The Ausbildung visa for Germany: requirements, process and timeline

Which visa you need

Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland do not need a visa. Everyone else needs a national visa (type D) for the purpose of vocational training before entering Germany. A tourist visa (Schengen visa) cannot be converted into a training visa in Germany, so do not travel on a tourist visa and hope to change it later.

Some nationalities, for example citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, may enter without a visa and apply for the residence permit in Germany. Check the current rules for your country with the Federal Foreign Office.

Requirements for the visa

According to the official portal Make it in Germany, these conditions apply to a company-based Ausbildung:

• A training place: a signed training contract with a German company.
• German language skills: normally level B1, unless the training company has tested your German or you have completed a preparatory German course.
• Secure livelihood: in 2026, a training pay of at least 1,048 euros gross or 822 euros net a month. If your pay is lower, you cover the difference with a blocked account or a declaration of commitment.
• Approval of the Federal Employment Agency for your training place, in most cases.
• Health insurance for the time until your training starts.

The full list of documents is in our guide to the requirements. Every embassy publishes its own checklist, and that checklist is what counts for your application.

The approval of the Federal Employment Agency

For a company-based Ausbildung, the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) usually has to agree. It checks that you will be trained under the same conditions as German apprentices, for example the same pay and working hours. Normally the embassy requests this approval internally, and you do not have to do anything yourself.

Your company can also apply for a pre-approval (Vorabzustimmung) before you submit your visa application. This is free of charge and often saves several weeks, because the embassy no longer has to wait for the agency. Ask your company whether it has done this.

The accelerated skilled worker procedure

There is also an accelerated skilled worker procedure (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren), which can be used for vocational training too. The employer applies for it at the foreigners authority in Germany, and the fee of 411 euros is paid by the employer. The embassy then processes the application considerably faster than in the regular procedure. Whether it is worth it depends on how long appointments take at your embassy.

The process step by step

1. Sign your training contract. Without it, you cannot apply.
2. Check the checklist of your embassy. Find the page of the German embassy or consulate responsible for your region and download the current list for “vocational training”.
3. Book an appointment or apply online. In many countries the application can be submitted through the Consular Services Portal of the Federal Foreign Office. Appointments at German missions are free. Never pay a third party for an appointment slot.
4. Prepare your documents. Translations, copies, proof of funds and insurance. Incomplete files are the most common reason for delays.
5. Submit and pay the fee. The fee for a national visa is 75 euros.
6. Wait for the decision. The embassy involves the foreigners authority of your future place of residence and, if necessary, the Federal Employment Agency.
7. Collect your visa and plan your arrival. Check the start and end dates printed on it. The visa is usually valid for a limited period, within which you have to apply for your residence permit in Germany.

How long it takes

This depends heavily on the country. In some places you get an appointment within weeks, in others it takes months. The decision itself usually takes a few weeks to a few months. In our experience, the stages that decide the timeline are:

• how quickly the embassy offers appointments or processes online applications
• whether the company has already obtained a pre-approval
• whether your documents are complete the first time

Since most Ausbildungen start in August or September, plan backwards: your contract should ideally be signed by spring.

After you arrive: the first appointments

• Register your address (Anmeldung) at the local registration office within two weeks of moving in. You need a confirmation from your landlord.
• Apply for your residence permit at the foreigners authority (Ausländerbehörde) before your visa expires. Book this appointment early, as waiting times can be long.
• Open a bank account, so that your company can pay your training salary.
• Join a statutory health insurance fund and give your company the membership confirmation.
• Tax ID: it is sent to you by post after registration. Your company needs it for payroll.

With a residence permit for vocational training you may also take a second job of up to 20 hours a week, if it is separate from your training. The permit also allows you to attend a preparatory German course.

The visa to look for a training place

If you do not have a training place yet, there is a separate visa under Section 17 of the Residence Act. It lets you come to Germany and look for a place on site. The conditions are:

• you are under 35
• you speak German at level B1
• you have a school-leaving certificate that gives you access to higher education, or a certificate from a German school abroad
• you can cover your living costs, for example with a blocked account of at least 1,091 euros a month (2026) or a declaration of commitment

The visa is valid for up to nine months. During this time you may work up to 20 hours a week and do up to two weeks of trial work in a company. For nine months, the blocked account alone comes to almost 10,000 euros, so this route is only realistic if you have the money and already speak good German.

If your visa is refused

A refusal comes with a letter that states the reasons and the legal remedies available to you. Read it carefully. Often the reason is something that can be fixed: a missing document, doubts about your German, or pay below the threshold. Talk to your company, correct the issue and consider a new application. If the reasons are unclear, get advice before you act.

Questions about the visa

Sources: Make it in Germany (Federal Government portal), Federal Foreign Office, German Residence Act (Sections 16a, 17, 81a). As of September 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Visa decisions are made by the German authorities.