Residence permit - skilled workers with academic training
If you have completed your studies outside Germany, you can apply for a residence permit for qualified employment.
Course description
Visa procedure
If you belong to a third country (not the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland), you generally need a visa to enter Germany for the purpose of employment, which must be applied for at the German diplomatic mission abroad.
The visa is not required for citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America.
After entering the country
You must first register your residence at the Citizens Office.
Application and deadline
You must apply for your residence permit before your visa/residence permit expires. If you can enter the country without a visa for this purpose, you must apply for a residence permit at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Office within 90 days of entering the country.
Please submit the application form and the required documents online or by post. After submitting your online application, you can download a completed document as a PDF for your records. The document will confirm your application and the authorisation/continuation of your previous residence. Once we have checked your application, you will receive an appointment for a personal interview.
Period of validity
The residence permit is valid for four years. If you have an employment contract of less than four years, your residence permit will be valid for as long as your employment contract.
Prerequisites
- You have the following qualifications:
- You have a German university degree or
- a foreign university degree that is comparable to a German university degree (see anabin H+ under University and degree or a certificate assessment from the Central Office for Foreign Education - ZAB)
- Employment contract or concrete job offer for qualified employment. This means that a university degree or qualified vocational training is usually required for this employment.
- Vocational training licence (for regulated professions, e.g. healthcare, legal advice or teaching professions)
- Approval from the Federal Employment Agency or an exemption from the approval requirement
- Consent is obtained from the German diplomatic mission abroad or the Service Centre for Immigration and Naturalisation.
- If you are older than 45 and are travelling to Germany for the first time for the purpose of employment:
- You must achieve a gross annual salary of at least 53,130 euros (in 2025) with the intended employment in Germany or you must provide evidence of adequate pension provision from public or private sources (assets or pension insurance)
Required documents
- Fully completed application form
- Valid passport or passport replacement
- current biometric passport photo submitted digitally by a certified photo studio or drugstore. Alternatively, you can use one of the photo terminals at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Office for a fee.
- Valid visa for entry to pursue qualified employment and entry stamp (if required, only for initial application)
- University degree certificate: If you have a foreign certificate, you must submit a certified German or English translation and an extract from anabin(H+ for university and degree) or a certificate evaluation from the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs for recognition
- Professional licence (for regulated professions, only for first-time applications)
- Employment contract or a concrete job offer (only for initial application)
- Current and fully completed assurance of employment(only for initial application, please upload together with the employment contract)
- Current and fully completed declaration of employment
- In the case of an extension: Proof of salary for the first two and last three months
- Appropriate pension scheme (required from the age of 45 if the salary does not amount to at least EUR 53,130 (2025) per year)
- Proof of assets or pension insurance from public or private sources in Germany or abroad
Note: Further documents may be required in individual cases.
Questions & Answers
We will give you the opportunity to look for a new qualified job for six months.
Documents required via the contact form:
- Proof of funds of at least 5,166 euros (bank statement, savings book)
- Proof of health insurance
- Letter from your company stating the date of departure
- Copy of your passport
- Copy of your residence permit
You will receive a reply from us.
You can find more information about finding a job online.
You can find out for yourself at www.anabin.de. The university must be labelled "H+" and the degree must be equivalent to a Bachelor's or Master's degree.
If you cannot find your university and degree there, you can contact our service centre for foreign degrees.
A change of employer is possible. You can find further information
To practise a regulated profession (e.g. medical or teaching professions), a state licence to practise is mandatory. In the case of non-regulated professions (e.g. software development), however, proof that the foreign qualification is comparable to the respective German reference qualification is sufficient for practising the profession.
You can find all the information here.
Legal basis
§ Section 18b (1) AufenthG
Ausländerbehörde
Phone number
Postal address
Ausländerbehörde
Ruppertstraße 19
80466 München
Fax: +49 89 233-44284
Address
Ruppertstraße 19
80337 München
Only with appointment