Residence permit – Search for a vocational training place

Course description

With a visa or residence permit to look for a training place, you can stay in Germany for up to six months to apply for a training position in Germany. During this time, you are not allowed to pursue gainful employment.

Visa
Before entering Germany, you must apply for a visa at the relevant German diplomatic mission. Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the USA or the United Kingdom can also enter Germany without a visa and apply for a residence permit before starting their stay.

After entering the country
Once you have arrived in Germany, the first thing you must do is register your place of residence.

Application for a residence permit
You must apply for a residence permit before your visa/residence title expires. If you can enter Germany without a visa, you must submit the application within 90 days of your arrival. Please submit the application form and the required documents either online or by post. After submitting your online application, you can download a completed document as a PDF for your records. The document will confirm your application and the authorisation/continuation of your previous residence. After your application has been checked, you will receive an appointment from us.

Prerequisites

• Registration of main residence in Munich
• Valid national passport
• 35. Must not have reached the age of 18
• School-leaving certificate that entitles you to university admission or a degree from a German school abroad
• German language skills at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
• Securing a livelihood for the entire duration of the stay
• Health insurance required from the time of entry

Required documents

• Fully completed application form
• Valid national passport
• current biometric passport photo submitted digitally by a certified photo studio or drugstore. Alternatively, you can use one of the photo terminals at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Centre for a fee.
• Valid visa for entry
• Proof of secure means of subsistence: Proof can be provided by opening a blocked account with at least 1,091 euros per month (year 2025) or by a declaration of commitment or parents' income (parents' declaration that they will secure their means of subsistence for the duration of the search for a training place, with proof of parents' income for the last three months).
• Proof of health insurance (insurance card of your statutory health insurance or the insurance policy of a private health insurance company)
• Proof of a foreign school-leaving qualification or graduation from a German school abroad with a university entrance qualification
• Proof of sufficient German language skills (level B1) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages from an ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) certified examination provider (Goethe-Institut, TestDAF-Institut, telc GmbH, ÖSD, ECL) or certificate of school, college, vocational training or university degree in German
• Written declaration of consent from authorised custodians (parents) if under 18 years of age

Legal basis

§ Section 17 (1) Residence Act