An Ausbildung is vocational training at a German company. You can apply from your home country, by email or online, and often do the interview by video. You apply for the visa only after you have signed a training contract.

Here are the steps in the usual order.

Step 1: Learn German to level B1

You will work in German and go to a German vocational school (Berufsschule). That is why almost all companies ask for German. For the visa, you usually need a B1 certificate. Many companies ask for B1 or B2.

  • German embassies accept certificates from the Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD, ECL and the Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD). TestDaF counts from level B2.
  • For the visa, the exam should usually not be older than one year.
  • You can start applying while you are still learning. Write your current level and the date of your next exam in your application.

More in our guide to German certificates from A1 to C2.

Step 2: Choose a career

There are Ausbildung careers in many fields, from retail and logistics to IT, care and the skilled trades. In our Ausbildung Explorer you can compare 728 careers: typical monthly pay, how long the training takes, the German level usually asked for and how many positions are open now.

Choose one to three careers. An application for a clear goal is stronger than a general one.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

An application in Germany (Bewerbung) usually has these parts:

  • Cover letter (Anschreiben) in German, one page, written new for each company.
  • CV (Lebenslauf) in German, in table form, one or two pages. You can make one with our free CV maker.
  • School leaving certificate and your last school reports, with a German or English translation.
  • German certificate, or proof that you are taking a German course.
  • Other proof, if you have it: internships, work references, courses.

Put everything into one PDF file in this order: cover letter, CV, certificates. Give the file a clear name, for example Bewerbung_Name_Ausbildung.pdf.

Most companies do not ask for an official recognition of your school certificate. Some embassies do ask for it for the visa. Check the visa checklist of the German embassy in your country early. Then you have time for translations and certified copies.

Step 4: Find open positions

Our Ausbildung positions list has more than 10,000 open positions from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). You can search by career, city and start year. You can also search on the job search of the Federal Employment Agency.

  • Most Ausbildung programmes start in August or September. Many companies choose their trainees months before. Apply early.
  • Read each listing carefully: start date, school certificate and German level.

Step 5: Write the cover letter (Anschreiben)

The cover letter explains why you want this training at this company. Write it in German and keep it to one page.

  1. Start: which Ausbildung you apply for and from when. Say where you found the position.
  2. Why this career: a real reason, for example a school subject, a job or something you do in your free time.
  3. Why this company: one or two facts from the listing or the company's website.
  4. What you bring: school results, work or internships, your German level. Only write what is true.
  5. Visa: one sentence that you live abroad and will apply for the visa as soon as you have a contract.
  6. End: say that you look forward to an interview, also by video.

Do not send the same letter to every company. Companies notice it. If someone helps you with the German, read the letter carefully. You should be able to explain every sentence in the interview.

Step 6: Send your application by email

Many companies accept applications by email. On DeinAzubi, about 1,300 positions are marked Apply directly. You can apply to them by email. For other positions, the listing shows whether you apply on the company's website or through the listing at the Federal Employment Agency.

A good application email:

  • comes from an email address with your name, not a nickname,
  • has a clear subject, for example Bewerbung um einen Ausbildungsplatz als Fachinformatiker ab August 2027,
  • has a short text in German, three or four sentences, with the name of the contact person if the listing gives one,
  • has one PDF attached, not many single files.

Example text (replace the parts in brackets):

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

hiermit bewerbe ich mich um einen Ausbildungsplatz als [Beruf] ab [Monat Jahr]. Meine Bewerbungsunterlagen finden Sie im Anhang. Für ein Gespräch, gern auch per Video, stehe ich gern zur Verfügung.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

[Your name]

If you hear nothing after two weeks, you can send one short and polite follow-up email.

Step 7: The video interview

Companies often invite applicants from abroad to an interview by video call. Prepare it like an interview in person.

  • Test your camera, microphone and internet the day before. Find a quiet and bright place.
  • Prepare short answers in German: who you are, why this career, why this company, why Germany.
  • Expect questions about your German, the visa and where you will live. Know what the visa needs (see step 8).
  • Have your documents ready. Prepare two or three questions, for example about the vocational school or your first weeks.

Some companies ask for a second interview or a short task before they decide.

Step 8: Sign the contract, then apply for the visa

If the company wants you, it sends you a training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag). Check that it states the career, the start date, the length of the training, the weekly hours and the pay for each year.

The pay matters for the visa. In 2026, your living costs count as covered if your training pay is at least €1,048 gross per month. If it is lower, you show the difference with a blocked account (Sperrkonto) or a declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) from a person in Germany.

With the signed contract, you apply for a national visa at the German embassy or consulate in your country. Our guide to the Ausbildung visa explains the requirements and steps.

Be careful with paid agents

You do not need to pay anyone to find an Ausbildung or to apply. The German embassies say that their information and forms are free, and they warn against third parties who sell visa information. DeinAzubi is free and does not arrange visas.