Employment in Germany
Who needs a work visa
All persons who wish to seek gainful employment in Germany are required to obtain a residence permit in the form of a visa. A work permit will be included in the visa issued for this purpose.
It is not possible to issue an open work permit. You need to have a job offer to apply for a work visa.
Citizens of Canada, Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United States, Switzerland as well as EU citizens may apply for their residence permit for work after entering Germany without a visa.
The application can be submitted at the competent Aliens Authority after arrival in Germany. You don't have to apply for a German visa before leaving Canada. However, we recommend that a visa (which includes the work permit) is being issued in advance, especially in cases where an employment is intended to begin directly after arrival in Germany, since the employment cannot be started before having the obligatory work permit!
Canadian citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 may be interested in applying for a Youth Mobility visa.
More information on the Youth mobility visa
Citizens of other countries are required to apply and obtain a residence permit prior to entry (an option also open to Canadian citizens).
Please note: A visa in order to work in Germany is a so called national visa and does also entitle you to enter the other Schengen countries for a stay up to 90 days.
Where and how to apply
The German Foreign Missions only accept applications from Canadian residents. Applications from persons holding a Canadian student visa, work permit or long-term visitor’s visa are also accepted.
You have to submit your application in person at one of the German Foreign Missions listed on the right side. You must book an appointment when applying at the German Consulate in Toronto or Vancouver.
Request an appointment with the Visa Section in Toronto
Request an appointment with the Visa Section in Vancouver
Upon submission of ALL the required documents the application will be forwarded to the competent German Aliens Authority (“Ausländeramt”). Work visa applications take up to 12 weeks to be processed. After the application has been approved by the Aliens Authority, the German Foreign Mission will issue a residence permit in the form of a visa with the duration for the first three months. A final residence permit will be granted in Germany by the Aliens Authority. The Aliens Authority requires all residence permit holders to register upon their first arrival.
Required documents
Please download the checklist below to overwiew the documents have to be submitted upon application.
Checklist work visa [pdf, 80,82k]
Please note:
Only applications which include ALL the relevant forms fully completed, signed by the applicant and being submitted with ALL the relevant documentation will be accepted!
In individual cases, you may be required to provide additional documents.
Passport requirements
Please note these important regulations concerning the passport for all applicants:
- Its validity has to extend the duration of the visa you are applying for by at least three months.
- It has to contain at least two blank pages.
- It must have been issued within the last ten years. A passport older than ten years that has been extended for a period exceeding ten years from the time of issuance cannot be accepted.
