General information

You can apply for a national visa (i.e. for a continuous stay of at least 91 days in Germany) for internship and training purposes if you want to complete

• a study-related EU training programme not exceeding six months,
• an internship with a duration of up to one year by mutual agreement with the Federal Employment Agency during a course of study at a foreign higher education institution after the fourth semester that relates to the degree subject,
• an internship for advanced vocational training and have already completed vocational or university training,

• an internship based on a regulation in the foreign vocational training regulations and you are currently completing a foreign vocational training course,

• an internship within the scope of a programme receiving funding from the European Union or bilateral development cooperation,
• an internship with a duration of up to one year as part of an international exchange programme at associations, public-law institutions or student organisations as student or graduate of a foreign higher education institution by mutual agreement with the Federal Employment Agency or
• an internship and you are a skilled worker and executive receiving a scholarship from German public funds, European Union funds or the funds of international intergovernmental organisations.

Basic information

You have to submit your visa application for internship and training purposes 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.

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. - A digital application form to be completed online can be found on https://videx-national.diplo.de
3. 2 current, identical biometric passport photos with a white background
4. Curriculum vitae in German or English, gapless - Please provide brief information about your educational and professional career.
5. Proof of qualification - Secondary school qualification, possibly vocational school or university qualification
6. Completed form signed by your employer: “Declaration regarding a contract of employment”
7. Internship contract - Internship contract signed by employer and employee in German with information about the employer, the period of employment, the remuneration and weekly working hours in hours as well as the job description
8. Internship/advanced vocational training plan - The internship/advanced vocational training plan must be divided into training sections. Your employer can use this form provided by the Federal Employment Agency
9. If applicable: Proof of mandatory internship - Excerpt from the study regulations as proof that this is a compulsory internship
10. If applicable: preliminary approval of the Federal Employment Agency
11. Special case of internship during a course of study at a foreign higher education institution after the fourth semester that relates to the degree subject - For an internship during a course of study at a foreign higher education institution after the fourth semester that relates to the degree subject in accordance with Section 16a of the Residence Act in conjunction with Section 15 No. 6 of the Ordinance on the Employment of Foreigners, the following documents must also be submitted:
    • Original Agreement from the Federal Employment Agency,
    • Certificate of enrollment or confirmation letter from the foreign university as proof that you have already studied at least four semesters and are currently studying and
    • Printout from the anabin database on the foreign institution
      A university is any educational institution abroad that enables a degree that is comparable to a university degree that could be acquired in Germany. Therefore, only universities with an H+ or H+/- entry in anabin are eligible
12. Special case of study-related EU training programmes - When completing a study-related EU training programme in accordance with Section 16e of the Residence Act, you must meet and provide evidence of the following additional requirements:
    • you have obtained a higher education degree within the two years preceding the date of the visa application or you pursue a course of study that leads to a higher education degree,
    • the training is equivalent to your higher education degree or studies, in terms of both content and level,
    • your training agreement with the host entity contains the following:
      • a description of the training programme, including the educational objective or learning components,
      • the duration of the training programme,
      • the conditions under which the foreigner will work and be supervised,
      • the working hours and
      • the legal relationship between the foreigner and the host entity,
    • the host entity has undertaken in writing to bear the costs incurred by public bodies up to six months after termination of the training agreement for
      • the trainee’s subsistence during an unlawful stay in the federal territory, and
      • deportation of the trainee.
13. Special case: Internship as part of foreign (vocational) training - When completing an internship or training phase as part of a foreign (vocational) training in Germany, the following requirements must be met or proven:
    • Training recognized in the foreign country must be completed. The training contract or, in the case of vocational training, a current school certificate must be presented as proof.
    • The foreign training or study regulations must provide for such a training phase (internship). In addition, this must set requirements for the training phase that is to be completed in Germany. The training regulations or a confirmation from the school must be presented as proof.
    • The training phase completed in Germany must be recognized in the third country as an integrated part of the foreign training. As proof, a current certificate from the foreign training company or vocational school must be presented.
    • The duration of the training phase completed in Germany should generally not exceed a quarter of the total training duration.
14. Proof of adequate financial means
    • With the exception of compulsory internships and internships for advanced vocational training, internships for longer-term stays of more than 90 days are subject to the current provisions of the Minimum Wage Act. For 2024, the minimum wage is 12.41 euros/hour.
    • For a compulsory internship, at least 992 euros net must be available per month
    • For an internship for advanced vocational training, at least 964 euros gross / 802 euros net must be available per month.
    • For an internship as part of a foreign (vocational) training, at least 982 euros gross per month must be available.
    • If it is proven for an internship for advanced vocational training or an internship as part of a foreign (vocational) training 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.
    • If the intern's salary cannot cover living costs for a compulsory internship or an internship for advanced vocational training, then the shortfall for the entire duration of the stay must be offset by proof of a scholarship or by paying your own funds into a German blocked account. Open the blocked account in good time BEFORE you apply for a visa. When applying for a visa, only the official confirmation of the opening of the account including information on the amount paid in and the amount available per month will be accepted. A confirmation which does not include this information is not sufficient. Proof of lodgement or transfer of funds without the aforementioned confirmation from the bank is not sufficient.
    • Providers of blocked accounts can be found through an internet search
15. Proof of incoming health insurance coverage, valid for the entire duration of the internship/training programme beginning with date of entry to Germany
16. 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.