If you have completed vocational training or an academic study program abroad and it was determined in Germany that you lack further qualifications to be fully certified for any equivalent employment in the country, you have the opportunity to attend various qualification courses in Germany to learn the necessary skills needed for full certification. In order to do this, you must first apply for a residency permit for the certification of foreign professional qualifications. This is limited to up to 18 months and can be extended for another six months in exceptional cases. Please note that, as a third-country national, you must first apply for a visa before entering Germany.
You must meet the following requirements in order to obtain a residency permit for the purpose of certifying your foreign professional qualifications:
The immigration office of the city in which you live is responsible for issuing the residency permit for the certification of foreign professional qualifications. You will find the necessary documents on the website of the respective office. As a rule, however, the documents are as follows:
Please note that the processing time can take between four and eight weeks.
Have you successfully completed your training courses and had your qualifications fully certified? Then you have the opportunity to apply for a residency permit for job seekers. If you already have a concrete job offer, you can apply for a work and residency permit for skilled professionals.