Costs and scams
Is an Ausbildung in Germany free? The real costs, and how to avoid scams
The Ausbildung itself costs nothing and pays you a salary. Getting there does cost money. This page lists the costs you should expect, the ones you should never pay, and the scams we hear about most often.
Is the Ausbildung free?
Yes. There are no tuition fees for the company-based training or for the public vocational school. You are employed and receive a monthly training salary, at least 724 euros gross in the first year for an Ausbildung starting in 2026. Health insurance and other social contributions are deducted from your salary, as for every employee.
What is not free is the way to Germany: learning German, preparing your documents, the visa and the move. How much this costs depends a lot on your country.
Costs you should expect
| Cost | Who usually pays | Note |
|---|---|---|
| German course to B1 | You | The largest item. Prices vary widely between countries and schools. |
| German exam (for example Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD) | You | Fees depend on the country and the provider. |
| Translations and certified copies | You | Use a sworn translator. Often several hundred euros in total. |
| Visa fee | You | 75 euros for a national visa. |
| Blocked account | You | Only if your training pay is below the visa threshold. The money remains yours. |
| Flight to Germany | You or the company | Some companies pay it, many do not. |
| Health insurance until the training starts | You | Usually a few weeks. |
| First weeks in Germany | You | Rent deposit, first rent, food, transport, before the first salary. |
A blocked account is not a fee. It is your own money, which you can withdraw in monthly amounts after arrival. Providers charge a fee for setting it up, so compare them.
Costs you should never pay
- A placement fee for a training place. Under German law (Section 296a of the Social Code, Book III), only the employer may pay for the placement of an apprentice.
- Money for a training contract. A company does not sell training places.
- Money for an embassy appointment. Appointments at German missions are free. People who sell slots are not connected to the embassy.
- Money for a “visa guarantee”. Only the German authorities decide on visas.
- Penalties for leaving. Under the German Vocational Training Act, agreements that oblige apprentices to pay compensation for their training or to pay contractual penalties are void.
Scams we hear about most often
The fake training contract
You receive an impressive contract with a German company name, a stamp and a signature, after paying a fee. The company either does not exist or has never heard of you. The problem only becomes clear at the embassy.
The “registration fee” agency
An agency collects a registration or processing fee from many applicants, promises a placement within a few months and then keeps delaying. After a while it blames the embassy or disappears.
The appointment seller
Someone offers you a quick embassy appointment for money. Official appointments are free and bookable only through the official channels of the embassy.
The expensive package
You may only apply if you buy the agency's language course, accommodation and “visa service” for a large sum. The German course may even be real, but the promised placement often is not.
Debts after arrival
The placement seemed free, but after arrival you are asked to pay back “costs” from your salary, sometimes with interest. If this happens to you, get advice immediately. See the last section.
How to check an offer before you pay anything
- Check the company. Does it exist, does it have a website with an Impressum (legal notice), and does it really train in this profession? You can also look it up in the commercial register.
- Contact the company directly, using contact details from its official website, not from the agency. Ask whether the training place and the contract are genuine.
- Insist on an interview with the company. Serious companies want to meet their future apprentices.
- Get all costs in writing before you pay anything, with the full name and address of the agency.
- Talk to people who have done it. Apprentices who came through the same agency can tell you more than reviews.
Our guide on how to choose a recruitment agency has a full list of questions to ask.
If you have been cheated
If you are already in Germany and have problems with pay, working conditions or debts to an agency, contact Faire Integration, a counselling service that advises third-country nationals free of charge and in several languages. Report fraud to the police, in your home country or in Germany. If documents with a German company's name were forged, inform that company too.
Questions about costs
It depends on your country, mainly because of the German course. On top of that come translations, the visa, the flight and savings for the first weeks in Germany. If your training pay is below the visa threshold, you also need money in a blocked account.
For an Ausbildung, “free for the applicant” is how it should be, because the employer pays. Being free does not make an agency serious, though. Check it with the same questions as any other.
Some do, but there is no legal obligation. Ask in the interview. Many companies also help with the search for accommodation.
Sources: German Social Code, Book III (Section 296a), Vocational Training Act (Section 12), Make it in Germany, Faire Integration. As of September 2026. General information, not legal advice.
How we write these guides: we check every legal statement against official German sources such as the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Employment Agency, Make it in Germany and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), and we add what we have learned from more than 320 apprenticeships we have organised. We do not accept payment for mentioning companies or services. This information is general and is not legal advice.
More guides
Ausbildung in Germany: the complete guide
How the system works, who can apply from abroad and where most applicants go wrong.
Requirements and checklist
School certificate, German level, age, money and visa, with official sources.
Can you do an Ausbildung in English?
The honest answer, the rare exceptions and how long B1 really takes.
Professions with real chances
Where the open training places are and which fields suit applicants from abroad.
Salary and living costs
Training pay by year, net income, a sample budget and pay after the Ausbildung.
The Ausbildung visa
Requirements, approval, steps at the embassy and the first appointments after arrival.
How to apply from abroad
Where to find places, the German CV and cover letter, and the interview.
After the Ausbildung
Staying on, the job search permit, permanent residence and salary.
How to choose a recruitment agency
What agencies may charge, the warning signs and the questions to ask.
Planning your Ausbildung on your own?
We are preparing a step-by-step online course based on the process we use with our own candidates. There is no start date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know.