Welcome
Residence Permits for General Employment
For both skilled workers and academic professionals there are a variety of opportunities to obtain employment in Germany. Access to the labour market for unskilled and low-skilled workers remains limited.
The decision on whether access is granted is taken on a discretionary basis by the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) as provided for by the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz) and the Employment Ordinance (Beschäftigungsverordnung). Decisions are based on the economic needs of the Federal Republic of Germany. Access is sometimes limited to particular nationalities or occupational groups.
The information in this section is designed to cover a wide range of individual and different cases and is therefore provided as a guideline only. We may require additional information and documents. Some categories of visas under the general employment heading may only be open to certain nationalities; some categories require the applicant to hold an academic degree or a recognised vocational qualification.
Your prospective employer can facilitate visa processing by applying for pre-approval from the Federal Employment Agency.
If your visa category for academic professionals requires you to hold a German, a recognised or a comparable foreign academic degree and if you hold a foreign degree, please check whether both your degree and the awarding academic institution are listed as comparable in the official Anabin database. If either is not listed please have the degree formally assessed through a “Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications” issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
If your visa category for non-academic professionals requires that you hold a vocational qualification please ensure that it has been formally recognised by the competent German authority.
Some regulated professions such as medical doctors, nurses, teachers, architects, auditors, tax advisors and more require a formal license to practise their profession in Germany. Please consult the database on recognition in regulated professions.
Should you be 45 years of age or older and on an annual salary of less than EUR 48.180 (2023 threshold) we may need to sight evidence that you already made adequate retirement provisions.
Complete the online application form (application forms are required for each applicant separately; all children require separate forms).
Bring one printed and signed form including the barcodes to your appointment.
A valid passport signed by the holder, issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least one year is necessary. The passport needs to have at least 2 subsequent blank pages. Please bring 1 photocopy of the passport biodata page to your appointment.
1 fully biometric passport photo, 35 x 45 mm, no older than three months. Digitally altered passport photos cannot be accepted. Please ensure that your photo adheres to German biometric requirements and is taken in front of a white/bright background.
Bring your valid Qatar residence permit (QID) and 1 photocopy to your appointment.
to be completed by your employer
by the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit (if available), original and one copy.
1 copie
We will need to see the original degree certificate or a copy either notarised by a notary public or certified by the issuing academic institution. The original will be returned to you during your appointment. Any document in a language other than German, English or French needs to be translated into one of these languages by a certified or sworn translator.
- 1 photocopie of the original and translation (if applicable)
- Print-outs from the official database - showing that both the qualification as well as the academic institution are listed as comparable - 1 copie
- OR original of the “Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications”, issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) plus 1 photocopie of the ZAB statement.
We will need to see the original qualification or a copy either notarised by a notary public or certified by the issuing vocational institution. The original will be returned to you during your appointment. Any document in a language other than German, English or French needs to be translated into one of these languages by a certified or sworn translator.
- 1 photocopie of the original and translation (if applicable)
Original of the recognition notice regarding your professional qualification plus 1 photocopie
Book an appointment
Please use our online appointment booking system. Booking via telephone or email is not possible. At the appointment, you will submit all required documents and pay the visa processing fee. You will be interviewed with regard to your planned stay in Germany and your biometric data (passport photograph and fingerprints) will be collected.