Qualified workers from third-party countries
If you do not come from an EU member state, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you need a residence permit to stay in Germany for more than three months. Which residence permit you need, depends on the purpose of your stay:
PLEASE NOTE for nationals from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia:
From January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020, nationals of the countries of origin mentioned above may be granted a residence permit in Germany for working in all professions, doing vocational training and other jobs. This shall also apply if they have not done qualifying vocational training or if their professional qualification is not recognized in Germany. However, working as a temporary worker shall be excluded from the regulation. Requirements shall be a specific employment offer by an employer in Germany as of January 1, 2016, or later and an application filed with the responsible German mission in the country of origin for the respective visa. However, applicants must not have retained benefits according to German asylum seeker benefits act within the last 24 months. This shall not apply to people having applied for asylum in Germany between January 1, 2015, and October 24, 2015, having stayed in Germany until October 24, 2015, and having left Germany immediately after this deadline. This group of people may re-enter Germany as of January 1, 2016, if the requirements mentioned above apply to them and if the responsible immigration office agrees to re-entry.
The Federal Employment Agency has issued an information brochure regarding requirements and procedures called »Arbeiten und Leben in Deutschland« (Working and Living in Germany), which can be downloaded in German and the afore-mentioned countries’ languages.
PLEASE NOTE for Turkish employees: Specific regulations according to Decision No. 1/80 of the EEC-Turkey Association Council apply to Turkish employees. These regulations shall be considered by the immigration office when deciding about your residence permit. In case of questions do not hesitate to refer to the immigration office of your municipality (see below: Who is responsible?)
The AKZESS project applies for qualified foreign specialists from third-party countries (highly qualified persons, employees, researchers, self-employed persons, PhD candidates, graduates from German universities, students in integrated degree programmes) planning to stay in the state capital Dresden, the cities of Chemnitz or Leipzig or the district of Mittelsachsen. AKZESS is a standardised process which allows foreign specialists to access the Saxon employment market quicker. A decision on the residence permit is guaranteed within four weeks.
To stay in Germany and to take part in the labour market it is necessary to have a valid residence Permit.
A residence permit is a permission to stay in Germany. For a longer stay in Germany, a residence permit (e. g. residence permit to study, EU Blue Card or permit for permanent EU residence) or a permanent residence permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) is granted.
For foreigners who are still abroad, the German diplomatic representative (embassy, consulate) abroad is responsible. An entrance visa is issued at the home land by the respective embassies.
list of the German missions abroad (only in German.)
The municipal or district immigration office at the place of residence is responsible for foreigners who are already residing in Germany and possess a residence permit as well as for foreigners who are allowed to enter the country without a visa. If you live in Chemnitz, Dresden or Leipzig, this is the city council, otherwise the district office.
Whether you may or may not enter Germany without a visa, you can check in:
- valid passport [original and a copy],
- current biometric passport photograph,
Samples and information at the Federal Printing Office
- completed application form,
- if nec., valid entry visa for the appropriate purpose of stay
- proof of sufficient means of subsistence (e. g. a specific job-offer or employment contract stating salary, wages and salary certificates, scholarship, a security deposit on a blocked account in Germany, declaration of commitment by parents or a third party etc.) [original and a copy],
Questionnaire for the declaration of commitment
Statement by the signer of the declaration of commitment
- proof of health insurance [original and a copy],
- tenancy agreement [original and a copy],
- current German registration certificate
- (As soon as you move into an apartment in Saxony, you must register with the municipal administration with-in 14 days after moving into the apartment.)
It may be necessary to submit additional documents depending on the type of occupation and type of residence permit.
As a general rule, foreign documents have to be translated into German. In some cases it could be necessary to prove the authenticity of foreign documents in a special procedure (legalisation) to be become officially accepted in Germany.
Legalization and apostilles for foreign documents
Fees:
Fees are charged for the granting or renewal of a residence Permit.
