If you are not a citizen of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you need a national visa (type D) for an Ausbildung in Germany. The legal basis is section 16a of the Residence Act (§ 16a AufenthG). You apply at the German embassy or consulate in your country after you have signed a training contract.
Important: each embassy has its own checklist, and the rules can change. Use this guide to prepare, and always check the website of the German embassy in your country before you apply. Last checked: 10 October 2026.
The requirements
1. A signed training contract
You need a training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag) with a company in Germany. It should show the occupation, the start date, the length of the training, the weekly hours and the pay.
2. German at level B1
For a qualified vocational training, you usually need German at level B1. Some embassies accept a lower level, for example A2, if the company confirms that it has checked your German or that you will take a preparatory German course. Ask your embassy if this is possible for you.
Embassies accept certificates from the Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD, ECL and the Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD), and TestDaF from B2. The exam should usually not be older than one year.
3. Enough money to live
| Situation | Amount in 2026 | How you show it |
|---|---|---|
| Company-based (dual) training | Training pay of at least €1,048 gross (€822 net) per month | Your training contract. If the pay is lower: a blocked account or a declaration of commitment for the difference |
| School-based training | €959 net per month | Blocked account, declaration of commitment or scholarship |
| Searching for a training place (§ 17) | €1,091 net per month | Blocked account or declaration of commitment |
If you get free housing, the amount is €380 lower per month. A declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung) is a formal promise by a person in Germany to pay your living costs. Sources: Make it in Germany (January 2026) and embassy checklists from August 2026. The amounts usually change once a year.
4. Approval by the Federal Employment Agency
The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) checks that your training conditions, such as pay and working hours, are the same as for German trainees. Since March 2024 it no longer checks whether a German or EU applicant should get the place first.
Usually the embassy asks for this approval during the visa process. You do not need to do anything. To save time, your company can ask the agency for approval before you apply (Vorabzustimmung). It can also use the accelerated procedure for skilled workers at the local foreigners' office (§ 81a AufenthG). Ask your company about it.
5. Health insurance
During your Ausbildung you are insured through your job in statutory health insurance. For the time between your arrival and the start of your training, you need separate insurance. Your embassy's checklist says which insurance it accepts.
6. Other documents
- a valid passport and biometric photos,
- the completed visa application form,
- your school leaving certificate with marks, translated. Some embassies ask for a recognised or legalised certificate,
- a CV in table form and a motivation letter, often signed by you,
- the visa fee of €75, paid in local currency.
Documents that are not in German or English usually need a translation. Bring the originals and copies.
Step by step
- Sign the training contract with the company.
- Optional: the company asks the Federal Employment Agency for approval in advance, or starts the accelerated procedure.
- Read your embassy's checklist and book an appointment. Many embassies use an online portal or an external service provider. Some accept applications only up to three months before your travel date.
- Collect all documents, translations and copies. Open a blocked account if your pay is below the amount above.
- Go to your appointment. The embassy takes your fingerprints.
- Wait for the decision. It can take several weeks or months. The embassy cannot give you the visa before the approval from Germany arrives.
- Travel to Germany. Register your address at the local registration office (Anmeldung) within two weeks. Before your visa ends, apply for a residence permit at the local foreigners' office (Ausländerbehörde).
Work during and after the training
- During your Ausbildung you may work up to 20 hours per week in a side job. It does not have to be related to your training.
- After you pass your final exam, you can get a residence permit for up to 18 months to look for a job (§ 20 AufenthG).
No contract yet? The visa to search for a training place
Since March 2024 you can also come to Germany to look for a training place (§ 17 AufenthG). The main conditions:
- you are under 35,
- you speak German at level B1,
- you have a school leaving certificate from a German school abroad, or one that allows you to study at a university in Germany or in your home country,
- you can pay your living costs: €1,091 net per month in 2026.
This visa is for up to nine months. During this time you may work up to 20 hours per week and do trial work for up to two weeks.
Common mistakes
- Do not travel on a Schengen (tourist) visa to start an Ausbildung. It does not allow you to start training.
- Do not hand in incomplete documents. Embassies can refuse incomplete applications.
- Never use false documents. This leads to a refusal and can lead to a ban on entering Germany.
- Be careful with people who sell visa information. Information and forms from German embassies are free.
Where to get reliable answers
- The website of the German embassy or consulate in your country. Look for "vocational training" or "Ausbildung".
- Make it in Germany, the German government's portal for people who want to work in Germany.
- The hotline "Working and Living in Germany" of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and the Federal Employment Agency: +49 30 1815 1111, in German and English.
DeinAzubi does not arrange visas and cannot check your documents.
