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Migration and work
Are you planning to work in Germany or want to move there to live with your family? Do you want to study at a German university? The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA) will support you and explain what conditions you need to meet in order to be able to live and work in Germany. From entering Germany through to topics such as working or studying and education in Germany – you will find comprehensive information here.
Migration to Germany
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) provides all of the important information on migrating to and working in Germany in the “migration and residence” section of its website. You can read here about the entry rules that apply to migrants who want to come alone or with their families to work or study in Germany. There are different rules for migrating to Germany depending on the country from which you come.
Click here to visit the “Migration to Germany” section of the BAMF website
Entering Germany
You can familiarise yourself with the entry rules for coming to Germany in the section “Entering Germany”. Here you will find information on the course of the visa process and further links, e.g. a list of German representation abroad.
EU citizens can enter Germany without a visa. Nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) have equal status with EU citizens who have an unrestricted entitlement to freedom of movement. Nationals of Switzerland also enjoy freedom of movement within the EU.
Subsequent entry of spouses as part of labour migration
The BAMF provides information about the rules for foreign nationals who want to move to Germany to be with their relatives in the “Subsequent entry of family members” section of its website.
Working in Germany
The BAMF also provides information on what opportunities are available for immigrants to take up work in Germany and how they are regulated. You are required to meet different requirements depending on the country from which you come.
Comprehensive information is also available on the German government's "Make it in Germany" portal for skilled workers from abroad.
The Goethe Institut offers a lot of information on language acquisition and life in Germany on its website "Mein Weg nach Deutschland".
The "Recognition Finder" online tool of the online portal “Anerkennung in Deutschland” (Recognition in Germany) shows the way to the right recognition office and offers information on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications in many languages.
On the portal "Make it in Bavaria - Opportunities for skilled workers and employers", the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy provides information for foreign skilled workers to facilitate their arrival and stay and to provide assistance.
Under the telephone number: +49 30 1815-1111, the BAMF hotline “Working and Living in Germany” is available in German and English to answer your questions about entering and residing in Germany, searching for jobs, the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications and about the topic of learning German.
Education
You have the opportunity to come to Germany and learn a profession here. There are two types of training for this purpose:
- School-based vocational training: takes place exclusively at a technical school, vocational college or vocational college;
- In-company vocational training: takes place alternately at a vocational school and in a company (so-called dual training).
- Click here for more information on the topic "Going to Germany for vocational training" provided by the BAMF
University studies
Germany is an attractive location for higher education. In the "Studying in Germany" section, the BAMF informs in particular interested persons from third countries, i.e. from countries outside the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland about their possibilities to do so.
Information for ethnic German resettlers
Immigrants who are recognised as ethnic German resettlers from the successor states of the former Soviet Union and from other Eastern European states automatically receive German nationality. The BAMF provides information on the acceptance and certification procedure, arrival in Germany and participation in special integration courses in the “Ethnic German resettlers” section of their website.
Jewish immigrants
In Germany, there are special acceptance conditions for Jewish immigrants. The BAMF provides information on the legal conditions, special rules for victims of National Socialist persecution and the acceptance procedure for Jewish immigrants, from making an application right through to entering Germany.
Naturalization
On the website of the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration you will find a wealth of information on naturalization and its requirements.