Visa to seek vocational training place

General information

If you are under 35 years old, are able to demonstrate German language skills at least at level B1 and have a school-leaving certificate issued by a German school abroad or a school-leaving certificate entitling you to access to higher education in the federal territory or in the country where the school-leaving certificate was acquired, then you can apply for a visa to seek a vocational training place in accordance with Section 17 of the Residence Act (AufenthG). With this visa you can stay in Germany for up to nine months if your subsistence is secure for the entire period of your stay.

Basic information

• If you want to have an appointment to apply for a visa in order to seek a vocational training place, you need to register on the appointment waiting list of the German Embassy Nairobi and mention “seeking vocational training” as purpose of stay
• 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.

1. 1 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

1. 2 current, identical biometric passport photos with a white background

1. Curriculum vitae in German, gapless

1. A conclusive letter of motivation in German

It should be clear which vocational training positions you are interested in in Germany, in which regions of Germany you are applying and where in Germany you want to stay (including information on accommodation)

1. Proof of German language skills, at least at B1 level

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.

1. Proof of school-leaving qualifications and, if applicable, any training or studies you have already completed

1. Proof of adequate financial means

Financing

To stay in Germany, you must have at your disposal at least 1,091 euros per month. Proof of these means is to be provided in advance when the application is submitted. For the minimum validity period of the visa to seek a vocational training place of 91 days, a sum of 3,309 euros must be proven; for the maximum period of validity of 9 months, a sum of 9,819 euros has to be proven.

In the case of financing in the form of a 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.

In the case of part-time employment: If you already have a specific part-time job offer in Germany, you can prove this with an employment contract or a binding job offer, which shows the weekly working hours and monthly earnings. You are allowed to have a part-time job for up to 20 hours per week.

In the case of an undertaking by a third person to cover all costs: Proof in the form of a formal undertaking with the creditworthiness (“Bonität”) “proven” (“nachgewiesen”) pursuant to Sections 66 and 68 AufenthG in which a third person undertakes in writing to cover all costs.

1. Proof of incoming health insurance coverage, valid for the entire duration of stay beginning with the date of entry to Germany

1. 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.