General information

The issuance of a visa for advanced in-company vocational training is based on the requirements stated in Section 16a of the Residence Act (AufenthG).

In-company further training usually requires completed training. If you have

• at least two years of in-company or school-based vocational training
• advanced school-based vocational training (e.g. after graduating from high school) or
• a technical college or university education,

then the requirements are met.

In individual cases, at least three years of current professional experience in the profession for which further training is to be completed in Germany can be recognized as a comparable qualification. In these cases, a professional CV with relevant proof of qualifications (e.g. job references) must be submitted.

Basic information

- You have to submit your visa application for the purpose of advanced in-company 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.

- 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. completed and duly signed application form including information provided to applicants pursuant to Section 54 of the Residence Act. 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
5. Proof of completed training or comparable qualifications .Please submit proof of your completed vocational training or a comparable qualification. These include:
   1. in-company or school-based vocational training that lasted at least 2 years
   2. high-level school-based vocational training
   3. studying at a technical college or university
   4. a comparable qualification (at least 3 years of professional experience)
6. Agreement on participation in advanced in-company vocational training. Please submit proof of your participation in advanced in-company vocational training. This can be, for example, an invitation letter or a contract with the educational institution/advanced training company. The document must contain precise information about the type and duration of the further training. In the case of in-company further training, the working hours, the place of work and the amount of remuneration must also be stated.
7. Advanced in-company vocational training plan. The advanced in-company vocational training plan must be structured in terms of time and subject matter. For each section it must be clear who is your supervisor. It must also be clear that you can achieve the training goal.
8. Completed form signed by the educational institution/advanced training company: “Declaration regarding a contract of employment”
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 964,- EUR gross / 802,- EUR net per month. As proof in the visa process, the amount of the monthly advanced in-company vocational 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 language skills required for advanced in-company vocational training: Depending on the language of the advanced in-company vocational training, at least German or English skills at level A2 must be proven. 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 German language certificates. The exam for the last module passed must not have been more than one year before the start of the training. Taking different test parts from different ALTE certified providers is sufficient. Alternatively, the educational institution/advanced training company can confirm that your language skills are sufficient to take part in further training.
11. Proof of incoming health insurance coverage, valid for the entire duration of the advanced in-company vocational training beginning with date of entry to Germany
12. (Optional) Preliminary approval of the Federal Employment Agency
13. 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.