Residence permits for skilled work

A Blue Card is one way to live and work in Germany, but it is not the only one. If you have a job offer, your qualification, experience and the type of job can point to different residence routes. Check professional permission separately.

In short

• Sections 18a and 18b cover qualified employment for skilled workers with a recognised vocational qualification or a recognised or comparable higher-education degree, respectively. Other general conditions also apply.
• A route for practical experience under section 19c(2) and section 6 of the Employment Ordinance can be relevant without German equivalence in non-regulated work. It has its own qualification, experience, salary and Agency-approval requirements.
• Section 16d offers different routes for recognition measures, including an agreement with an employer in a recognition partnership. The requirements and permitted work differ between its subsections.
• A professional licence, if required, is separate from a residence title. An offer or an application is not permission to start a regulated job.
• EU and EEA free movement, qualifying family members and the Swiss agreement follow different rules; see EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. A non-EU passport alone does not tell you which route applies.

Choose the route to check

Recognised vocational qualification or degree. Section 18a covers a Fachkraft with vocational training; section 18b covers a Fachkraft with academic training. Section 18(3) defines these qualifications to include German qualifications and the specified equivalent, recognised or comparable foreign qualifications. Both sections require qualified employment. The job generally does not need to match the subject of your qualification, and it does not need to be in a shortage occupation. A regulated job still needs any required permission to practise.

Under section 18(2), the general conditions include a concrete offer and, unless an exception applies, Federal Employment Agency approval. They also include an issued or promised professional licence where one is needed. On a first section 18a or 18b title after your 45th birthday, an additional salary or adequate pension-provision condition applies, subject to the exceptions in the Act. Ask the mission or foreigners authority which evidence it needs and use the official salary notice for the relevant year.

Practical experience. Under section 19c(2) and section 6 of the Employment Ordinance, the Agency can approve qualified employment for people with relevant professional experience. The rules generally require at least two years of experience acquired in the last five years, a qualifying foreign professional or academic qualification, and a job or offer meeting the salary rule. The foreign vocational qualification normally requires at least two years of training. Both it and a foreign degree must generally be recognised by the state where they were obtained, with confirmation from a competent body in Germany. A qualifying credential from a German chamber of commerce abroad is an alternative, and certain IT occupations have an exception to the qualification requirement. The section 6 salary threshold does not apply when the employer is bound by a collective agreement and employs the person on its applicable collectively agreed terms. A separate salary or adequate pension-provision condition generally applies to a first Agency approval under this route when employment starts after your 45th birthday; exceptions can apply where there is a public interest in the employment. Ask the responsible authority which documents and current salary rule apply. A regulated profession still requires its professional licence.

Recognition in progress. Section 16d(1) covers a suitable qualification measure when the recognition body has found that you need additional measures or qualifications.

Section 16d(3) covers a recognition partnership with an employer. You need a concrete job offer, a suitable employer and an agreement to start recognition and make the required qualification measures possible. Generally, you also need a foreign vocational qualification with at least two years of training or a foreign degree, recognised by the state where it was obtained and confirmed by a competent body in Germany. Your German must be appropriate for the job and at least A2. Agency approval is also required unless an exception applies.

For that approval, the work during recognition must relate to your qualification, and the recognition procedure must concern the same occupational group as the work. The partnership does not replace a professional licence. The work you can do depends on the route; check the exact subsection and your title before starting. Our recognition guide explains the assessment itself.

Other routes. The EU Blue Card has separate qualification, job and salary rules. The opportunity card is designed for job search or a recognition measure and has its own limits. Neither is a required preliminary step for every skilled-worker permit.

Apply for the route that fits

1. Check your existing rights. If free movement, the Swiss agreement, a qualifying family right or another residence title already covers your work, ask the competent authority how that status applies before choosing a new permit.
2. Confirm the job and qualification. Get the written offer and job description. Ask the recognition office or, for academic comparability, the appropriate assessment body what evidence is needed. Check any professional licence and language requirements with the responsible office.
3. Choose the residence route. Ask the German mission responsible for your place of residence, or the local Ausländerbehörde if you are already in Germany, which application fits your situation. Confirm whether you need an entry visa, which documents and health-cover evidence to provide, and whether Agency approval is required.
4. Discuss the process with your employer. The employer can ask about the accelerated skilled-worker procedure under section 81a with your authorisation. It has its own scope and conditions; it does not guarantee a visa or replace required professional permission.
5. Check the decision before starting. Read the visa or residence document and any Zusatzblatt. If the job, employer or conditions change, ask the responsible authority what you must report or apply for. Keep the written decision and contact details.

Common mistakes

• Treating a shortage occupation as a residence permit or assuming every job requires a Blue Card.
• Using the experience route as if it removed every qualification, salary or professional-licence requirement.
• Assuming the same work limits apply to every recognition route in section 16d.
• Paying someone for a guaranteed appointment or permit. The competent authorities decide applications.