Persons with Indian citizenship have to apply for a visa to enter Germany and to stay in Germany on a long-term basis for the purpose of gaining employment. This visa can be applied for at the German Mission in the country where these persons have their legal permanent residency. The corresponding German Mission can be found here.
The type of visa to apply for depends on the professional qualification.
Moreover, the general requirements (according to sec. 5 Residence Act) must be fulfilled to apply for a visa.
With a university degree it is possible to apply for the following visa types:
To find a job, a visa for the purpose of job-seeking (according to sec. 18c Residence Act) can be applied for. This visa entitles to search for a job in Germany within six months. These are the most important requirements:
- Proof of a German academic degree or a recognized foreign academic degree or a comparable foreign academic degree to a German degree
The database “anabin” documents information on foreign universities and degrees. An academic degree is equivalent to a German degree, if the precise university degree is listed as “gleichwertig” or “entspricht” (German for “equivalent”) in this database. Additionally, the university has to be recognized and rated with an H+. The university can be searched for here and the academic degree here.
In case there is no information on the degree in the database, it is necessary to apply for an evaluation by the Central Office for Foreign Education. Detailed information concerning the evaluation can be found here.
Please note that there are so-called regulated professions in Germany, especially in the fields of health and education (e.g. physicians, pharmacists, teachers at state schools). Persons working within these professions need a state license, so they need recognition of their foreign qualification before permission to work will be granted. In these cases, print-outs from anabin or a Statement of Comparability are not sufficient.
The information portal “Anerkennung in Deutschland” helps to find out whether the profession is regulated or not.
- Proof that the applicant’s livelihood is secured for the period of stay in Germany
Important note:
Please note that it is not allowed to work with this type of visa until a job is found which matches the university degree. Before starting to work, it is necessary to change the visa for the purpose of job-seeking into a residence permit for the purpose of gaining employment. This residence permit can be applied for at the local Foreigners Office (Ausländerbehörde). The corresponding Foreigners Office can be found here.
For all other visa types an employment contract or a binding job offer is required.
Visa for the Blue Card EU (according to sec. 19a Residence Act)
The Blue Card EU is a specific visa for highly-qualified persons. The visa entitles to work and offers several advantages. The Blue Card EU flyer provides further information. These are the most important requirements:
- Proof of a German academic degree or a recognized foreign academic degree or a comparable foreign academic degree to a German degree (see above)
- Submission of an employment contract or a binding job offer that is suitable to the qualification
- Proof of a minimum annual gross salary of 50,800 euros. Exception: A lower salary threshold of 39,624 euros is applied for EU Blue Cards issued to scientists, mathematicians and engineers, as well as to doctors and IT specialists
Visa for the purpose of gaining employment (according to sec. 18 Residence Act)
This visa entitles to work in Germany. These are the most important requirements:
- Proof of a German academic degree or a recognized foreign academic degree or a comparable foreign academic degree to a German degree (see above)
- Submission of an employment contract or a binding job offer that is suitable to the qualification
With a vocational training it is possible to apply for the following visa type:
Visa for the purpose of gaining employment (according to sec. 18 Residence Act)
This visa entitles to work in Germany. These are the most important requirements:
- Completed vocational training in a shortage profession according to the whitelist of the Federal Employment Agency
- The vocational training is equal to the suitable German training
This flyer contains further information on recognition of foreign professional qualifications in Germany. - Submission of an employment contract or a binding job offer that is suitable to the qualification
We recommend a visit to the “Welcome to Germany” Portal which provides lots of information about working and living in Germany.
Furthermore, the website of the corresponding German Mission gives helpful information on the different visa types and their requirements (e.g. information sheets, application forms, contact data).
Please note:
The here represented information is a general service offer. The German Missions are solely responsible for deciding whether a person fulfils the requirements to enter Germany with the suitable visa. For further questions please contact the corresponding German Mission – especially for questions concerning the required documents.
Job search:
The Guide to “Working in Germany” provides helpful information about job seeking in Germany.
The “International Placement Services” (ZAV) of the Federal Employment Agency helps foreign skilled workers find a suitable job in Germany and provides information on the access to the labour market.
The database “Job Board”, hosted by the Federal Employment Agency, lists plenty of job offers. There is a brochure that gives step-by-step instructions on the best way to use the Job Board here. The brochure is available in different languages.