Applying for a visa for your trip to Berlin

Anyone who is not a citizen of the European Union and wants to work in Germany needs a residence and work permit. Both are usually issued together. The prerequisite for a work permit is a university degree recognized in Germany and an employment contract with a Berlin employer. Without a university degree, the only possible work permit is as a specialist.

Interns also need a residence and work permit. A distinction is made between compulsory internships in the context of a degree course and voluntary internships.

OUR TIP

There is a special rule for the IT sector: IT specialists from non-EU countries with at least three years of professional experience can take up a job without further examination by the Federal Employment Agency if they currently receive a salary of at least 39,682,20 euros (yearly) in the job.

The visa application is always submitted jointly by employers and employees. Whether or not you need a visa depends on your current home country and your qualifications. You must apply for your visa in your home country before your entry into Germany. Submit your application to the German Embassy or Consulate General in your area. Submit your application to the German Embassy or Consulate General in your area.  before your entry into Germany. 

Citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UK, Canada or the United States may enter Germany without a visa and apply for residence and work permits directly in Germany before starting work.

The application is approved by different authorities:

Blue Card:

• Embassy
• Berlin Foreigners’ Registration Office

Regular residence permit:

• Embassy and International Placement Services
• Berlin Foreigners’ Registration Office and International Placement Services

The decision to grant the applicant a Blue Card or a regular residence permit is made by the embassy or the Foreigners’ Registration Office and is based on the job profile and the salary.

A minimum annual gross salary of 43,800 euros is required. For natural scientists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors and computer scientists (so-called MINT professions) and bottleneck professions (veterinarians, dentists, pharmacists, ICT managers, production and logistics managers, nursing and midwifery specialists, teaching and educational staff), the minimum annual gross salary is 39,682.20 euros. In these cases, the approval of the Federal Employment Agency is required. 

To obtain a residence permit for employment, you need a minimum annual gross salary of €39,682.20. This also applies to IT specialists without a degree and to all professionals who are 45 years and older. In all other cases, the salary must be in line with local market conditions for such a position.

More information on the EU Blue Card can be found on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and on the “Make it in Germany” portal for skilled workers.

The application process is usually faster. 

Spouses and family members can enter without any problems. You can apply for a permanent residence permit after just 33 months. If you have B1-level knowledge of German, you can apply for permanent residence after only 21 months.

A visa grants permission to enter Germany – coupled with the permission to take up the intended employment. Visas are issued by embassies in foreign countries. These are generally valid for three to six months. 

You may then apply to the German/Berlin Foreigners’ Registration Office to have the visa converted to a residence permit. Therefore, you are permitted to work if you have a visa, since it already contains a work permit.

Application via the Berlin Foreigners’ Registration Office:

If all the required documents are submitted, the application can be approved within nine to ten weeks. 

Application via a German Embassy in a foreign country:

Depending on the number of applications at the respective embassy, ​​processing times can vary between a few weeks to a few months. At some embassies, there may be a wait of several months for an appointment.

Fill out the application carefully, especially the job profile! Include all the required documents (employment contract, etc.) with the application and only submit a complete application. 

When applying in Berlin: Use the Business Immigration Service of the Berlin Foreigners’ Registration Office and the Berlin economic development agency, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology GmbH.

That depends on the employment contract. One-year fixed-term employment contracts only entitle you to a one-year work permit. The maximum validity of the Blue Card is four years. If the employment relationship is shorter, the residence permit / Blue Card is valid for three months longer than the employment period. 

Extensions can always be requested in Berlin.