General information
The issuance of a visa for the purpose of vocational training is based on the requirements set out in Section 16a of the Residence Act.
You can do vocational training in Germany if you have a training place in a company and German language skills (B1 for qualified vocational training, otherwise as a rule at least A2). If you are less proficient in German, you can however also do a language course before starting your training.
Basic information
- You have to submit your visa application for the purpose of vocational training to the external service provider TLScontact. Information about the services TLScontact offers and how to make appointments can be found in German and English on the TLScontact website.
- All application documents must be submitted in original with 1 copy.
- Please sort the documents in the order listed below.
- Documents not in the German or English language must be submitted with a certified German or English translation.
- The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documents in individual cases.
- Incomplete application forms as well as applications with incomplete documents will delay processing and may lead to rejection of the application.
Processing time is as a rule ca. 1 to 2 months but can take longer in individual cases. If the Foreigners authority issues a so-called preliminary approval to the visa according to Section 81a of the Residence Act (“Fast-track procedure for skilled workers”), the processing time is ca. 2 weeks.
- Please do not contact the mission abroad to check the status of your application during the normal processing period. Such inquiries are extremely time-consuming for the visa section and can thus not be answered.
For your application we require the following documents:
1. Passport and 1 copy of the data page. If you are a foreigner residing in Kenya, Burundi, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan or the Seychelles, you have to show a valid residence permit for the country of residence.
2. 1 completed and duly signed application form including information provided to applicants pursuant to Section 54 of the Residence Act
3. A digital application form to be completed online can be found on https://videx-national.diplo.de
4. 2 current, identical biometric passport photos with a white background
5. Curriculum vitae in German, gapless
6. A conclusive letter of motivation in German, written by yourself, providing information on why you would like to complete the vocational training in the occupation you have specified. Please also state how the vocational training fits into your previous training and career biography.
7. Proof of school-leaving qualifications and, if applicable, any training or studies you have already completed
8. Vocational Training contract (original with legible stamp) with the future employer, signed by all parties including vocational training plan
9. Proof of sufficient means of subsistence:
In order to verify that the applicant’s subsistence is secure during the vocational training, the visa section uses a standard federal orientation amount. The orientation amount is set at 990,- EUR gross per month.
As proof in the visa process, the amount of the monthly training allowance according to the training contract is used first.
If it is proven that lodging or health and long-term care insurance coverage is taken over by the employer, the corresponding partial amounts (for lodging 277,- EUR, for health and long-term insurance 137,- EUR) of the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) rate can be deducted. As far as third parties provide food, a lump sum of 150 EUR can be deducted. In addition, any shortfalls must be made up by own funds, for example in a blocked account, or in individual cases by a formal obligation letter (“Verpflichtungserklärung”).
10. Proof of German language skills, at least at B1 level (or, in the case of language courses in Germany prior to vocational training, usually at least A2 level; see 11.).
As proof, a recognized certificate from a testing provider certified according to the standards of ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) must be submitted. In Kenya, the Goethe Institute and ÖSD currently issue recognized language certificates.
Only certificates for which the examination date was no longer than one year ago will be accepted. If individual modules have been repeated, the date of the oldest module passed applies. Taking different test parts from different ALTE certified providers is sufficient.
11. Proof of incoming health insurance coverage, valid for one year beginning with date of entry to Germany
12. Special case: previous language course:
Please note that even in the case of a language course in Germany prior to the training, language skills of at least A2 level must usually already be proven when applying for a visa. The following proof must be submitted for this purpose:
Details of the planned language course: period of time, number of language lessons and, if applicable, course content, cost of the course, location of the lessons.
Proof of payment of the course fee.
For the time during the language course, proof of subsistence must be provided with an amount of at least 959,- EUR net per month (if no marginal employment is performed).
13. (Optional) Preliminary approval of the Federal Employment Agency or the Foreigners Authority (or in the case of the fast-track procedure for skilled workers in accordance with Section 81a of the Residence Act)
14. Visa fee in the amount 75 Euros, payable in Kenyan Shillings
This fact sheet reflects the legal situation at the time of drafting it. It is regularly updated but makes no claim to be complete. Authoritative version of the fact sheet is the German version.
