Up-to-date information you must know about the German language and about working, studying and getting a residence permit in Germany
Up-to-date information you must know about the German language and about working, studying and getting a residence permit in Germany
To obtain a work permit for Germany, citizens of the Republic of Türkiye must apply under the national visa. If the person does not hold valid citizenship in Germany (European Union or European Economic Area or Switzerland), the visa they need to obtain is the Germany Work Visa.
Germany Work Visa applications are made to the German Consulates or the German Embassy, which are the only authorities on this matter. To apply for a visa, you need to have received an offer from a workplace in Germany or have reached an agreement with a workplace you found yourself.
The Federal Republic of Germany has introduced certain restrictions for third-country nationals who apply. If you do not hold German citizenship or citizenship of a European Union member state, you are considered a third-country national. For citizens of the Republic of Türkiye to work in a job they have found themselves, the conditions there must be met and the job must comply with the criteria set by the German authorities.
For a job you have found in Germany, if there is no German or other national with priority rights (European Union or European Economic Area or Switzerland) suitable for that position in the region, you can go and work in that job. If you studied at university in Germany as a Turkish citizen and find a job matching your qualifications within 18 months of graduating, Germany grants you a residence and work permit at the end of this period.
If you returned to Türkiye after completing your university studies, you are entitled to a 6-month visa to look for a job in Germany. If, within this 6-month period, you find a job that matches your qualifications and have enough savings to support yourself during this time, you can apply to the Foreigners’ Office (Ausländerbehörder) in Germany for a residence permit for employment. If the field you will work in is information technology or engineering, Germany does not ask you to submit a language certificate; however, if your field of work is outside these professions, you must submit a language proficiency certificate when applying for the Germany Work Permit Visa.
To apply for the Germany Work Permit Visa, if you have a diploma from a university in Türkiye, this diploma must be equivalent to the diplomas of universities in Germany. If you completed your education abroad:
- The job you want to do must be on the list that the German Federal Employment Agency currently classifies as the positive list or white list.
- The job advertisement you will apply for or have applied for must have been posted on the German Federal Employment Agency’s job exchange.
The equivalence of the vocational training you received at university to German vocational training must have been established. The document you receive after completing the recognition procedure must be submitted during the application.
If the period you want to work in Germany does not exceed 90 days, you can apply accordingly.
Documents Required for the Germany Work Permit Visa
To apply for the Germany Work Permit Visa, if the period you will work exceeds 90 days, you need to apply for a long-stay National Visa (type D). In your National Visa (type D) application, you must show that you are going for work purposes with documents you prepare in addition to the documents for this visa type. Documents Required for the Germany Work Permit Visa:
- Application Form: The application form for the Germany Work Permit Visa must be completed by the applicant in German, with all the requested information filled in completely. If there is missing information on your application form, your application will be considered invalid. The application form must be signed by the applicant. This form is a long form of several pages requesting detailed information. If you contact our Vize Merkezi Germany Visa representative about completing the application form, they can provide you with guidance. You can view the Germany National Visa Application form in the Forms and Petitions section of our Vize Merkezi Germany page, and you can also find it on the official website of the German Consulate.
- Passport: The passport you need when applying for the Germany Work Permit Visa must be valid for at least 1 year. If the applicant does not have a passport, they must obtain the documents required for a passport application and apply to the Passport Branch Offices of the provincial or district Police Departments. You can make your passport application online.
- 2 Passport Photos: The required biometric photos must be recent, taken no more than 6 months ago, and must meet biometric standards. The biometric photos you need must measure 35 x 45 millimetres. The photo must be taken straight on, with no accessories covering the applicant’s face and no hair falling in front of it. The German Consulate may make exceptions for certain religious reasons, but even in such cases the eyes must not be covered.
- Photocopy of Identity Card: A photocopy of the applicant’s identity card clearly showing the front and back.
- Full Civil Registry Record with All Events: This document must contain, in full, the civil registry information of the person applying for the Germany Work Permit and all events relating to their civil registry record. The Remarks section of the person’s civil registry record must be completed in full. The information that must not be missing from this document includes:
- Previous marriages,
- Identity information of your children,
- Divorces,
- Information about your mother and father: This includes information such as your citizenship details. If this information is missing, your application will be considered invalid. As well as this information being included in your Full Civil Registry Record, the German Consulate may ask you for additional documents relating to it. If the applicant is a woman, the Civil Registry Record under her previous surname must also be submitted. The only authorised place where citizens of the Republic of Türkiye can obtain this document is the Civil Registry Directorates.
- Applicant’s certificate of residence: The certificate of residence of the applicant residing in Türkiye must be submitted. This document is also required when completing the Germany Family Reunification application form. The certificate of residence is obtained by the applicant from the local headman’s office (muhtarlık) for their residential address.
- Health Insurance: The health insurance you must submit when applying for the Germany Work Permit Visa must be current and valid for at least 3 months. If you contact Vize Merkezi, they will help you with this.
- CV describing your professional development, school reports, diplomas, employment contract, etc. (with German translations)
- A concrete job offer containing the information below (e.g. an employment contract)
- Employer in Germany (name, address)
- Place of work in Germany (postcode)
- Job advertisement and job description
- Type of employment: Full-time or part-time
- Annual gross salary in euros
- Foreign higher education diploma (if possible, together with the ANABIN printout mentioned above) or
- Vocational training certificate obtained abroad and recognition of equivalence certificate, or
- Vocational training certificate obtained in Germany
- If required for the profession: The licence to practise the profession or a letter confirming that the licence will be granted (e.g. the licence to practise as a doctor granted under Section 10 of the Federal Medical Practitioners’ Regulations)
- Commercial register entry or a comparable document issued by the company in Germany
Is There a Language Requirement for the Germany Work Permit Visa?
The Germany Work Permit visa is one of the steps you need to take to obtain a residence permit. On the way to a residence permit, the language level Germany requires of you is the minimum level, A1. To document that you are at this level, you need to attend language courses authorised by Germany and pass their exams. If you pass the A1 certificate exam, the institution gives you an A1 language proficiency certificate. The institutions from which you need to obtain this certificate are the Goethe-Instıtut and ÖSD. To find out what you need to do to obtain the A1 certificate, course hours and exam dates, you can visit the official websites of these institutions.
What Is the A1 Certificate Required for the Germany Work Permit Visa?
The A1 exam certificate you need to submit with your applications shows that you know German at a basic level. If you have an A1-level language certificate, while living in Germany you can understand and respond to everyday conversations there, provided people speak slowly and clearly. If your German is at the level of the A1 certificate, this level will not help you in a job or in places where fluent German is spoken.
Germany requires an A1-level language certificate for the visa application, but the workplace you apply to has the right to ask for B1 or C1-level language skills. This requirement depends on the criteria set by the workplace. The exam you take to obtain the A1 certificate is a simple exam made up of several sections that will not be difficult for you if you attend a course. If you do not know any German and are just starting to learn, we recommend that you attend courses; otherwise, your chances of passing the exam are quite low.
The A1 certificate exam consists of 4 sections. These are reading (Lesen), writing (Schreiben), listening (Hören) and speaking (Sprechen). To obtain the A1 certificate, you need to pass by achieving sufficient scores in these sections.
How Do You Get the A1 Exam Certificate Required for a Germany Work Permit?
The A1 exam required for Germany Work Permit Visa applications is the German language exam that awards the A1 certificate, which proves basic knowledge of German. The A1 exam certificate that people making a Germany Work Permit Visa application need to obtain is valid for Germany Work Permit Visa applications if it is obtained by passing the exam of certain institutions accepted by the German Consulate. These institutions are the Goethe Institute and ÖSD.
The German consulate strictly does not accept certificates submitted from institutions other than these. The original of the certificate you obtain must be submitted with the application.
Germany Work Permit and the Blue Card
Citizens of countries that are not members of the European Union need to obtain a Germany work permit visa to come to Germany if they find a job there. Since 1 August 2012, these people have been able to apply for the Blue Card, which provides a work and residence permit.
Another requirement for applying for the Blue Card is earning at least 44,800 euros a year. However, people who will work as doctors or in the natural sciences and IT are allowed to come to Germany to work even if their annual earnings are lower. The minimum annual earnings for these people must be 34,944 euros. People who obtain a Blue Card are granted a settlement permit, meaning an unlimited residence permit, after 33 months.
Professions in Demand
So which professional groups have better chances? Erik Benkendorf, Deputy Press Spokesperson of the Federal Employment Agency’s Berlin-Brandenburg Regional Directorate, answers this question: Based on the current situation, qualified staff and specialists working in information technology have a very high chance of finding a job here. Because, in my view, there are not enough qualified personnel working in engineering in Germany. As long as there are no such staff, non-EU citizens have a chance of entering the German labour market. The employment of people from other professional groups in Germany depends on their qualifications and employer demand.
Requirements for the Blue Card
Whatever their profession, a Turkish citizen who wants to work in Germany must find their job while still in Türkiye before coming to the country. The requirements for qualified personnel such as IT specialists or engineers are similar. These people do not need to know German to work in Germany.
Other Professional Groups
Doctors seeking a Germany work permit must have their diplomas recognised and also obtain special permission from the relevant health authority. Cooks are also counted among qualified personnel. However, Benkendorf, Deputy Press Spokesperson of the Federal Employment Agency’s Berlin-Brandenburg Regional Directorate, points out that because of the large number of Turks living in Germany, it is not easy to come from Türkiye as a cook.
For qualified personnel whose diplomas are recognised, computer specialists and people to be appointed to management positions in a Germany-based company to work in the country, the approval of the Federal Employment Agency is required. Senior executives and highly qualified personnel do not need the approval of the Federal Employment Agency to work in Germany. Those coming to Germany to carry out scientific research or teach at a university also do not need the approval of the Federal Employment Agency.
A Turkish citizen who finds a job in Germany must first obtain a visa to enter the country. The Federal Employment Agency checks whether there is someone in Germany who could do the job in question. One of the important conditions for a citizen of a non-EU country to work in Germany is that there is no one within Germany and the European Union who could work in that field.
What Do You Need to Do When You Arrive in Germany?
After the checks have been carried out, a visa can be obtained if the necessary conditions are met. Erik Benkendorf from the Federal Employment Agency advises that a person who comes to Germany with this visa, which is valid for three months, should go to the relevant Foreigners’ Office as soon as possible to obtain a residence permit.
Benkendorf states that the Foreigners’ Office examines the home the person lives in, whether an adequate salary is paid under the employment contract, and whether this money is enough to live on and, if applicable, to support other family members. After these checks, a residence permit is granted according to the duration of the employment contract. Initially, the residence permit is granted for a maximum of three years. In addition, there is no need to obtain a Germany work permit. The residence permit carries a stamp stating that the holder may work. However, this residence and work permit may be limited to a particular profession, employer or city.
The Situation of Spouses
People who come to Germany to work can bring their spouses and children with them. However, Eckhard von Zengen, Adviser at the Berlin State Office for Immigration and Integration, points out that the conditions for spouses and children to come differ depending on the employee’s role: it is much easier for university graduates to bring their spouses with them.
The embassy can decide on its own without asking the Foreigners’ Office. This applies especially to people assigned by German organisations. Children can also come to Germany without any problems. In some cases, someone in paid employment, for example someone who will work in industry, may come alone first and then apply to bring their spouse over. The spouses of qualified personnel, managers and scientists working in Germany are also granted a fixed-term Germany work permit together with a residence permit.
