Citizens of the EU, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland

You are welcome to start vocational training in Germany at any time. You do not require a visa for entering Germany or for starting a vocational training programme. If you would like to live in Germany, you only have to register as a resident at a local Residents' Registration Office. Further information on this subject can be found here.

Citizens from other countries

You are welcome to start vocational training in Germany at any time. In order to do so, you will need a visa. You can apply for a visa at the German mission in your country. To be granted a visa, you have to meet the following criteria:

• You have found a vocational training place at a German company.
• The German Federal Employment Agency (BA) has approved your vocational training because there are no German candidates or candidates from a privileged country (such as an EU country) for the position. Furthermore, your employment conditions must not be different from those of German employees.
• You must be able to cover your cost of living for the entire duration of your stay. In general, this means that you must provide evidence of having at least €903.00 per month (as of 2023) at your disposal. If you plan on taking part in a school-based training programme, you can provide evidence of being able to cover your living costs by opening a blocked account or submitting a declaration of commitment. If you plan on taking part in a company-based training programme, you will receive a training salary, which is also considered as evidence. If your training salary is not sufficient, you are allowed to compensate the difference by showing that you are in possession of either a blocked bank account or a declaration of commitment.

For further information on visa requirements and the documents you need for visa applications (such as proof of German language skills) please contact the German mission abroad in your country of residence. The addresses of the German missions abroad can be found on our interactive world map.

Would you like to work in another job while pursuing vocational training? You are allowed to work up to ten hours per week in a job that is not related to your vocational training. For example, you may work at a restaurant while training as a mechatronics engineer.