To Get Work Permit In Germany
Getting a work permit in Germany can be complicated. You’re an EU citizen and have decided to stay in Germany for longer than three months, but you haven’t gone through the process of obtaining a work visa. Maybe your skills are not transferable to the German labor market or maybe you’re on a freelance job and need to get a work permit more quickly than those six months. How do you get around this? Well, the truth is that there are several ways, depending on your specific situation.
Getting a work permit in Germany is not that difficult, if you are from a country belonging to the European Union. However, immigration laws are very complex, and require the assistance of a professional immigration lawyer. The permits required for different types of jobs in Germany vary and depend on several factors such as family status and nationality or citizenship, whether or not you have relatives already living and working in Germany, or your previous work experience.
If you want to take up a job in Germany as a foreigner, you will need to obtain a work permit. The chance of getting the permit depends on various factors, with the most important being your residence status (as an EU/EEA citizen), your profession, and the sector in which you are seeking employment. I’m going to explain this whole process in more detail below.

Requirements
You will typically need to show proof of the purpose of your visit. For example, this could be:
- A letter of invitation
- A short-term employment contact detailing the start and end date of your employment
- A ticket to show your attendance at an event, fair, or exhibition
In addition to this, you’ll need to have sufficient funding to cover your stay. This currently amounts to €45 per day.
How to apply
You can apply for a short-stay Schengen visa at a German embassy or consulate in your home country, at any worldwide visa application center, or online via VIDEX. You will usually need to provide the following:
- Completed visa application form and accompanying declaration form (unless applying online)
- Two passport photos
- Valid passport or travel ID
- Details of your return flight
- Accommodation details for your stay
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof of sufficient funding to cover your trip, currently amounting to at least €45 a day
- Information confirming the purpose of your trip
- Any relevant documentation relating to the purpose of your trip
These visas typically take around 15 days to process. As part of the application process, you will need to attend a short interview at the embassy, consulate, or application center.
Visa costs
The visa cost is €80, €40 for children under 12, and free for children under six. You usually cannot extend or exchange this visa unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Visa length
Short-stay visas are valid for a maximum of 90 days or a total of 90 days within a 180-day period.
Work visas in Germany for students
Students from EU/EFTA nations don’t need a visa or permit to work in Germany. However, they can only work 20 hours a week during term time. If work hours go above this, they will need to pay social security contributions.
Those from non-EU/EFTA countries on a German student visa or residence permit can work up to 120 full days (or 240 half days) each year while studying. If you want to work more than this, you must apply to your local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for a work permit. The exception to this is if your university employs you as an academic assistant. In this case, no restrictions apply.
You can work up to 10 hours per week on a vocational training visa if you have a placement. In general, students on language course visas, student application visas, and short-stay visas cannot do paid work in Germany. Likewise, you cannot work self-employed or as a freelancer on a German student visa.
Read more about student visas in Germany
If you are a postgraduate student carrying out academic research or a Ph.D. at a German university, you may be eligible for an EU Blue Card, which gives you the right to look for and take up work that meets your qualifications.
Non-EU/EFTA students in Germany can extend their residence permits to look for a job once they graduate. This extension is 18 months for university graduates and 12 months for those who complete vocational training.
German work visas for self-employed, freelancers, and entrepreneurs
You can come to Germany and start up your own business or work as a freelancer (Freiberufler) in one of the liberal professions. In this case, you will need to demonstrate that your business idea will benefit the German economy. This means producing a viable business plan and showing evidence of the necessary skills/qualifications plus proof of funding to start your business. To qualify as a freelancer, you will need to prove your qualifications and any required licenses or memberships of relevant professional bodies. Additionally, you will need to show proof of your pension arrangements if you are over 45.
Those from outside the EU/EFTA can apply for a visa/permit to start their own business or work as a freelancer. Both of these visas cost €75 and are valid for three years initially but are renewable.
Work visas in Germany for seasonal/temporary workers
Germany doesn’t have a specific visa for seasonal or temporary work. However, non-EU/EFTA nationals can apply for a short-stay Schengen Visa to take up seasonal work for up to 90 days, or a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period.
You will need to fill a seasonal work position with one of Germany’s agricultural businesses and agree to work at least 30 hours per week. If you meet these requirements, the Federal Employment Agency will issue you with a short-term work permit. You may need to pay social security in Germany if you are not employed or self-employed and making social insurance contributions in your own country. Employers usually cover health insurance for seasonal workers. However, you may need to arrange your own coverage if this is not the case.

You can also use a short-stay Schengen Visa for temporary work in any short-term shortage occupations in Germany. Again, you will need to have an agreement in place to come and work for a limited period with a German employer. The Federal Employment Agency has information on temporary visa opportunities for shortage occupations in Germany.
Volunteering and work experience in Germany
There are a few different German visas for gaining work experience or volunteering. This is useful, for example, if you are a student and want to improve your CV. You can volunteer in Germany short-term for 90 days or less on a Schengen tourist visa. However, bear in mind that you cannot do paid work on this visa. For short-term work experience or placements in Germany, you will need a Schengen business visa.
There are three long-term German visas relating to volunteering and work experience. These are:
- Internship visa – for students in other countries to undertake a work experience placement with a German company
- Working holiday visa – available to residents aged 18-30 in certain countries to work while traveling for up to 12 months
- Volunteering visa – to take part in schemes such as the European Voluntary Service (EVS) during your studies or while you are on a gap year
For each of these visas, you will need an agreement in place with the German company or organization before making your application. The application process is similar to that for other German visas and the costs for long-stay visas are €75 for adults and €37.50 for under-18s.
Work visas in Germany for family members
Germany has three different categories of family visas to join relatives already living in the country. These are:
- Family visa to join German nationals in Germany
- Visa to join EU/EFTA nationals in Germany
- Family visa to join non-EU/EFTA nationals in Germany
Each family visa allows the holder to work in Germany without prior permission or additional permits.
If you are joining a relative who has a long-stay visa and permission to work in Germany, you will also be allowed to work.
Germany Work Visa Application
The application procedure for a German long stay work visa is pretty much the same as the application procedure for every long stay German visa. You can start applying for your Germany work visa by following these steps:
- Prepare your Germany work visa application in advance. Get the list of the documents required for the visa you wish to apply for and gather them all, including the German work visa application form. Print the form and sign it at the end, if required. Fill the form here.
- Make an appointment. You can make a German work visa interview appointment online, through the website of the German mission in your country. If you do not book an appointment before you go to the Application center, they will not accept your documents or application.
- On the day of the interview. Make sure to be on time at the application center since they may not accept your application if you are late. After the verification of your appointment letter, you will be issued a token. The submission process takes around 10 minutes to complete.
- Entering of application information. After the verification of your application, all the application form information will be entered into the online system of the German consulate and you will receive a printed copy of your application. This process usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. After you get the printed form, please make sure to verify all the details are correct and sign the form.
- Pay the fees for Germany work visa application. After you pay the fee, you will be issued a receipt, which you have to keep in order to collect your processed application later.
- Biometric data collection. Once the application has been completed, biometrics will be collected. This is a quick process that captures a 10-digit fingerprint scan with a digital finger scanner. It usually takes 7-8 minutes per applicant.
After all these steps, the applying procedure has been completed. The Embassy or consulate where you have applied will process your application. It may also ask for additional documents in the meantime, as mentioned above. Take care to provide anything extra they ask for or your visa may be denied.
Please keep in mind that your passport will remain at the Embassy / Consulate where you have applied during the entire process of your Germany Work visa proceeding. If you need to withdraw your passport for any reason, whether it be traveling or else, you will have to apply again from the beginning.
Conclusion
TouriaGo is a one-stop consulting service to help you navigate Germany’s working holiday visa program. They are an agency that takes care of the entire process: from application through recruitment and initial placement. Their website offers extensive information about getting a working visa for Germany, and their experience in the field shows. The site is laid out very well, with clear instructions and detailed explanations of how the program gets you work and gives you a fun experience while traveling.