Visa to search for an apprenticeship
Vocational training completed in Germany offers many opportunities. However, it is often not easy to find a training place in Germany from abroad. That is why there is a visa or residence permit for the search for a training place in accordance with §17 of the Residence Act. This allows you to enter Germany with a residence permit and then look for a suitable training place locally. Here you can find out which requirements you need to fulfill for the visa or residence permit to look for a training place.
What do I need to know?
Can I get a visa to look for a training place?
You can apply for a residence permit to look for an apprenticeship if you have a school-leaving qualification that allows you to study in your home country. In addition, you must not be older than 25.
Where do I apply for a visa?
If you need a visa to enter Germany, you must first apply for a visa at the German embassy/consulate in your home country or a neighboring country.
Please note that it may take several months to process your visa application.
If you do not need a visa to enter Germany, after entering the country you should report to the foreigners authority in your new place of residence and apply for a residence permit for the purpose of looking for a training place.
Whether you need a visa depends on your country of origin. You can find a list of countries whose citizens need a visa to enter Germany at auswaertiges-amt.de.
What documents do I need for the visa / residence permit?
In our chapter"National visa" you will find a list of all the documents that all third-country nationals need for a national visa.
For a visa to look for a training place, you also need the following documents:
- A higher education entrance qualification. This is a school-leaving certificate that allows you to start studying in the country in which you completed your school-leaving certificate.
- Proof of your German language skills. You need at least B2.
- Proof that you are able to support yourself while you are looking for a training place.
What happens after entry?
After entering Germany, you must report to the immigration office at your new place of residence within three months and apply for a residence permit there. To do this, you must submit the above-mentioned documents and, as a rule, a police registration and a tenancy agreement. The authorities will check your documents and then decide whether you will be granted a residence permit.
A residence permit to look for a training place is valid for six months. During this time, you can look for a suitable training place. You are not allowed to work during this time. As soon as you have found a suitable training place, you must apply for a residence permit for the purpose of training. You can do this at your local immigration office. You may only start your training with this residence permit.
What happens if I cannot find a training place?
If you are unable to find a training place within the six months, you will have to leave the country again. After six months in your home country, you can then reapply for a visa to look for a training place at the German embassy.
Important
You can find out more about training in our chapters"School-based training" and"Dual training". You can find out more about finding a job in our chapter "Job search and application".
Source: handbookgermany.de
