon submission of all required documents the application will be forwarded to the Aliens’ Authority (Ausländerbehörde) competent for your intended place of residence in Germany. Applications take about 1-3 months to be processed. After the application has been approved by the Aliens’ Authority and –if applicable- by the Work Office (Arbeitsagentur), the Embassy or Consulate General will issue a residence permit in the form of a visa, which will include the authorization to work in Germany. The Aliens’ Authority requires all residence permit holders to register upon their first arrival. A final residence permit will be granted in German after arrival.
What do I need to fill out?
- Application for D-Visa
- Residence Permit Application FormPDF / 485 KB
- Declaration of Accuracy of InformationPDF / 197 KB
- Visa Photo ExamplesPDF / 550 KB
- Visa Fees
- Information on Data Protection
Required Documents (Original + 2 copies of each document)
Please Note: Although the information on this website has been prepared with utmost care, we can not accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein.