Other visa types

Highly qualified individuals whose salary is expected to exceed a certain level (2025: at least €48,300 per year) can obtain a visa that comes with many benefits. This is the EU Blue Card. Detailed information can be found here.

It is possible to obtain a visa to look for a job, the so-called opportunity card. Detailed information can be found here.

Foreign nationals with professional experience may not require formal recognition of their qualifications. The following conditions must be met:

• You need a professional or university degree that is officially recognized in the country in which it was obtained. recognized in the country in which it was obtained. In the case of a vocational qualification, the duration of training must be at least 2 years: Proof can be provided by a certificate assessment or a Digital Information on Professional Qualifications (DAB) from the Central Office for Foreign Education. A category A vocational training certificate from a German Chamber of Commerce Abroad (AHK) can also be used as proof (more information online here).

• Specific job offer: Employment can only be in a non-regulated profession . Regulated professions are excluded.

• Proof must be provided that at least 2 years of qualified professional experience related to the employment has been gained in the last 5 years.

• The employer must be bound by collective agreements or the gross annual salary must be a minimum amount (45% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance, 2025: € 43,470).

A special provision applies to IT specialists: proof of formal qualification is not required (see also Visa for IT specialists).

IT specialists with a recognized university or vocational qualification have access to the usual paths for qualified employees are open.

However, proof of a formal qualification is not necessary if the person can demonstrate sufficient professional experience in the field of information and communication technology. Training or a degree is therefore not absolutely necessary.

However, some conditions must be met:

• Proof of at least 2 years of professional experience in the IT sector at the level of an academic specialist within the last 5 years: training courses or examination documents are particularly helpful.

• Concrete job offer.

• The employer must be bound by collective agreements or the gross annual salary must exceed a minimum amount (45% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance, 2025: € 43,470).

If the following conditions are met, the experienced IT worker is even entitled to an EU Blue Card:

• Proof of 3 years of professional experience in the IT sector at the level of an academic specialist within the last 7 years.

• Gross annual salary of at least 45.3% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance (2025: € 43,759.80).

For nursing staff, the usual rules on employment of skilled workers from third countries.

One special feature is that only the Federal Employment Agency is allowed to recruit and place employees from certain countries. The background to this is the critical shortage of healthcare and nursing staff in these countries. The list currently comprises 55 countries and can be found in the annex to Section 38 of the Employment Ordinance. It is available here.

Thanks to special regulations, access to the German labor market is also open to auxiliary staff from the care sector. The following requirements must be met:

• Concrete job offer as a care assistant.

• Proof of training as a care assistant or nursing assistant or a foreign qualification that is recognized as equivalent.

High-endspecialty restaurants that offer country-specific dishes can hire specialized foreign chefs. There is a separate visa for this. The requirements for this are:

• The chef must be a national of the country whose cuisine the restaurant is based on. They must be able to prepare traditional dishes according to original recipes.

• Proof of training as a chef and practical experience of at least 2 years : In individual cases, many years of professional experience may also be sufficient.

• Concrete job offer: The working conditions must be comparable to the collective agreement position "Chef de partie / single chef".

Employment is initially limited to 1 year and can be extended for a further 3 years. Subsequently, further employment is only possible after an interruption of 3 years.

The establishment may employ a maximum of 2 specialty chefs.

Nationals of the following countries can pursue any type of employment without proof of professional qualification: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. This does not apply to regulated professions.

However, admission to the labor market is subject to quotas. The Federal Employment Agency can currently issue up to 50,000 approvals for residence permits per year as part of the Western Balkans regulation .

A visa can be applied for if

• there is a concrete job offer that secures a livelihood and

• no benefits have been received under the German Asylum Seekers Benefits Act in the 24 months prior to the visa application.

Persons from third countries can be employed for a short period of time, regardless of their qualifications . This regulation serves to avoid bottlenecks at peak times, e.g. in the hotel and catering industry. The option only exists if the Federal Employment Agency has set a quota . It currently amounts to a maximum of 25,000 people per year.

Nationals of the so-called positive countries (listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806), who are allowed to enter Germany for up to 90 days without a visa , only require a work permit from the Federal Employment Agency.

If employment of more than 90 days but no more than 8 months in a 12-month period is planned or if the person is from a non-positive country (listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806), a visa is required. The Federal Employment Agency can issue advance approval for this.

The following conditions must also be met

• Concrete job offer with working hours of at least 30 hours per week.

• The employer must be bound by collective agreements. The employer must also bear the costs for the outward and return journey.

In order to cover the demand for seasonal workers in agriculture , the Federal Employment Agency can issue work permits without the involvement of visa offices. The number is subject to quotas. This regulation currently only applies to people from Georgia and Moldova.

Employment may last a maximum of 90 days in a 180-day period, must be seasonal and must involve at least 30 hours per week.

The placement of seasonal workers is handled by the Federal Employment Agency upon application. More information can be found here.

If the foreign person has special knowledge or experience in their specialist field based on their previous professional activity, which is essential for the activity in the specific company, an employment permit can also be issued without a qualification as a specialist. This depends on the individual case and requires careful examination.

The foreign person must be able to prove that they have increased company-related specialist knowledge that they can contribute directly to the company and thus increase the competitiveness and growth of the company. This can be done by means of appropriate job references or certificates. Special professional experience must be documented by evidence of previous employment and functions in this field of activity.

The following conditions must also be met:

• Concrete job offer: it must be a qualified job.

• Approval from the Federal Employment Agency: The salary should be commensurate with a person with several years of professional experience or considerable responsibility.

There is a special visa for researchers. It allows you not only to work in a research institution , but also to teach. Researching and teaching in other EU countries (with the exception of Ireland and Denmark) is also possible for a limited period of time. The following conditions must be met:

• Proof of a doctoral degree or a suitable university degree with access to doctoral programs.

• Submission of a hosting agreement or an employment contract with a research institution in Germany.

• Written declaration of commitment from the research institution that it will cover living and travel expenses. This must also apply for up to 6 months after the end of the research activity. This provision does not apply if the research activity is predominantly financed from public funds.

Researchers from third countries who already have a residence permit for the purpose of research in another EU country can carry out part of their research activities in Germany. No visa is required for short stays of up to 180 days within a 360-day period. Only the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees must be informed about the stay. Further information can be found here.

If a stay longer than 180 days is planned, it is possible to apply for a residence permit for mobile researchers. This can be done both at the responsible immigration office and at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees at least 30 days before the start of the stay. The requirements for this are

• Residence permit for the purpose of research from another EU country that is valid for at least the period of the planned research stay in Germany.

• Submission of a hosting agreement or an employment contract with a research institution in Germany.

There is a special regulation for non-self-employed artists in the case of temporary employment, i.e. for less than 90 days. If the habitual residence remains abroad and work is planned for performances of particular artistic value, festivals or music and cultural events, the diplomatic missions abroad can decide alone whether to issue a visa. The Federal Employment Agency does not have to approve the employment.

It is possible for professional athletes and coaches to obtain a special visa. The following conditions must be met:

• At least 16 years old.

• A salary of at least 50% of the contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance (2025: €48,300) paid by a sports club or comparable institution.

• The respective umbrella organization has confirmed the athletic qualification or suitability as a coach in agreement with the German Olympic Sports Confederation .

Persons from third countries who compete professionally in computer game competitions can acquire a special residence permit. Approval from the Federal Employment Agency is not required. The requirements are:

• At least 16 years old.

• A salary of at least 50% of the contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance (2025: €48,300) paid by an eSports club or comparable organization.

• The umbrella organization (eSport-Bund Deutschland) must confirm that the activity is carried out on a professional basis and is of significant national or international importance: This is considered confirmed if eSportspeople participate in a qualified gaming operation. A list of qualified gaming operations can be found here.

Teaching is one of the regulated professions. You therefore need a professional license. However, there is an exception for teachers who give language lessons in their native language or teach other subjects. They can obtain a visa if the following conditions are met:

• Concrete job offer: the working conditions should correspond to the usual local salary conditions for teachers at embassy schools.

• Recognized qualification: Recognition by the relevant school authorities may be necessary.

The residence permit can be issued for a maximum of 5 years. It can only be issued again after a three-year interruption.

The international personnel exchange is available to companies that have their headquarters outside the European Union and wish to transfer qualified specialists from third countries to a branch in Germany. The Federal Employment Agency can approve employment for up to 3 years. After an interruption of 6 months at the earliest, renewed employment is possible.

There is also a regulation on the internal transfer of employees at European level. This allows foreign employees from a third country to be transferred to a German branch of the company or a German subsidiary. They can apply for a special visa, a so-called ICT card or mobile ICT card. ICT stands for "intra corporate transfer". It is intended for managers, specialists and trainees .

The ICT card can only be issued if the foreign employee is bound to their employer by an employment contract before and during the transfer and beyond. The application must be made from a third country. The ICT card can be issued for 3 years. For trainees, the duration is limited to a maximum of 1 year.

The mobile ICT card is issued if the employee with third-country nationality has already been transferred to the European Union and is to work in Germany for longer than 90 days. No German residence permit is required for a shorter stay. A notification to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is sufficient.

A visa can also be issued for self-employment. The prerequisites are an economic interest or a regional need for the activity, that the business activity is expected to have a positive impact on the economy, e.g. jobs are created, and that the financing of the implementation is secured. As a rule, the IHK is asked for an assessment. Furthermore, proof of self-employment must be provided.

Freelancers can also obtain a visa. This includes self-employed scientific, artistic, literary, teaching or educational activities. These include, for example, doctors, lawyers, auditors, engineers, architects, journalists and interpreters. The professional bodies, competent trade authorities, public professional associations and the authorities responsible for professional licensing must be involved. If a special professional license is required to exercise the liberal profession, this must be available or at least have been granted.

Taking up self-employment may not be used to circumvent the restricted access to the labor market under the Employment Ordinance. Therefore, in case of doubt, the employment agency will be involved in the assessment.