🇩🇪 Germany
Skilled Worker
For people with a recognised vocational qualification or academic degree taking qualified employment in Germany.
German Skilled Worker Visa (§18a / §18b)
At a glance
- Sponsor
- Job offer required
- Lottery
- No
- Residence
- Settlement in 3-5 years
- Difficulty
- Moderate (recognition heavy)
- Processing
- 1-4 months
What this visa is
Where the Blue Card requires a degree and a salary threshold, the Skilled Worker visa covers anyone with a recognised qualification, academic or vocational, taking qualified employment. Since the 2023 reform you no longer need the job to match your field of study, and there is no general salary floor for applicants under 45 beyond normal collective standards. The gate is recognition: your foreign qualification must be assessed as equivalent to a German one.
Germany faces acute shortages in trades, healthcare and technical roles that university-only routes do not reach, so the Skilled Immigration Act opened the door to vocational qualifications.
Who it is for
Nurses, technicians, electricians, IT staff, engineers and other trained professionals whose qualification can be formally recognised by the relevant German chamber or authority.
Why people choose it
Vocational routes count
You do not need a university degree.
Any qualified job
Employment no longer has to match your exact field of training.
No general salary floor
Under-45s only need standard market pay.
Family reunification
Spouse and children can join with work rights.
Fast settlement
Permanent residence in as little as 3 years.
Recognition partnership
You can enter and complete recognition while already working.
Self-assessment
Tick what already applies to you.
Documents you will gather
9 items. Track them as you collect each one.
0 of 9 ready
How the process runs
Step 1
Recognition application
Submit to the competent chamber or authority (2-4 months).
Step 2
Job search and offer
Secure a contract for qualified employment.
Step 3
D visa application
Apply at the German mission; accelerated procedure available via the employer.
Step 4
Entry and Anmeldung
Register your address within two weeks.
Step 5
Residence permit
Issued by the Ausländerbehörde for up to 4 years.
Step 6
Settlement
Niederlassungserlaubnis after 3 years with B1 German, otherwise 5.
What it costs
Recognition procedure
€100 - €600
Varies by chamber and profession.
National D visa
€75
Per applicant.
Residence permit
€100
Issued locally.
Accelerated skilled worker procedure
€411
Optional, arranged by the employer.
Translations and certification
€200 - €600
Certified German translations.
Fees change regularly. Figures are indicative and for educational purposes only, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
It is the formal comparison of your foreign qualification with the German equivalent. For regulated professions it is mandatory before you can work.
Other Germany routes
EU Blue Card
Germany's flagship route for university graduates with a job offer. Permanent residence can arrive in as little as 21 months.
Read guideOpportunity Card
A points-based residence permit that lets you move to Germany to look for work, with part-time employment allowed while you search.
Read guideJob Seeker Visa
The classic six-month visa to search for qualified employment from inside Germany, for holders of a recognised qualification.
Read guideWant a read on your odds?
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