Official sources and guides

Legal texts and official pages cited by the route requirements, costs and rule-change entries. This search covers only this index, not the directory above. See also the evidence index by claim.

185 of 185 sources shown.

• § 10 StAG — naturalisation, and the permit types excluded from it (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Verified figures, Living there, Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: European voluntary service and naturalisation; Settlement permit is not citizenship: A settlement permit is an unlimited residence title; it does not by itself grant nationality. Naturalisation under § 10 StAG needs five years of lawful habitual residence, identity and nationality clarified, sufficient German (B1 under the common framework), and supporting yourself without social benefits, with exceptions. The page does not address renouncing a previous nationality, so we say nothing on it. Residence rights can lapse on leaving, and nationality is a separate decision.: geography: National (federal law); Citizenship by naturalisation: qualifyingPeriod: Five years of lawful residence: conditions: There is no three-year fast track. The accelerated route introduced in 2024 has been repealed, and any guidance still citing three years is out of date.; German law no longer requires you to give up your previous nationality. Your own country's law may still take it away, which is the decisive question for Indian nationals in particular.

• § 12 BeschV — au pair employment (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Au pair; Au pair: Basic German. The level published by the Federal Employment Agency and the family ministry is A1, certified by an exam provider testing to recognised standards — the Goethe-Institut, telc and ÖSD are the named providers. Some missions also assess your German at the interview; Au pair: Under 27. The published range is 18 to 26…

• § 138 AO — duty to notify the tax office when taking up freelance work (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• § 14 BeschV — voluntary service, religious employment and vacation work (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Federal volunteer service; Federal volunteer service: A placement with a recognised host organisation; Federal volunteer service: You must apply for the visa for this purpose from your home country. You cannot enter on a tourist visa and convert, and this disqualifies more applicants than anything else…

• § 15 StAG — naturalisation of the persecuted and their descendants (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Restored citizenship for the persecuted and their descendants; Restored citizenship for the persecuted and their descendants: The persecuted ancestor falls into one of the four situations the provision lists; Restored citizenship for the persecuted and their descendants: You are a descendant. The provision states no generational limit, and descendants are expressly protected from the generational cut-off that applies elsewhere…

• § 17 Bundesmeldegesetz — registration within two weeks (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements, Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Register within two weeks of moving in (Anmeldung): Anyone who moves into a dwelling must register with the registration office within two weeks. There is no fee. Late or missing registration can be fined; the maximum is EUR 1,000 under the registration law. Registration gates the bank account, the residence permit and the tax ID, so it comes first.: value: Free; Register your address within two weeks (Anmeldung): Register at the registration office within two weeks of moving in, with your passport and the landlord's written move-in confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). Late or missing registration can be fined; the maximum is EUR 1,000 under the registration law. The residence permit, the tax ID and the bank account all depend on it.: who: everyone; Register your address: You register where you live at the local citizens' office. Your landlord must give you a written confirmation that you live there (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). A tenancy agreement is not a substitute for it.: deadline: Within two weeks of moving in: cost: Free: blocks: Almost everything. Bank account, residence permit, tax ID and benefits all sit behind this one step.…

• § 18 EStG — the catalogue of liberal professions (Income Tax Act) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• § 18c AufenthG — settlement permit for skilled workers (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Years to a settlement permit on this route

• § 18d AufenthG — residence permit for researchers (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Researcher permit; Researcher permit: A valid hosting agreement (Aufnahmevereinbarung) with a research establishment — or an equivalent contract, which means an ordinary employment contract also satisfies it; Researcher permit: The establishment's written undertaking to cover certain costs. This falls away where the institute is mainly publicly financed, which covers state universities and the large public research societies…

• § 18e AufenthG — short-term mobility for researchers (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Short research stay in Germany on another EU state's permit; Short research stay in Germany on another EU state's permit: A valid researcher permit issued by another EU member state; Short research stay in Germany on another EU state's permit: The German host institution notifies the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, which issues a declaratory certificate…

• § 18f AufenthG — residence permit for mobile researchers (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Permit for mobile researchers; Permit for mobile researchers: A researcher permit from another EU member state; Permit for mobile researchers: A hosting agreement with the German establishment…

• § 18g AufenthG — EU Blue Card (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Verified figures, Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: EU Blue Card for self-employed work; EU Blue Card; EU Blue Card: A university degree recognised or comparable in Germany, or for IT specialists, substantial relevant professional experience…

• § 19c AufenthG — employment for other purposes set by ordinance (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Federal volunteer service; Federal volunteer service: A placement with a recognised host organisation; Federal volunteer service: You must apply for the visa for this purpose from your home country. You cannot enter on a tourist visa and convert, and this disqualifies more applicants than anything else…

• § 2 JFDG — age limit for the voluntary social and ecological year (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Voluntary social or ecological year; Voluntary social or ecological year: You have not yet reached your 27th birthday. This is statutory and there is no discretion in it; Voluntary social or ecological year: A placement with a recognised organisation…

• § 20 AufenthG — permit to seek work after study or research (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Living there

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Staying on to find work; Staying on to find work: You completed the research for which the permit was granted; Staying on to find work: Eighteen months, and the provision expressly rules out any extension past that ceiling. Plan the exit from the day you arrive…

• § 21 AufenthG — self-employment, including the freelance paragraph (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• § 29 AufenthG — conditions, including the living-space waiver (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher; Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher: Both of you are at least 18; Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher: The sponsor holds one of the named permits. That single fact removes both the German-language condition and the living-space condition…

• § 29 Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung — foreign driving licences (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements, Living there, Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Your driving licence: A licence from outside the EU/EEA remains valid for six months after you establish residence. None of India, the Philippines, Nigeria, Pakistan, Nepal or Bangladesh is on the conversion list (Anlage 11 FeV), so after six months you must pass the full German theory and practical test. The cost of a German licence is not sourced here.: value: Six months from registering your address; Licence from outside the EU or EEA after you settle: If you establish your ordinary residence in Germany, a licence issued outside the EU/EEA stays valid for six months. The licensing authority may extend this by up to six months if you credibly show you will not keep your ordinary residence in Germany for more than twelve months. A licence that is not in a form covered by the conventions needs a translation from a recognised automobile club or a body named by the transport ministry, unless the requirement is waived.: applicability: Holders of a non-EU/EEA licence who live in Germany: geography: National (federal law); Licences that do not carry the right to drive: The right does not apply to holders of a learner or provisional licence, people under the minimum age, people whose licence was issued by a non-EU/EEA state while they already had their ordinary residence in Germany, or people whose licence was withdrawn, refused or is subject to a ban or seizure. The authority may issue a formal decision confirming the missing entitlement.: geography: National (federal law)…

• § 30 AufenthG — spouse reunification, including the language exemption for § 21 holders (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• § 32 AufenthG — children joining parents (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Living there

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Children joining a parent; Children joining a parent: The child is unmarried and under 18; Children joining a parent: Both parents hold the right of custody, or the moving parent holds it alone…

• § 38 StAG — fees, including the fee-free procedures (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Citizenship by declaration; Citizenship by declaration: You were born after 23 May 1949, when the Basic Law entered into force; Citizenship by declaration: You fall into one of the four groups above, or descend from someone who does…

• § 38a AufenthV — recognition of research establishments (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Researcher permit; Researcher permit: A valid hosting agreement (Aufnahmevereinbarung) with a research establishment — or an equivalent contract, which means an ordinary employment contract also satisfies it; Researcher permit: The establishment's written undertaking to cover certain costs. This falls away where the institute is mainly publicly financed, which covers state universities and the large public research societies…

• § 39 AufenthV — obtaining or extending a permit from inside Germany (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Can you switch to study or training from inside Germany

• § 39c Einkommensteuergesetz — withholding without a tax ID (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements, Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Tax ID and tax class VI: The tax identification number is issued automatically after the Anmeldung and posted to your registered address. Until your employer has it, § 39c EStG obliges them to withhold wage tax under class VI, the class for a second job with no personal allowances. The excess is recalculated once the number arrives, but the cash shortfall lands in your first pay packets.; Receive your tax ID, open the bank account, join an insurer: The tax identification number is issued automatically after the Anmeldung and posted to your registered address; until your employer has it, wage tax is withheld under class VI. The bank asks for your passport, residence permit and registration certificate. Employees are enrolled in statutory health insurance by the employer; anyone not employed must take out cover themselves, with no gap allowed.: who: everyone; Wait for your tax ID: It is issued automatically once you register, and arrives by post from the Federal Central Tax Office. You do not apply for it.: blocks: Being taxed correctly. Until your employer has it, the law requires them to tax you in the harshest class.…

• § 4 StAG — acquisition by birth (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Living there

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Citizenship by birth to a German parent; Citizenship by birth to a German parent: One parent was German when you were born. Marriage is irrelevant and mother and father count equally under the current rule; Citizenship by birth to a German parent: Where only the father is German and paternity must be established under German law, the recognition or the proceedings must begin before the child turns 23…

• § 45 AufenthV — residence permit fees (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs, Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• § 46 AufenthV — visa fees (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs, Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Children joining a parent; Children joining a parent: The child is unmarried and under 18; Children joining a parent: Both parents hold the right of custody, or the moving parent holds it alone…

• § 4a AufenthG — the right to work attached to a residence title (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures, Living there

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher; Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher: Both of you are at least 18; Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher: The sponsor holds one of the named permits. That single fact removes both the German-language condition and the living-space condition…

• § 5 StAG — acquisition by declaration (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Citizenship by declaration; Citizenship by declaration: You were born after 23 May 1949, when the Basic Law entered into force; Citizenship by declaration: You fall into one of the four groups above, or descend from someone who does…

• § 50 Aufenthaltsverordnung — half fees for minors (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: National visa fee: Set by § 46(2) no. 1 AufenthV, minors at half under § 50(1). Spouses and minor children of German citizens, parents of minor Germans and publicly funded scholarship holders are exempt. Reapplying after a refusal costs the full fee again.: value: EUR 75 (approx. AED 300); EUR 37.50 under 18 (approx. AED 150)

• § 54 Bundesmeldegesetz — fines (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements, Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Register within two weeks of moving in (Anmeldung): Anyone who moves into a dwelling must register with the registration office within two weeks. There is no fee. Late or missing registration can be fined; the maximum is EUR 1,000 under the registration law. Registration gates the bank account, the residence permit and the tax ID, so it comes first.: value: Free; Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: The landlord must confirm the move-in in writing within the same two weeks; a tenancy agreement does not replace it. If the landlord refuses or is late, you must notify the registration office without delay. A landlord who fails to confirm faces the same fine. Before accepting any first accommodation, ask whether the provider will sign it.; Register your address within two weeks (Anmeldung): Register at the registration office within two weeks of moving in, with your passport and the landlord's written move-in confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). Late or missing registration can be fined; the maximum is EUR 1,000 under the registration law. The residence permit, the tax ID and the bank account all depend on it.: who: everyone…

• § 551 BGB — limit on rental deposits (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements, Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Deposit cap: A rental deposit may not exceed three times the monthly rent excluding operating costs (§ 551 BGB). You are entitled to pay a cash deposit in three equal monthly instalments, the first when the tenancy begins; any clause saying otherwise is void. The landlord must hold it separately from their own assets, and the interest is yours.: value: Three months' cold rent; The deposit is capped, and you may pay it in instalments: A rental deposit may not exceed three months' rent excluding service charges, and § 551 BGB gives you the right to pay it in three monthly instalments.: bite: Many new arrivals pay it all at once because nobody told them they did not have to.: avoid: Ask to pay in three instalments. It is your statutory right, not a favour.

• § 556 BGB — agreements on operating costs (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Cold rent versus warm rent: Listings quote Kaltmiete (rent for the dwelling alone). Warmmiete adds the operating-cost advance (Nebenkosten), which is reconciled once a year: the landlord has until the end of the twelfth month after the billing year to send the statement, and it can produce a back-payment demand. Budget on the warm figure.

• § 7 AufenthG — residence permit; purpose-binding and retroactive shortening (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• § 9 AufenthG — settlement permit, the ordinary five-year rule (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures, Living there

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• anabin (opens in a new tab)

  anabin2.kmk.org · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: anabin: The ZAB's database of foreign degrees and institutions. The lookup must be done for both the institution (H+) and the degree ("entspricht" or "gleichwertig"); printouts of both entries serve as proof of comparability in a visa application. The database itself is in German only.

• Anerkennung in Deutschland (opens in a new tab)

  anerkennung-in-deutschland.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements, Living there

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Anerkennung in Deutschland: The federal recognition portal run by BIBB. Tells you whether your profession is regulated and which authority is competent for recognition. The per-profession Recognition Finder lives here.; Occupation codes: KldB 2010 to ISCO-08 is an approximate key: The Federal Employment Agency publishes a table that converts the five-digit German classification of occupations (KldB 2010, revised 2020 version) to the four-digit international ISCO-08 unit groups, and states that such conversion keys are often not unambiguous; ambiguous cases are marked with alternatives. A matching code is therefore not proof that two jobs are equivalent. Recognition of a foreign qualification is a separate question: the federal recognition portal says recognition is necessary to work in a regulated profession (those whose activities are legally protected) and is not required for non-regulated professions, though a third-country applicant for a visa may still need it.: applicability: Anyone comparing a foreign job title with a German one: geography: National (federal law)

• Anerkennung in Deutschland — FAQ (opens in a new tab)

  anerkennung-in-deutschland.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Language certificate (where your route requires one): The level follows the route, not the trade: Opportunity Card A1 German or B2 English; recognition visa A2; vocational training B1; joining spouse A1 (waived where the sponsor holds a skilled-worker, Blue Card or self-employment permit). No level is set for any trade itself, and no German is needed to apply for recognition.: issuedBy: a standardised examination provider meeting ALTE standards (for example the Goethe-Institut)

• Anerkennung in Deutschland — information flyer: recognition of foreign professional qualifications (opens in a new tab)

  anerkennung-in-deutschland.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Recognition notice (Anerkennungsbescheid) — vocational and regulated professions: For regulated professions (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, teacher and others) full recognition and the licence to practise must be obtained before the work residence permit is issued. Fee generally EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400), stated elsewhere as 'up to EUR 600 or more'. Communication with the authority is generally in German. The visa and the recognition procedure are separate applications.: lead: Three to four months after complete documents: issuedBy: the competent German authority for your profession and Land, found via the Recognition Finder; Recognition and comparability fees: The ZAB Statement of Comparability costs EUR 200, each additional certificate EUR 100. A recognition procedure for a vocational or regulated profession is stated as EUR 200 to 600 by the federal recognition portal and as 'up to EUR 600 or more' by Make it in Germany, plus translation and certification costs. The employer-led accelerated procedure costs EUR 411 (approx. AED 1,644), payable to the foreigners authority; the employer can assume it by a declaration of cost coverage.: value: ZAB statement EUR 200 (approx. AED 800); recognition EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400)

• Anerkennung in Deutschland — recognition statistics 2024 (opens in a new tab)

  anerkennung-in-deutschland.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Which jobs are short, Verified figures, Rules feed

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: care worker; Qualification recognition applications in 2024; nurse professional…

• Anlage 11 Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung — states whose licences can be converted (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Your driving licence: A licence from outside the EU/EEA remains valid for six months after you establish residence. None of India, the Philippines, Nigeria, Pakistan, Nepal or Bangladesh is on the conversion list (Anlage 11 FeV), so after six months you must pass the full German theory and practical test. The cost of a German licence is not sourced here.: value: Six months from registering your address

• AOK (statutory insurer) — student health insurance amounts 2026 (opens in a new tab)

  aok.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Students (2026): Student statutory insurance is a flat amount, paid entirely by the student: EUR 87.38 health plus the insurer's additional contribution, plus long-term care of EUR 35.91 (aged 23 or over, no children) or EUR 30.78 (under 23). The exact total depends on the insurer. The insurer's page carries labelling inconsistencies; re-verify before relying on the cents.: value: Roughly EUR 125 to 145 a month (approx. AED 500 to 580)

• APS India (German Embassy New Delhi) — information leaflet, valid as of June 2026 (opens in a new tab)

  aps-india.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: APS certificate (Indian students only): Mandatory for almost all Indian students; fee INR 18,000, non-refundable. Narrow exemptions: German or EU scholarship holders, some doctoral students, degrees obtained in Germany. From summer semester 2027 some Master's applicants also need the dMAT.: lead: APS India states three to four weeks; allow longer: issuedBy: APS India, the Akademische Prüfstelle at the German Embassy New Delhi

• ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice — FAQ, annual report 2025 (opens in a new tab)

  rundfunkbeitrag.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Broadcasting contribution (Rundfunkbeitrag): One contribution per dwelling regardless of how many people live there and whether anyone owns a television or radio. It follows the Anmeldung automatically. Exemption is on social grounds only, mainly for recipients of basic income support or BAföG. A shared flat pays it once between everyone.: value: EUR 18.36 a month per dwelling (approx. AED 73.44)

• BAMF — family reunification, including the right to work (opens in a new tab)

  bamf.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher; Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher: Both of you are at least 18; Spouse of a skilled worker, Blue Card holder or researcher: The sponsor holds one of the named permits. That single fact removes both the German-language condition and the living-space condition…

• BAMF — integration courses (opens in a new tab)

  bamf.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: BAMF — integration courses: Entitlement and obligation to attend an integration course, and the cost contribution. The page states that its contents are being revised, so treat its figures as unconfirmed.

• Berlin Familienportal (Senate) — Willkommensklassen and school registration (opens in a new tab)

  familienportal.berlin.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Children: school medical examination (Berlin): When a newly arrived child is placed in a Berlin school, the district coordination office assesses the child's German and arranges a school medical examination before assigning a school. This is Berlin's procedure; other Länder run their own.

• Berlin Welcome Centre — order of first steps after arrival (opens in a new tab)

  willkommenszentrum.berlin.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Register your address: You register where you live at the local citizens' office. Your landlord must give you a written confirmation that you live there (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). A tenancy agreement is not a substitute for it.: deadline: Within two weeks of moving in: cost: Free: blocks: Almost everything. Bank account, residence permit, tax ID and benefits all sit behind this one step.; Apply for your residence permit: At the foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde), you convert the visa you entered on into a residence permit.: deadline: No statutory deadline, but it must be applied for before your entry visa expires: blocks: Your legal right to stay once the entry visa runs out.; Open a bank account: Needed for your salary, your rent and almost everything else.: blocks: Being paid. Most banks require your registration certificate first.…

• Berlin Welcome Centre (Senate) — Anmeldung and what depends on it (opens in a new tab)

  willkommenszentrum.berlin.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Register within two weeks of moving in (Anmeldung): Anyone who moves into a dwelling must register with the registration office within two weeks. There is no fee. Late or missing registration can be fined; the maximum is EUR 1,000 under the registration law. Registration gates the bank account, the residence permit and the tax ID, so it comes first.: value: Free; Help on the ground: Welcome Centers exist in each federal state for foreign skilled workers and their families; local migration counselling offices help with settling in; Faire Integration advises on labour and social law free of charge and anonymously. Berlin offers free multilingual counselling through its network for immigrants.; Bank account comes after registration: A bank generally asks for a valid passport, residence permit, registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) and possibly a payslip. Berlin states a bank account cannot be opened before registration, and the official portal states a current account is needed to rent a flat. The sources do not resolve this loop; in practice an employer-, university- or friend-provided first address breaks it.

• Bezirksregierung Köln — information sheet on acquisition by declaration (opens in a new tab)

  bezreg-koeln.nrw.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Citizenship by declaration; Citizenship by declaration: You were born after 23 May 1949, when the Basic Law entered into force; Citizenship by declaration: You fall into one of the four groups above, or descend from someone who does…

• City of Heidelberg (service-bw) — applying for a ZAB Statement of Comparability: fees (opens in a new tab)

  heidelberg.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: anabin printouts or ZAB Statement of Comparability (academic degrees): Both the institution (H+) and the degree ("entspricht" / "gleichwertig") must be listed; the degree title must match anabin word for word. Otherwise apply for a Statement of Comparability: EUR 200 (approx. AED 800), issued only for completed degrees.: lead: Up to three months; about two weeks for EU Blue Card applicants with a job offer attached: issuedBy: anabin (self-service) or the ZAB on application; Recognition and comparability fees: The ZAB Statement of Comparability costs EUR 200, each additional certificate EUR 100. A recognition procedure for a vocational or regulated profession is stated as EUR 200 to 600 by the federal recognition portal and as 'up to EUR 600 or more' by Make it in Germany, plus translation and certification costs. The employer-led accelerated procedure costs EUR 411 (approx. AED 1,644), payable to the foreigners authority; the employer can assume it by a declaration of cost coverage.: value: ZAB statement EUR 200 (approx. AED 800); recognition EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400); Check that your qualification counts, and authenticate your certificates: Look up your institution (H+) and degree in anabin; if either is missing, apply to the ZAB for a Statement of Comparability (EUR 200, approx. AED 800; up to three months). Vocational and regulated professions need a recognition notice from the competent authority instead: normally three to four months after complete documents, up to EUR 600 or more (approx. AED 2,400). At the same time get your certificates apostilled; India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Apostille Convention parties, Nigeria and Nepal are not.: who: everyone

• City of Heidelberg (service-bw) — broadcasting contribution (Rundfunkbeitrag) (opens in a new tab)

  heidelberg.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Broadcasting contribution (Rundfunkbeitrag): One contribution per dwelling regardless of how many people live there and whether anyone owns a television or radio. It follows the Anmeldung automatically. Exemption is on social grounds only, mainly for recipients of basic income support or BAföG. A shared flat pays it once between everyone.: value: EUR 18.36 a month per dwelling (approx. AED 73.44)

• City of Munich naturalisation authority — citizenship by declaration (opens in a new tab)

  stadt.muenchen.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Citizenship by declaration; Citizenship by declaration: You were born after 23 May 1949, when the Basic Law entered into force; Citizenship by declaration: You fall into one of the four groups above, or descend from someone who does…

• Consular Services Portal (Auslandsportal) (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Consular Services Portal (Auslandsportal): Apply online for a national (D) visa for 28 purposes including work, study, training and family; upload documents, get a preliminary digital check, track status. An in-person appointment for biometrics and fee payment is still required. Apply only at the mission responsible for where you live.; Biometric data (fingerprints and photograph): Taken in person at the visa appointment even if you applied online. Original documents are checked and the fee is paid at the same appointment.: issuedBy: the German mission or its external service provider, at your appointment; Medical examination for the visa: There is no medical examination or vaccination requirement in any official national-visa document list we have read: the Consular Services Portal, the federal process sheets for the EU Blue Card, Opportunity Card and study, and the German Missions in India student checklist list none.…

• Consulate General Chennai — information sheet on document verification (03.07.2025) (opens in a new tab)

  india.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Birth and marriage certificates (family members): For the residence permit Berlin asks for the marriage certificate with certified translation and apostille or legalisation if foreign. For countries on the Federal Foreign Office's list, verification replaces both: Chennai states up to four months and approx. EUR 550 (approx. AED 2,200); Dhaka 10 to 12 weeks and BDT 35,000; Manila five to six months and PHP 16,000 plus EUR 10. Only a German authority can start it, and the applicant pays even if the document proves false. For Indian marriage certificates bring six to eight wedding photographs and do not laminate the certificate.: lead: Several months: issuedBy: your civil registry, then verified by the German mission where legalisation is unavailable

• Deutsche Rentenversicherung (opens in a new tab)

  deutsche-rentenversicherung.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Deutsche Rentenversicherung: The statutory pension body. Publishes the enacted social insurance reference values (contribution ceilings) for the year; a replacement social security card is requested from it.; Social insurance ceilings (2026): Contributions are charged only on pay up to EUR 8,450 a month for pension and unemployment insurance (approx. AED 33,800) and EUR 5,812.50 a month for health and long-term care insurance (approx. AED 23,250). The ceilings are now uniform nationwide.

• EURAXESS — European researcher mobility network and hosting offers (opens in a new tab)

  euraxess.ec.europa.eu · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Where hosting offers are listed, free

• Federal Act on Registration (BMG), official English translation — §§ 17, 19 (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord's move-in confirmation) — after arrival: Needed for the Anmeldung within two weeks of moving in. A tenancy agreement does not replace it. The landlord must supply it within the same two weeks and commits an offence if they do not.: issuedBy: your landlord or whoever provides the accommodation; Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: The landlord must confirm the move-in in writing within the same two weeks; a tenancy agreement does not replace it. If the landlord refuses or is late, you must notify the registration office without delay. A landlord who fails to confirm faces the same fine. Before accepting any first accommodation, ask whether the provider will sign it.

• Federal Employment Agency — Engpassanalyse, 2025 data year (Presseinfo 32, 2 September 2026) (opens in a new tab)

  arbeitsagentur.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Which jobs are short, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: electrician; hvac technician; plumber…

• Federal Employment Agency — professional qualifications (opens in a new tab)

  arbeitsagentur.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Federal Employment Agency — professional qualifications: The four-step recognition route (check if regulated, find the office, compile and translate documents, submit), the three-month decision period, and the free advice service ZSBA.; Recognition notice (Anerkennungsbescheid) — vocational and regulated professions: For regulated professions (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, teacher and others) full recognition and the licence to practise must be obtained before the work residence permit is issued. Fee generally EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400), stated elsewhere as 'up to EUR 600 or more'. Communication with the authority is generally in German. The visa and the recognition procedure are separate applications.: lead: Three to four months after complete documents: issuedBy: the competent German authority for your profession and Land, found via the Recognition Finder

• Federal Employment Agency — skilled trades shortage analysis (opens in a new tab)

  arbeitsagentur.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Rules feed

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Germany: which skilled trades are counted as short

• Federal Employment Agency — undergoing vocational training in Germany (opens in a new tab)

  arbeitsagentur.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Vocational training: usually no blocked account: For in-company training the training allowance itself is generally accepted as proof of livelihood at EUR 1,048 gross (approx. AED 4,192) or EUR 822 net (approx. AED 3,288). Below that, the shortfall must be covered by other means, for example a blocked account or a sponsor's declaration. Trades whose first-year pay is below the threshold will need top-up proof.: value: Training pay of at least EUR 1,048 gross or EUR 822 net a month

• Federal Foreign Office — abolition of the remonstration procedure from 1 July 2025 (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: If the visa is refused: The free remonstration procedure was abolished worldwide on 1 July 2025 (India: 1 January 2024). The remaining remedies are a new application at the full fee, or an action at the Berlin Administrative Court within one month of the notice: claim value usually EUR 5,000 per applicant, court fees currently about EUR 480, lawyer optional and extra.: value: About EUR 480 in court fees (approx. AED 1,920)

• Federal Foreign Office — international document traffic (Urkundenüberprüfung) (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Birth and marriage certificates (family members): For the residence permit Berlin asks for the marriage certificate with certified translation and apostille or legalisation if foreign. For countries on the Federal Foreign Office's list, verification replaces both: Chennai states up to four months and approx. EUR 550 (approx. AED 2,200); Dhaka 10 to 12 weeks and BDT 35,000; Manila five to six months and PHP 16,000 plus EUR 10. Only a German authority can start it, and the applicant pays even if the document proves false. For Indian marriage certificates bring six to eight wedding photographs and do not laminate the certificate.: lead: Several months: issuedBy: your civil registry, then verified by the German mission where legalisation is unavailable

• Federal Foreign Office — national visa fees and exemptions (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · What it costs, Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: National visa; The free appeal against a visa refusal no longer exists: Remonstration — writing to the mission to have a refusal reconsidered, at no cost — was abolished worldwide on 1 July 2025, and in India from January 2024. A remonstration now has no legal effect and will not even be acknowledged.: bite: If you are refused, your only routes are to apply again and pay the fee again, or to sue at the Berlin administrative court within one month. Court fees for a typical single applicant run to several hundred euros, before any lawyer.: avoid: Get the application right the first time. The cost of a missing document is now a second full application, not a free letter. Note that some mission pages still describe remonstration as available; they are out of date.

• Federal Foreign Office — opening and closing a blocked bank account (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Which jobs are short, Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Student visa; Student visa: Proof of financial resources: a blocked account of at least EUR 11,904 for the first year, released at EUR 992 a month (2026 figure; it changes when the BAföG rate changes, so confirm with your mission); masters degree…

• Federal Foreign Office — restoration of citizenship for the persecuted (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Restored citizenship for the persecuted and their descendants; Restored citizenship for the persecuted and their descendants: The persecuted ancestor falls into one of the four situations the provision lists; Restored citizenship for the persecuted and their descendants: You are a descendant. The provision states no generational limit, and descendants are expressly protected from the generational cut-off that applies elsewhere…

• Federal Foreign Office — states where legalisation is not possible, so documents are verified instead (2 May 2025) (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · What it costs, Verified figures, Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Document verification, India (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry); Countries whose documents Germany verifies rather than legalises; Federal Foreign Office — states where legalisation is not available: Check whether your country is on the list. India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines are. If listed, civil documents (birth, marriage) go through verification by the German mission at a German authority's request, not apostille or legalisation.…

• Federal Foreign Office — visa fees (national visa EUR 75) (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · What it costs, Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: National visa fee; Federal Foreign Office — visa fees: The national visa fee (EUR 75 adult, EUR 37.50 under 18) and the list of who is exempt. The Federal Foreign Office states the amounts; the legal basis is the Aufenthaltsverordnung.; National visa fee: Set by § 46(2) no. 1 AufenthV, minors at half under § 50(1). Spouses and minor children of German citizens, parents of minor Germans and publicly funded scholarship holders are exempt. Reapplying after a refusal costs the full fee again.: value: EUR 75 (approx. AED 300); EUR 37.50 under 18 (approx. AED 150)…

• Federal Foreign Office — Working Holiday Programmes and the countries covered (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Working holiday; Working holiday: Your country has a working-holiday agreement with Germany. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria and the Philippines do not, and no amount of savings, qualifications or job offers changes that; Working holiday: Age 18 to 30, and up to 34 for nationals of South Korea…

• Federal Ministry for Family Affairs — au pair in Germany (opens in a new tab)

  familienportal.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Au pair; Au pair: Basic German. The level published by the Federal Employment Agency and the family ministry is A1, certified by an exam provider testing to recognised standards — the Goethe-Institut, telc and ÖSD are the named providers. Some missions also assess your German at the interview; Au pair: Under 27. The published range is 18 to 26…

• Federal Ministry of Health — statutory health insurance contributions (opens in a new tab)

  bundesgesundheitsministerium.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements, Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Federal Ministry of Health — statutory health insurance contributions: The 2026 general contribution rate, average additional contribution, contribution ceiling and the earnings threshold above which you may leave statutory insurance.; Statutory contribution, employees (2026): Charged on gross pay up to EUR 5,812.50 a month (approx. AED 23,250), employee and employer each paying half of both parts. The additional contribution is set by each insurer; 2.9% is the official average, so the actual deduction depends on which Krankenkasse you join.: value: 14.6% + 2.9% average additional contribution; Statutory or private: Private insurance is open to employees earning above EUR 77,400 a year (approx. AED 309,600) in 2026, and to the self-employed. Private premiums depend on age, sex, occupation and health; statutory premiums depend on income. Moving back from private to statutory insurance is difficult, especially with age.…

• Federal Office of Family Affairs — Bundesfreiwilligendienst (opens in a new tab)

  bundesfreiwilligendienst.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Federal volunteer service; Federal volunteer service: A placement with a recognised host organisation; Federal volunteer service: You must apply for the visa for this purpose from your home country. You cannot enter on a tourist visa and convert, and this disqualifies more applicants than anything else…

• fimportal.de — register residence (Anmeldung) (opens in a new tab)

  fimportal.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: fimportal.de — register residence (Anmeldung): The official administrative service register's description of the Anmeldung: two-week deadline, documents, no fee, legal basis § 17 BMG. Your own city's Bürgeramt page gives the appointment booking.; Register within two weeks of moving in (Anmeldung): Anyone who moves into a dwelling must register with the registration office within two weeks. There is no fee. Late or missing registration can be fined; the maximum is EUR 1,000 under the registration law. Registration gates the bank account, the residence permit and the tax ID, so it comes first.: value: Free; What to carry in hand luggage: Your passport with the visa, and the originals you showed the mission. In your first two weeks the registration office asks for the passport, the visa or residence title and the landlord's confirmation; the bank asks for the passport, residence permit and registration certificate. Keep them with you, not in checked baggage.…

• Fünfte Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung (MiLoV5) — statutory minimum wage 2026/2027 (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Statutory minimum wage: Rising to EUR 14.60 from 1 January 2027. A full-time offer at the minimum wage for skilled work is well below the German median for a qualified worker.: value: EUR 13.90 gross per hour from 1 January 2026 (approx. AED 55.60)

• German Consulate General Chennai — document verification procedure and cost (opens in a new tab)

  india.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · What it costs

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Document verification, India (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry)

• German Embassy Dhaka — family reunion visa information (20 July 2026) (opens in a new tab)

  dhaka.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Children joining a parent; Children joining a parent: The child is unmarried and under 18; Children joining a parent: Both parents hold the right of custody, or the moving parent holds it alone…

• German Embassy Dhaka — information for family reunion applicants (verification, 20.07.2026) (opens in a new tab)

  dhaka.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Birth and marriage certificates (family members): For the residence permit Berlin asks for the marriage certificate with certified translation and apostille or legalisation if foreign. For countries on the Federal Foreign Office's list, verification replaces both: Chennai states up to four months and approx. EUR 550 (approx. AED 2,200); Dhaka 10 to 12 weeks and BDT 35,000; Manila five to six months and PHP 16,000 plus EUR 10. Only a German authority can start it, and the applicant pays even if the document proves false. For Indian marriage certificates bring six to eight wedding photographs and do not laminate the certificate.: lead: Several months: issuedBy: your civil registry, then verified by the German mission where legalisation is unavailable

• German Embassy Dhaka — proof of German for family reunion applicants (opens in a new tab)

  dhaka.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Language certificate (where your route requires one): The level follows the route, not the trade: Opportunity Card A1 German or B2 English; recognition visa A2; vocational training B1; joining spouse A1 (waived where the sponsor holds a skilled-worker, Blue Card or self-employment permit). No level is set for any trade itself, and no German is needed to apply for recognition.: issuedBy: a standardised examination provider meeting ALTE standards (for example the Goethe-Institut)

• German Embassy Luanda — proof of financing (study and language course) (opens in a new tab)

  luanda.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Blocked account, students: Twelve times the BAföG maximum rate of EUR 992 a month (approx. AED 3,968); one twelfth is released each month. Stated as current for 2026 by the Tehran mission and the federal study process sheet. A preparatory or intensive language course before study needs EUR 1,091 a month instead, EUR 13,092 a year (approx. AED 52,368). The figure moves whenever the BAföG rate changes.: value: EUR 11,904 for the year (approx. AED 47,616)

• German Embassy Manila — examination of Philippine documents (RK 521.34) (opens in a new tab)

  manila.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Birth and marriage certificates (family members): For the residence permit Berlin asks for the marriage certificate with certified translation and apostille or legalisation if foreign. For countries on the Federal Foreign Office's list, verification replaces both: Chennai states up to four months and approx. EUR 550 (approx. AED 2,200); Dhaka 10 to 12 weeks and BDT 35,000; Manila five to six months and PHP 16,000 plus EUR 10. Only a German authority can start it, and the applicant pays even if the document proves false. For Indian marriage certificates bring six to eight wedding photographs and do not laminate the certificate.: lead: Several months: issuedBy: your civil registry, then verified by the German mission where legalisation is unavailable

• German Embassy Nairobi — visa for vocational training (opens in a new tab)

  nairobi.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Vocational training: usually no blocked account: For in-company training the training allowance itself is generally accepted as proof of livelihood at EUR 1,048 gross (approx. AED 4,192) or EUR 822 net (approx. AED 3,288). Below that, the shortfall must be covered by other means, for example a blocked account or a sponsor's declaration. Trades whose first-year pay is below the threshold will need top-up proof.: value: Training pay of at least EUR 1,048 gross or EUR 822 net a month

• German Embassy Tehran — Merkblatt Studium (992 EUR per month, 11,904 EUR per study year, 2026) (opens in a new tab)

  teheran.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · What it costs, Verified figures, Practical requirements, Rules feed

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Blocked account (proof of funds); Blocked account required (2026); Released per month after arrival…

• German Mission Nigeria — national visa for long-term stays (opens in a new tab)

  nigeria.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Appointment waiting times are not published: Germany does not systematically publish visa appointment waiting times. Of the missions checked, only Manila publishes one (up to one month per category); India, Nigeria and Pakistan do not. Appointments are free to book and are not allocated by request; agencies charging for them are warned against by the missions themselves.; Apply on the Consular Services Portal and attend the appointment: Create an account, upload your documents and get the preliminary digital check, then attend the in-person appointment at the mission responsible for where you live: fingerprints and photograph are taken, originals checked and the EUR 75 fee paid (approx. AED 300; EUR 37.50 under 18). Booking is free; the missions warn against agencies that charge for appointments.: who: everyone

• German Mission Nigeria — verification of Nigerian documents (opens in a new tab)

  nigeria.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: School or degree certificates, authenticated for Germany: India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Apostille Convention parties. Nigeria and Nepal are not, and Nigerian documents cannot be legalised: they are verified only at a German authority's request, with no published fee or timeline. The India MEA apostille costs INR 50 per document plus the provider's INR 84 per document and INR 3 per page.: lead: Nigeria: not knowable in advance; the German side starts it: issuedBy: your school or university, then your country's apostille authority (India: MEA)

• German Mission Nigeria — what you can do after a visa refusal (December 2025) (opens in a new tab)

  nigeria.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: If the visa is refused: The free remonstration procedure was abolished worldwide on 1 July 2025 (India: 1 January 2024). The remaining remedies are a new application at the full fee, or an action at the Berlin Administrative Court within one month of the notice: claim value usually EUR 5,000 per applicant, court fees currently about EUR 480, lawyer optional and extra.: value: About EUR 480 in court fees (approx. AED 1,920)

• German Mission Saudi Arabia — fast-track procedure for skilled workers (opens in a new tab)

  saudiarabien.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Pay the fee at the appointment: The EUR 75 fee is paid at the in-person appointment, generally in local currency; the Saudi mission specifies cash only. Bring originals of everything you uploaded.; Recognition and comparability fees: The ZAB Statement of Comparability costs EUR 200, each additional certificate EUR 100. A recognition procedure for a vocational or regulated profession is stated as EUR 200 to 600 by the federal recognition portal and as 'up to EUR 600 or more' by Make it in Germany, plus translation and certification costs. The employer-led accelerated procedure costs EUR 411 (approx. AED 1,644), payable to the foreigners authority; the employer can assume it by a declaration of cost coverage.: value: ZAB statement EUR 200 (approx. AED 800); recognition EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400)

• German Missions in India — checklist for a national visa for students (opens in a new tab)

  india.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Valid passport: A valid passport is a general requirement for every route under § 5 AufenthG. The official sources we hold do not state a minimum remaining validity; check your mission's checklist.: issuedBy: your national passport authority; Employment contract, training contract or university admission: EU Blue Card: a concrete job offer or contract of at least six months. Vocational training: a signed training contract. Study: the university's admission letter. The Opportunity Card alone needs none of these.: issuedBy: your German employer, training company or university; APS certificate (Indian students only): Mandatory for almost all Indian students; fee INR 18,000, non-refundable. Narrow exemptions: German or EU scholarship holders, some doctoral students, degrees obtained in Germany. From summer semester 2027 some Master's applicants also need the dMAT.: lead: APS India states three to four weeks; allow longer: issuedBy: APS India, the Akademische Prüfstelle at the German Embassy New Delhi…

• German Missions in India — national visa information (travel dates, processing) (opens in a new tab)

  india.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Book the flight only after the visa is issued: The federal process sheets say to book travel after the visa is issued, and the German Missions in India say to fix a travel date only after receiving the appointment confirmation. Applications in India can be lodged up to six months before the planned travel date.; Enter Germany on the national (D) visa: Book travel only after the visa is issued; in India applications can be lodged up to six months before the travel date. The visa is a bridge, not the permit: the residence permit must be applied for before the visa expires, so book the Ausländerbehörde appointment in your first week.: who: everyone

• German Missions in India — visa and consular services: appointments (opens in a new tab)

  india.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Book the flight only after the visa is issued: The federal process sheets say to book travel after the visa is issued, and the German Missions in India say to fix a travel date only after receiving the appointment confirmation. Applications in India can be lodged up to six months before the planned travel date.; Appointment waiting times are not published: Germany does not systematically publish visa appointment waiting times. Of the missions checked, only Manila publishes one (up to one month per category); India, Nigeria and Pakistan do not. Appointments are free to book and are not allocated by request; agencies charging for them are warned against by the missions themselves.

• German Missions in Nigeria — degree recognition through the anabin database (opens in a new tab)

  nigeria.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: anabin printouts or ZAB Statement of Comparability (academic degrees): Both the institution (H+) and the degree ("entspricht" / "gleichwertig") must be listed; the degree title must match anabin word for word. Otherwise apply for a Statement of Comparability: EUR 200 (approx. AED 800), issued only for completed degrees.: lead: Up to three months; about two weeks for EU Blue Card applicants with a job offer attached: issuedBy: anabin (self-service) or the ZAB on application

• German Missions in Russia — visa for vocational training (Stand November 2025) (opens in a new tab)

  germania.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Proof of funds: blocked account, sponsor's declaration or scholarship: Students: EUR 11,904 (approx. AED 47,616) for the first year. Opportunity Card: EUR 1,091 net per month. Vocational training: usually the training pay itself. A sponsor's Verpflichtungserklärung must typically be no more than six months old.: issuedBy: a blocked-account provider, or a German foreigners authority (Verpflichtungserklärung), or the scholarship body; Vocational training: usually no blocked account: For in-company training the training allowance itself is generally accepted as proof of livelihood at EUR 1,048 gross (approx. AED 4,192) or EUR 822 net (approx. AED 3,288). Below that, the shortfall must be covered by other means, for example a blocked account or a sponsor's declaration. Trades whose first-year pay is below the threshold will need top-up proof.: value: Training pay of at least EUR 1,048 gross or EUR 822 net a month; Alternatives to a blocked account: A Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation letter) from a sponsor, issued by a German foreigners authority and typically no more than six months old, or proof of a German or EU-funded scholarship. The Federal Foreign Office's blocked-account page itself refers you to your mission for the amount.…

• HCCH — Apostille Convention status table (opens in a new tab)

  hcch.net · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: HCCH — Apostille Convention status table: Whether your country is a party to the Apostille Convention. India (2005), the Philippines (2019), Pakistan (2023) and Bangladesh (2025) are; Nigeria and Nepal are not.; School or degree certificates, authenticated for Germany: India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Apostille Convention parties. Nigeria and Nepal are not, and Nigerian documents cannot be legalised: they are verified only at a German authority's request, with no published fee or timeline. The India MEA apostille costs INR 50 per document plus the provider's INR 84 per document and INR 3 per page.: lead: Nigeria: not knowable in advance; the German side starts it: issuedBy: your school or university, then your country's apostille authority (India: MEA); Check that your qualification counts, and authenticate your certificates: Look up your institution (H+) and degree in anabin; if either is missing, apply to the ZAB for a Statement of Comparability (EUR 200, approx. AED 800; up to three months). Vocational and regulated professions need a recognition notice from the competent authority instead: normally three to four months after complete documents, up to EUR 600 or more (approx. AED 2,400). At the same time get your certificates apostilled; India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Apostille Convention parties, Nigeria and Nepal are not.: who: everyone

• IHK Magdeburg — self-employment for third-country nationals (statutory chamber of commerce) (opens in a new tab)

  ihk.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• IHK Rhein-Neckar — what a start-up costs (statutory chamber of commerce) (opens in a new tab)

  ihk.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · What it costs

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Registering with the tax office

• IHK Schleswig-Holstein — registering a business: who goes where (statutory chamber of commerce) (opens in a new tab)

  ihk.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• India MEA — apostille (opens in a new tab)

  mea.gov.in · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: India MEA — apostille: For Indian documents: the Ministry of External Affairs issues the apostille via outsourced service providers after state-level authentication. No walk-ins at MEA since 2012.; School or degree certificates, authenticated for Germany: India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Apostille Convention parties. Nigeria and Nepal are not, and Nigerian documents cannot be legalised: they are verified only at a German authority's request, with no published fee or timeline. The India MEA apostille costs INR 50 per document plus the provider's INR 84 per document and INR 3 per page.: lead: Nigeria: not knowable in advance; the German side starts it: issuedBy: your school or university, then your country's apostille authority (India: MEA)

• Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin (opens in a new tab)

  berlin.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin: Worked example of an Ausländerbehörde portal: the residence permit after arrival, document lists and fees. The Ausländerbehörde is a municipal or Land authority, so document lists and waiting times differ by city.

• Make it in Germany — 'At a glance: Visa for Self-Employment' (official overview) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · What it costs

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: National visa; Residence permit issued after arrival

• Make it in Germany — advisory services in Germany (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Make it in Germany — advisory services in Germany: Welcome Centers by federal state, local migration counselling offices, Network IQ for recognition questions, and Faire Integration for labour-law advice (stated to be free and anonymous).; Help on the ground: Welcome Centers exist in each federal state for foreign skilled workers and their families; local migration counselling offices help with settling in; Faire Integration advises on labour and social law free of charge and anonymously. Berlin offers free multilingual counselling through its network for immigrants.

• Make it in Germany — do I need to know German? (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Language certificate (where your route requires one): The level follows the route, not the trade: Opportunity Card A1 German or B2 English; recognition visa A2; vocational training B1; joining spouse A1 (waived where the sponsor holds a skilled-worker, Blue Card or self-employment permit). No level is set for any trade itself, and no German is needed to apply for recognition.: issuedBy: a standardised examination provider meeting ALTE standards (for example the Goethe-Institut)

• Make it in Germany — EU Blue Card (Federal Government portal) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Verified figures, Visa routes, Which jobs are short

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: EU Blue Card for self-employed work; EU Blue Card; EU Blue Card: A university degree recognised or comparable in Germany, or for IT specialists, substantial relevant professional experience…

• Make it in Germany — EU Blue Card: visa and entry procedure (official process sheet) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Valid passport: A valid passport is a general requirement for every route under § 5 AufenthG. The official sources we hold do not state a minimum remaining validity; check your mission's checklist.: issuedBy: your national passport authority; Employment contract, training contract or university admission: EU Blue Card: a concrete job offer or contract of at least six months. Vocational training: a signed training contract. Study: the university's admission letter. The Opportunity Card alone needs none of these.: issuedBy: your German employer, training company or university; Proof of health insurance for the visa: Required for the visa. The official portal says to take out travel health insurance at home to cover the gap until German insurance starts, and to check the required standard with the mission. It is not sufficient for residence: German insurance must be taken out after arrival.: issuedBy: an insurer whose cover meets the standard your German mission requires…

• Make it in Germany — First Steps in Germany with the Opportunity Card (brochure) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: After arrival: compulsory for the whole stay: Health insurance is required in Germany for the entire stay, with no gap permitted. Employees are enrolled in statutory insurance (GKV), usually by the employer. Someone not employed and not otherwise covered, such as a jobseeker, must take out private insurance until statutory cover starts.; The D visa is a bridge, not the permit: You enter on the national visa and must apply for the residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde before that visa expires. The deadline is the expiry date printed on the visa; there is no separate statutory period. Appointment backlogs in large cities are long, so book the Ausländerbehörde appointment in your first week, before the paperwork is ready.; What to carry in hand luggage: Your passport with the visa, and the originals you showed the mission. In your first two weeks the registration office asks for the passport, the visa or residence title and the landlord's confirmation; the bank asks for the passport, residence permit and registration certificate. Keep them with you, not in checked baggage.

• Make it in Germany — health insurance (Federal Government portal) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• Make it in Germany — one year of the Opportunity Card (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Verified figures, Rules feed

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Opportunity Cards issued in the first 13 months; Top nationality for the Opportunity Card; Germany: how many Opportunity Cards have actually been issued…

• Make it in Germany — opening a bank account (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Make it in Germany — opening a bank account: What a bank asks for (passport, residence permit, registration certificate, possibly a payslip), and why the account comes after the Anmeldung.; What to carry in hand luggage: Your passport with the visa, and the originals you showed the mission. In your first two weeks the registration office asks for the passport, the visa or residence title and the landlord's confirmation; the bank asks for the passport, residence permit and registration certificate. Keep them with you, not in checked baggage.; Bank account comes after registration: A bank generally asks for a valid passport, residence permit, registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) and possibly a payslip. Berlin states a bank account cannot be opened before registration, and the official portal states a current account is needed to rent a flat. The sources do not resolve this loop; in practice an employer-, university- or friend-provided first address breaks it.…

• Make it in Germany — Opportunity Card (Federal Government portal) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs, Practical requirements, Rules feed

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Opportunity Card; Opportunity Card: You are a national of a country outside the EU and EFTA; Opportunity Card: Either your qualification is fully recognised in Germany (no points needed), or you score at least 6 points on the points system…

• Make it in Germany — Opportunity Card: visa and entry procedure (official process sheet) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Blocked account, Opportunity Card: The 2026 figure for jobseekers on the Opportunity Card, or alternatively a Declaration of Commitment from a sponsor in Germany.: value: EUR 1,091 net per month (approx. AED 4,364); Apply for the residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde: Book the appointment and ask the authority for its own document list, which is set locally. The first electronic residence permit costs EUR 100 (approx. AED 400) under § 45 AufenthV. Opportunity Card holders switch to a work permit or extend the card, in either case before it expires.: who: everyone

• Make it in Germany — recognition procedure (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Make it in Germany — recognition procedure: The Federal Government's skilled-worker portal. Explains the recognition procedure, its cost and duration, and the Anerkennungsbescheid. Also carries the official process sheets for each visa route.

• Make it in Germany — recognition procedure: cost and timeframe (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Recognition notice (Anerkennungsbescheid) — vocational and regulated professions: For regulated professions (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, teacher and others) full recognition and the licence to practise must be obtained before the work residence permit is issued. Fee generally EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400), stated elsewhere as 'up to EUR 600 or more'. Communication with the authority is generally in German. The visa and the recognition procedure are separate applications.: lead: Three to four months after complete documents: issuedBy: the competent German authority for your profession and Land, found via the Recognition Finder; Recognition and comparability fees: The ZAB Statement of Comparability costs EUR 200, each additional certificate EUR 100. A recognition procedure for a vocational or regulated profession is stated as EUR 200 to 600 by the federal recognition portal and as 'up to EUR 600 or more' by Make it in Germany, plus translation and certification costs. The employer-led accelerated procedure costs EUR 411 (approx. AED 1,644), payable to the foreigners authority; the employer can assume it by a declaration of cost coverage.: value: ZAB statement EUR 200 (approx. AED 800); recognition EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400); Check that your qualification counts, and authenticate your certificates: Look up your institution (H+) and degree in anabin; if either is missing, apply to the ZAB for a Statement of Comparability (EUR 200, approx. AED 800; up to three months). Vocational and regulated professions need a recognition notice from the competent authority instead: normally three to four months after complete documents, up to EUR 600 or more (approx. AED 2,400). At the same time get your certificates apostilled; India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Apostille Convention parties, Nigeria and Nepal are not.: who: everyone

• Make it in Germany — tax ID and social security number (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements, Living there

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Make it in Germany — tax ID and social security number: The eleven-digit tax identification number is issued automatically after the Anmeldung and posted by the Federal Central Tax Office; the social security number arrives with your first insured employment. Neither is applied for.; Tax ID and tax class VI: The tax identification number is issued automatically after the Anmeldung and posted to your registered address. Until your employer has it, § 39c EStG obliges them to withhold wage tax under class VI, the class for a second job with no personal allowances. The excess is recalculated once the number arrives, but the cash shortfall lands in your first pay packets.; Receive your tax ID, open the bank account, join an insurer: The tax identification number is issued automatically after the Anmeldung and posted to your registered address; until your employer has it, wage tax is withheld under class VI. The bank asks for your passport, residence permit and registration certificate. Employees are enrolled in statutory health insurance by the employer; anyone not employed must take out cover themselves, with no gap allowed.: who: everyone…

• Make it in Germany — visa for freelance business (Federal Government portal) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• Make it in Germany — visa for self-employment (Federal Government portal) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Freelance permit; Freelance permit: Your work is a liberal profession, not a trade. The catalogue is in § 18 of the Income Tax Act and ends with 'similar professions'. The tax office has the final say on which side of that line you fall, and digital occupations are not named in it; Freelance permit: You can finance your undertaking and make a living from it. The portal's words are 'sufficient funds to finance your projects'; it names no amount, and a business plan is on its document list for this route too…

• Make it in Germany — Visa for studying (PDF, as of January 2026) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs, Verified figures, Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Student visa; Student visa: University admission, or admission to a preparatory course (Studienkolleg); Student visa: Proof of financial resources: a blocked account of at least EUR 11,904 for the first year, released at EUR 992 a month (2026 figure; it changes when the BAföG rate changes, so confirm with your mission)…

• Make it in Germany — visa for the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications (process sheet) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Recognition notice (Anerkennungsbescheid) — vocational and regulated professions: For regulated professions (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, teacher and others) full recognition and the licence to practise must be obtained before the work residence permit is issued. Fee generally EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400), stated elsewhere as 'up to EUR 600 or more'. Communication with the authority is generally in German. The visa and the recognition procedure are separate applications.: lead: Three to four months after complete documents: issuedBy: the competent German authority for your profession and Land, found via the Recognition Finder

• Make it in Germany — who needs recognition? (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Recognition notice (Anerkennungsbescheid) — vocational and regulated professions: For regulated professions (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, teacher and others) full recognition and the licence to practise must be obtained before the work residence permit is issued. Fee generally EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400), stated elsewhere as 'up to EUR 600 or more'. Communication with the authority is generally in German. The visa and the recognition procedure are separate applications.: lead: Three to four months after complete documents: issuedBy: the competent German authority for your profession and Land, found via the Recognition Finder; Health professions: licence before visa: Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, physiotherapists and other regulated health professions need full recognition and the licence to practise before the work residence permit is issued. For doctors the specialist language examination (Fachsprachenprüfung) is set at C1 on a B2 foundation; in Baden-Württemberg it costs EUR 420 (approx. AED 1,680), payable in advance. The language level for nurses is set per Land and is not sourced here.

• Make it in Germany — ZAB Statement of Comparability (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Make it in Germany — ZAB Statement of Comparability: When anabin does not list your institution or degree, apply to the ZAB for a Statement of Comparability (Zeugnisbewertung). Fully digital application; up to three months, about two weeks for EU Blue Card applicants with a job offer attached.; anabin printouts or ZAB Statement of Comparability (academic degrees): Both the institution (H+) and the degree ("entspricht" / "gleichwertig") must be listed; the degree title must match anabin word for word. Otherwise apply for a Statement of Comparability: EUR 200 (approx. AED 800), issued only for completed degrees.: lead: Up to three months; about two weeks for EU Blue Card applicants with a job offer attached: issuedBy: anabin (self-service) or the ZAB on application; Check that your qualification counts, and authenticate your certificates: Look up your institution (H+) and degree in anabin; if either is missing, apply to the ZAB for a Statement of Comparability (EUR 200, approx. AED 800; up to three months). Vocational and regulated professions need a recognition notice from the competent authority instead: normally three to four months after complete documents, up to EUR 600 or more (approx. AED 2,400). At the same time get your certificates apostilled; India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Apostille Convention parties, Nigeria and Nepal are not.: who: everyone

• Regierungspräsidium Baden-Württemberg — Fachsprachenprüfung for medical professions (opens in a new tab)

  rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Health professions: licence before visa: Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, physiotherapists and other regulated health professions need full recognition and the licence to practise before the work residence permit is issued. For doctors the specialist language examination (Fachsprachenprüfung) is set at C1 on a B2 foundation; in Baden-Württemberg it costs EUR 420 (approx. AED 1,680), payable in advance. The language level for nurses is set per Land and is not sourced here.

• Residence Act (AufenthG) — full table of contents, every residence purpose §§ 16 to 38a (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Digital nomad visa; Digital nomad visa: There is nothing to meet. The Residence Act provides no permit for remote work, nomad residence or living here on income earned elsewhere, and the Federal Government's portal lists two routes for working for yourself — business founder and freelancer — with no third. The nearest real thing is the freelance permit above, which requires a liberal profession, your own clients and a life in Germany built around that work.; Germany's digital nomad visa

• Residence Act (AufenthG) — full text and list of residence purposes (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, Verified figures

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Retirement residence; Retirement residence: There is nothing to meet. The Residence Act provides no retirement, pensioner or passive-income permit, and the discretionary clause for unlisted purposes publishes no criteria and bars employment.; Germany's retirement visa…

• RT Partner (German immigration law firm) — Blue Card minimum salary 2026 (opens in a new tab)

  rtpartner.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Rules feed

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Germany: EU Blue Card general salary threshold for 2026; Germany: reduced Blue Card threshold for shortage fields and new graduates

• Rundfunkbeitrag — the broadcasting contribution, official site (opens in a new tab)

  rundfunkbeitrag.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Arrival and settlement

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: The broadcasting fee you cannot refuse: Every dwelling pays the Rundfunkbeitrag, currently EUR 18.36 a month. It is per home, not per person, and it applies whether or not you own a television or radio.: bite: About EUR 220 a year, and it is triggered by your registration itself.

• Service Berlin — register a residence (opens in a new tab)

  service.berlin.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Service Berlin — register a residence: Worked example of a city registration page: 14-day deadline, free, document list, appointment or online registration. Other cities publish their own.; Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord's move-in confirmation) — after arrival: Needed for the Anmeldung within two weeks of moving in. A tenancy agreement does not replace it. The landlord must supply it within the same two weeks and commits an offence if they do not.: issuedBy: your landlord or whoever provides the accommodation; Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: The landlord must confirm the move-in in writing within the same two weeks; a tenancy agreement does not replace it. If the landlord refuses or is late, you must notify the registration office without delay. A landlord who fails to confirm faces the same fine. Before accepting any first accommodation, ask whether the provider will sign it.

• Service Berlin — residence permit for the foreign spouse of a foreign national (document list and fees) (opens in a new tab)

  service.berlin.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Birth and marriage certificates (family members): For the residence permit Berlin asks for the marriage certificate with certified translation and apostille or legalisation if foreign. For countries on the Federal Foreign Office's list, verification replaces both: Chennai states up to four months and approx. EUR 550 (approx. AED 2,200); Dhaka 10 to 12 weeks and BDT 35,000; Manila five to six months and PHP 16,000 plus EUR 10. Only a German authority can start it, and the applicant pays even if the document proves false. For Indian marriage certificates bring six to eight wedding photographs and do not laminate the certificate.: lead: Several months: issuedBy: your civil registry, then verified by the German mission where legalisation is unavailable; Residence permit after arrival: § 45 AufenthV: EUR 100 for the first electronic residence permit, EUR 93 or 96 for an extension, EUR 98 for a change of purpose. Berlin's counter fees match exactly and add EUR 6 for an on-site photo. Fee exemption where the applicant cannot cover living costs without benefits.: value: EUR 100 first issue (approx. AED 400)

• State of Lower Saxony — accelerated skilled worker procedure: processing time and costs (opens in a new tab)

  beschleunigtes-fachkraefteverfahren-en.niedersachsen.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Recognition and comparability fees: The ZAB Statement of Comparability costs EUR 200, each additional certificate EUR 100. A recognition procedure for a vocational or regulated profession is stated as EUR 200 to 600 by the federal recognition portal and as 'up to EUR 600 or more' by Make it in Germany, plus translation and certification costs. The employer-led accelerated procedure costs EUR 411 (approx. AED 1,644), payable to the foreigners authority; the employer can assume it by a declaration of cost coverage.: value: ZAB statement EUR 200 (approx. AED 800); recognition EUR 200 to 600 (approx. AED 800 to 2,400)

• Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder — housing 2022: gross cold rent by Land (opens in a new tab)

  statistikportal.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Rent levels by Land (gross cold rent, 2022): Official Land averages, reference year 2022: Hamburg EUR 10.90, Bavaria EUR 10.00, Berlin EUR 9.60, Saxony EUR 7.10 per m². These are Land averages, not city figures; Munich is materially above the Bavarian average. No official city-level rent figure is published in the sources we hold.: value: Germany EUR 8.60 per m² (approx. AED 34.40)

• Study in Germany — proof of financing (opens in a new tab)

  study-in-germany.com · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Study in Germany — proof of financing: The DAAD's official student portal on the three accepted proofs of financing for a student visa.; Alternatives to a blocked account: A Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation letter) from a sponsor, issued by a German foreigners authority and typically no more than six months old, or proof of a German or EU-funded scholarship. The Federal Foreign Office's blocked-account page itself refers you to your mission for the amount.

• Techniker Krankenkasse (statutory insurer) — 2026 social insurance contribution rates (opens in a new tab)

  tk.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Long-term care insurance, added on (2026): Charged alongside health insurance and shared with the employer; the extra 0.6 percentage points for childless members aged 23 and over fall on the employee alone. A single migrant with no children pays the higher rate.: value: 3.6%, or 4.2% if childless and aged 23 or over

• The Local — 2026 EU Blue Card salary thresholds (citing the Federal Foreign Office) (opens in a new tab)

  thelocal.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Rules feed

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Germany: EU Blue Card general salary threshold for 2026; Germany: reduced Blue Card threshold for shortage fields and new graduates

• Wohnungsvermittlungsgesetz (WoVermRG) — letting agents' fees (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Practical requirements

  Last checked 3 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Letting agent fees: An agent may not charge the flat-seeker unless the seeker alone commissioned the agent; in an ordinary rental where the landlord instructed the agent, the tenant owes nothing, and any agreement passing the landlord's fee to the tenant is void. Where a fee is lawfully owed it is capped at two months' rent plus VAT and is due only if a tenancy results.

• APS India — Academic Evaluation Centre (German Embassy New Delhi) (opens in a new tab)

  aps-india.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 7 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Student visa checklist for applicants in India (APS, certificates, insurance)

• German Embassy New Delhi — checklist for a national visa, student (article dated 30 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab)

  india.diplo.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes

  Last checked 7 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Student visa checklist for applicants in India (APS, certificates, insurance)

• Make it in Germany — Visa for vocational training (Federal Government portal) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Visa routes, What it costs

  Last checked 7 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Vocational training (Ausbildung); Vocational training (Ausbildung): A training contract with a German employer; Vocational training (Ausbildung): German language, usually B1 or B2 depending on the trade and the employer…

• § 1 AGG: aim of the General Equal Treatment Act (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Grounds covered by the General Equal Treatment Act: The Act aims to prevent or remove disadvantage on grounds of race, ethnic origin, sex, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity. The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency offers confidential counselling free of charge and refers people to counselling centres. This is the legal protection against discrimination; it is not a statement that any place is safe, and it infers nothing about any person's identity.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 1 EStG: unlimited and limited tax liability (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Tax residence and immigration residence are different tests: A person with a residence or habitual abode in Germany is subject to unlimited income tax liability; a person with neither is liable only on German-source income. For tax law, a continuous stay of more than six months counts as habitual abode from the first day, except a stay of up to one year solely for visiting, recreation, cure or similar private purposes. A residence permit is a different legal status: holding or lacking one does not by itself answer the tax question. Foreign-income questions need the tax authority or a tax adviser.: applicability: Anyone staying in Germany: geography: National (federal law)

• § 12 StAG (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Dual nationality and multiple passports: law is changing, check the current text: A Federal Government page of 19 January 2024 described the reform as allowing multiple citizenship, with applicants no longer required to give up a former nationality, and a naturalisation period cut from eight to five years. Sections 12 and 25 of the Nationality Act now show as repealed. A Bundestag speech of 8 October 2025 describes a further proposal to drop the three-year fast-track naturalisation, so the rules on naturalisation periods are still moving. Nothing here says which passport is stronger, whether your other country allows dual nationality, or whether you would keep or gain German citizenship; that depends on both countries' law.: applicability: People who hold or may acquire more than one nationality: geography: National (federal nationality law)

• § 13 AGG: right to complain (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Harassment, including sexual harassment, and the right to complain: Harassment is a form of disadvantage when unwanted conduct linked to a protected ground violates dignity and creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Sexual harassment covers unwanted sexual acts and requests, sexually determined contact, sexual remarks and displaying pornographic material. Employees may complain to the responsible body in the business about employer, supervisor, colleague or third party, and the complaint must be examined and the result communicated.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 164 SGB IX: employer duties to severely disabled employees (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Disability: definition and workplace adjustment: Under the Social Code IX a disability is an impairment likely to last more than six months that can impede equal participation. Severe disability status needs a degree of disability of at least 50 and a lawful residence, habitual abode or workplace within the scope of the Code; 30 to 49 may be treated as equal in some cases. Severely disabled employees can claim disability-appropriate workplaces, equipment, work organisation and working time, and technical aids, limited where unreasonable or disproportionate. This is eligibility for support, which is different from the medical or admissibility assessment in a visa procedure.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 166 StGB: insulting beliefs and religious societies (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Insulting beliefs and disturbing worship are criminal offences: Two provisions of the Criminal Code protect religious practice. Section 166 punishes publicly insulting the content of others' beliefs, or a church or religious society in Germany, in a way capable of disturbing public peace. Section 167 punishes deliberately and grossly disturbing a religious service, or committing offensive mischief at a place of worship; both carry up to three years' imprisonment or a fine. These are legal obligations. Dress, quiet, shoe or photography rules at a particular religious building are set by that building's operator and are not stated here.: geography: National (federal criminal law)

• § 167 StGB: disturbing the practice of religion (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Insulting beliefs and disturbing worship are criminal offences: Two provisions of the Criminal Code protect religious practice. Section 166 punishes publicly insulting the content of others' beliefs, or a church or religious society in Germany, in a way capable of disturbing public peace. Section 167 punishes deliberately and grossly disturbing a religious service, or committing offensive mischief at a place of worship; both carry up to three years' imprisonment or a fine. These are legal obligations. Dress, quiet, shoe or photography rules at a particular religious building are set by that building's operator and are not stated here.: geography: National (federal criminal law)

• § 16b AufenthG: study residence permit (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Study work: 140 days, not a weekly limit: A student may work up to 140 working days a year, tracked as a working-day account. A day of up to four hours counts as a half day, or per calendar week up to 20 hours in lecture periods counts as 2.5 days; the more favourable method is chosen for each week. Student side jobs at the institution do not count against the 140 days. A compulsory internship is part of the purpose of study, and a company-backed study-preparation internship can have its own permit under the same limits. Temporary employment under § 19c is excluded during the study stay.: applicability: Holders of a study residence permit: geography: National (federal law)

• § 193 SGB VII: employer report of an occupational accident (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Occupational accident: employer reporting duty: The employer must report an accident to the accident insurer if an insured person is killed or is unable to work for more than three days, within three days of learning of it. The employer must also inform the safety specialist and company doctor, and the insured person may receive the content of the report. Emergency medical care is separate from the claim that follows; a compensation claim is never guaranteed by the report.: applicability: Employees insured under statutory accident insurance: geography: National (federal law)

• § 2 ArbGG: jurisdiction of the labour courts (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Pay disputes go to the labour courts: Civil disputes between employees and employers about the employment relationship, and claims closely tied to it, belong to the labour courts under the judgment procedure. This is a statute allocating jurisdiction: it says where a case is heard, not what a worker will recover, and it does not answer questions about immigration status. We do not guarantee recovery of unpaid wages.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 2 SGB IX: disability and severe disability (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Disability: definition and workplace adjustment: Under the Social Code IX a disability is an impairment likely to last more than six months that can impede equal participation. Severe disability status needs a degree of disability of at least 50 and a lawful residence, habitual abode or workplace within the scope of the Code; 30 to 49 may be treated as equal in some cases. Severely disabled employees can claim disability-appropriate workplaces, equipment, work organisation and working time, and technical aids, limited where unreasonable or disproportionate. This is eligibility for support, which is different from the medical or admissibility assessment in a visa procedure.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 20 IfSG: measles protection (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Measles protection proof for children in school and care: People born after 31 December 1970 who are cared for in community facilities such as day care and schools, who have lived four weeks in certain communal accommodation, or who work in those facilities, need proof of measles vaccination or immunity. Adequate protection means at least one vaccination from age one and two from age two. A medical contraindication is an exception, and children under compulsory schooling may still attend school. This is a requirement for those facilities, not a general condition of entering Germany.: applicability: Children and staff in the listed facilities: geography: National (federal law)

• § 21 PStG: content of the birth register (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Registering a birth is not a citizenship entitlement: The birth register records the child's names, place, date and time of birth, sex and the parents' details; the parents' non-German nationality appears only as a note. A child born in Germany to foreign parents acquires German citizenship only if a parent has lawfully lived in Germany for five years and holds an unlimited right of residence (or a specified Swiss-agreement permit). Birth abroad is covered separately in § 4(4). Consular notification routes are not stated here.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 210 SGB VI: refund of pension contributions (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Pension contribution refund: conditions, not a promise: Pension contributions are refunded only on application, only to people who are not compulsorily insured and have no right to voluntary insurance (or who are exempt and have not met the waiting period), and only after 24 calendar months since leaving compulsory insurance without it starting again. Contributions from self-employment or voluntary payment are refunded at 50 percent, a net-pay agreement returns the employer share to the employee, and a refund ends the insurance relationship so earlier qualifying periods lapse. The text does not mention EU/EEA or agreement countries, so we state nothing on them.: applicability: Pension insurance contributors who leave compulsory insurance: geography: National (federal law)

• § 25 StAG (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Dual nationality and multiple passports: law is changing, check the current text: A Federal Government page of 19 January 2024 described the reform as allowing multiple citizenship, with applicants no longer required to give up a former nationality, and a naturalisation period cut from eight to five years. Sections 12 and 25 of the Nationality Act now show as repealed. A Bundestag speech of 8 October 2025 describes a further proposal to drop the three-year fast-track naturalisation, so the rules on naturalisation periods are still moving. Nothing here says which passport is stronger, whether your other country allows dual nationality, or whether you would keep or gain German citizenship; that depends on both countries' law.: applicability: People who hold or may acquire more than one nationality: geography: National (federal nationality law)

• § 28 PStG: notification of a death (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: After a death in Germany: report to the Standesamt by the third working day: A death must be reported to the registry office (Standesamt) for the place of death no later than the third working day after it. The duty falls first on a person who lived in the same household as the deceased, then on the person in whose home the death occurred, then on anyone else who was present or knows of it; a later person is bound only if an earlier one is absent or prevented. Fees, required documents and the burial rules of each Land are not stated here.: geography: National (federal civil-status law); procedure runs through the local Standesamt

• § 29 PStG: who must notify a death (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: After a death in Germany: report to the Standesamt by the third working day: A death must be reported to the registry office (Standesamt) for the place of death no later than the third working day after it. The duty falls first on a person who lived in the same household as the deceased, then on the person in whose home the death occurred, then on anyone else who was present or knows of it; a later person is bound only if an earlier one is absent or prevented. Fees, required documents and the burial rules of each Land are not stated here.: geography: National (federal civil-status law); procedure runs through the local Standesamt

• § 3 AGG: definitions, including harassment (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Harassment, including sexual harassment, and the right to complain: Harassment is a form of disadvantage when unwanted conduct linked to a protected ground violates dignity and creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Sexual harassment covers unwanted sexual acts and requests, sexually determined contact, sexual remarks and displaying pornographic material. Employees may complain to the responsible body in the business about employer, supervisor, colleague or third party, and the complaint must be examined and the result communicated.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 3 MuSchG: protection periods before and after birth (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Maternity protection periods: An employer may not employ a pregnant woman in the last six weeks before the due date unless she expressly agrees, and she can withdraw that at any time. Employment is barred until eight weeks after birth, or twelve weeks for premature or multiple births or a disability confirmed within eight weeks. This is employment-protection law; payments are not covered here and cannot be assumed.: applicability: Employees under the Maternity Protection Act: geography: National (federal law)

• § 31 ZKG: right to a basic payment account (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Right to a basic payment account: Banks that offer payment accounts to consumers must offer a basic account contract to any consumer lawfully resident in the EU, expressly including people with no fixed address and asylum seekers. People without a residence title are also covered if they cannot be removed for legal or practical reasons. The bank must offer the contract without undue delay and within ten business days of receiving the application, and must confirm receipt with a copy of the application. The identity and address documents the bank may ask for are set in § 33 ZKG, which this page does not cover.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 35 AufenthG: independent settlement right of children (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Children and dependants: ages and status changes: A permit for a minor unmarried child is granted where both parents, or the sole custodial parent, hold one of the listed titles. If the child is 16 or over and does not move its centre of life with the parents, the child needs German or a likely ability to integrate, except where the parent holds certain titles such as a Blue Card. A child's own settlement permit can follow after five years' holding of the permit by age 16, or at adult age with five years, sufficient German and secured living costs or training. There is no universal child age cutoff: the permit category decides.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 36 PStG: births and deaths abroad (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: A German who dies abroad: recording and consular help: A death of a German citizen abroad can be recorded in the German register on application by the deceased's parents, children or spouse or partner, any person with a legal interest, or the German mission in the country. The Federal Foreign Office says consular staff advise on repatriation to Germany or burial locally, can issue a coffin passport or urn certificate for repatriation, and name local funeral firms, but relatives choose the firm. It states that repatriation and burial costs cannot be advanced from public funds, and that help with an estate abroad carries charges and expenses. No fee or timeline is quoted here.: applicability: Relatives of a German citizen who dies abroad: geography: National (federal law)

• § 4 KSchG: time limit for a dismissal-protection claim (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Losing a job: The statutory notice period is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month; for employer dismissal it grows with years of service (one month after two years up to seven months after twenty), always to month end, and a notice period for the employee may not exceed the employer's. During a probation of at most six months either side may give two weeks. To contest a dismissal the employee must file at the labour court within three weeks of receiving the written notice. Holders of work-linked permits must tell the Ausländerbehörde within two weeks of learning that employment ended early. Notice does not by itself decide what happens to a residence permit.: applicability: Employees under German law: geography: National (federal law)

• § 44 AufenthG: entitlement to an integration course (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Who has a right to an integration course: The Residence Act gives a foreign national who is permanently resident and first granted a qualifying residence permit a one-time right to an integration course. BAMF says this covers people who received a first permit after 1 January 2005 for employment, family reunification or humanitarian reasons, or long-term resident status. There is no right for children, young people and young adults in school education, where the integration need is clearly low, or where the person already has sufficient German. People receiving basic income support may be admitted by the support provider. Entitlement for a given residence title is decided by BAMF or the authority; this is not immigration advice.: applicability: Holders of a residence title; check your own title with BAMF: geography: National (federal law)

• § 51 AufenthG: expiry of residence titles (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Leaving Germany: when a residence title lapses: A title expires if the holder leaves for a reason not temporary in nature, or leaves and does not return within six months or a longer period set by the authority. A visa valid for more than 90 days or for multiple entries is excepted. Blue Card holders and family permits under §§ 30, 32, 33 and 36 get twelve months; a settlement permit holder after 15 years of lawful residence is not subject to the six-month rule if livelihood is secured. Each status and the authority's own decision must be checked; there is no blanket employer-consent rule on this page.: geography: National (federal law); Settlement permit is not citizenship: A settlement permit is an unlimited residence title; it does not by itself grant nationality. Naturalisation under § 10 StAG needs five years of lawful habitual residence, identity and nationality clarified, sufficient German (B1 under the common framework), and supporting yourself without social benefits, with exceptions. The page does not address renouncing a previous nationality, so we say nothing on it. Residence rights can lapse on leaving, and nationality is a separate decision.: geography: National (federal law)

• § 622 BGB: notice periods in employment (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Losing a job: The statutory notice period is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month; for employer dismissal it grows with years of service (one month after two years up to seven months after twenty), always to month end, and a notice period for the employee may not exceed the employer's. During a probation of at most six months either side may give two weeks. To contest a dismissal the employee must file at the labour court within three weeks of receiving the written notice. Holders of work-linked permits must tell the Ausländerbehörde within two weeks of learning that employment ended early. Notice does not by itself decide what happens to a residence permit.: applicability: Employees under German law: geography: National (federal law)

• § 82 AufenthG: duty to cooperate and notify (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Losing a job: The statutory notice period is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month; for employer dismissal it grows with years of service (one month after two years up to seven months after twenty), always to month end, and a notice period for the employee may not exceed the employer's. During a probation of at most six months either side may give two weeks. To contest a dismissal the employee must file at the labour court within three weeks of receiving the written notice. Holders of work-linked permits must tell the Ausländerbehörde within two weeks of learning that employment ended early. Notice does not by itself decide what happens to a residence permit.: applicability: Employees under German law: geography: National (federal law)

• § 9 AO: habitual abode (Federal Office of Justice) (opens in a new tab)

  gesetze-im-internet.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Tax residence and immigration residence are different tests: A person with a residence or habitual abode in Germany is subject to unlimited income tax liability; a person with neither is liable only on German-source income. For tax law, a continuous stay of more than six months counts as habitual abode from the first day, except a stay of up to one year solely for visiting, recreation, cure or similar private purposes. A residence permit is a different legal status: holding or lacking one does not by itself answer the tax question. Foreign-income questions need the tax authority or a tax adviser.: applicability: Anyone staying in Germany: geography: National (federal law)

• BAMF: integration course for foreign nationals with a residence title from 2005 (opens in a new tab)

  bamf.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Who has a right to an integration course: The Residence Act gives a foreign national who is permanently resident and first granted a qualifying residence permit a one-time right to an integration course. BAMF says this covers people who received a first permit after 1 January 2005 for employment, family reunification or humanitarian reasons, or long-term resident status. There is no right for children, young people and young adults in school education, where the integration need is clearly low, or where the person already has sufficient German. People receiving basic income support may be admitted by the support provider. Entitlement for a given residence title is decided by BAMF or the authority; this is not immigration advice.: applicability: Holders of a residence title; check your own title with BAMF: geography: National (federal law)

• BAMF: migration counselling for adult immigrants (opens in a new tab)

  bamf.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Integration courses and migration counselling: BAMF-funded integration courses combine language with an orientation course, with general, special and intensive formats, and are applied for through BAMF, which issues an entitlement certificate before registration with a provider; the page we read describes access for refugees from Ukraine, and entitlement for other residence titles is not stated there. Free migration counselling for adult immigrants helps with language courses, school, work, recognition, housing and health. Neither is immigration or legal representation.: applicability: Check entitlement for your own residence title: geography: National (access varies by status and location)

• BAMF: school exchange and school attendance (opens in a new tab)

  bamf.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Compulsory schooling: from six, nine or ten years, set by each Land: BAMF states that all children and young people who live in Germany must attend school, generally from the sixth birthday for at least nine years, depending on the Land. The Standing Conference of the Education Ministers says compulsory schooling is mostly nine full-time school years, with ten in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Thuringia and nine or ten in North Rhine-Westphalia depending on the course. The federal portal adds that part-time compulsory schooling follows and can be met through dual vocational training. Rules differ by Land, so check the education ministry of the Land where you will live.: applicability: Children and young people living in Germany: geography: National framework; each Land sets its own rules

• BAuA: high workplace room temperatures (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) (opens in a new tab)

  baua.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Workplace heat thresholds: BAuA states that the Workplaces Ordinance requires health-beneficial room temperatures but sets no figure, and that there is no general statutory maximum temperature. The technical rule ASR A3.5 (dated June 2010) says air temperature in work rooms should not exceed 26 degrees Celsius; from 26 to 30 degrees employers take measures from its table where sun protection is already in place; from 30 to 35 degrees they take efficient measures; above 35 degrees a room is not suitable as a workplace without measures. Employers must assess risk and consider vulnerable staff, including pregnant women and young workers. The page concerns work rooms.: geography: National (federal law)

• BfArM: travelling with narcotic drugs (Federal Opium Agency) (opens in a new tab)

  bfarm.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Carrying prescribed narcotic medicines across borders: Schengen certificate: The Federal Opium Agency (BfArM) states that carrying prescribed narcotic drugs within the Schengen area for up to 30 days needs a certificate under Article 75 of the Schengen Implementing Convention. The treating physician completes it, the competent supreme health authority of the Land (or an authorised body) authenticates it before departure, it is valid for at most 30 days, and each drug needs its own certificate. Outside the Schengen area the agency recommends the travellers' guidelines of the International Narcotics Control Board; destination and transit countries set their own rules, and the destination country's embassy in Germany can give details. This is not advice on any particular medicine: ask the prescriber and the authority before travelling.: applicability: People carrying prescribed controlled narcotic drugs: geography: National (Länder health authorities authenticate)

• Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency: homepage (opens in a new tab)

  antidiskriminierungsstelle.gov.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Grounds covered by the General Equal Treatment Act: The Act aims to prevent or remove disadvantage on grounds of race, ethnic origin, sex, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity. The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency offers confidential counselling free of charge and refers people to counselling centres. This is the legal protection against discrimination; it is not a statement that any place is safe, and it infers nothing about any person's identity.: geography: National (federal law)

• Federal Commissioner for Integration: language support and integration courses (opens in a new tab)

  integrationsbeauftragte.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Integration courses and migration counselling: BAMF-funded integration courses combine language with an orientation course, with general, special and intensive formats, and are applied for through BAMF, which issues an entitlement certificate before registration with a provider; the page we read describes access for refugees from Ukraine, and entitlement for other residence titles is not stated there. Free migration counselling for adult immigrants helps with language courses, school, work, recognition, housing and health. Neither is immigration or legal representation.: applicability: Check entitlement for your own residence title: geography: National (access varies by status and location)

• Federal Employment Agency statistics: conversion tables from KldB 2010 to ISCO-08 (opens in a new tab)

  statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Occupation codes: KldB 2010 to ISCO-08 is an approximate key: The Federal Employment Agency publishes a table that converts the five-digit German classification of occupations (KldB 2010, revised 2020 version) to the four-digit international ISCO-08 unit groups, and states that such conversion keys are often not unambiguous; ambiguous cases are marked with alternatives. A matching code is therefore not proof that two jobs are equivalent. Recognition of a foreign qualification is a separate question: the federal recognition portal says recognition is necessary to work in a regulated profession (those whose activities are legally protected) and is not required for non-regulated professions, though a third-country applicant for a visa may still need it.: applicability: Anyone comparing a foreign job title with a German one: geography: National (federal law)

• Federal Foreign Office FAQ: residence permit of another Schengen state and a visit to Germany (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Work permission is written in the residence title: A residence title may allow employment unless a law forbids or limits it, and every title must show whether and how employment is allowed. If a title is tied to a specific job, any other employment is forbidden until the authority allows it. Employers must check the right to work, keep a copy for the length of employment and tell the Ausländerbehörde within four weeks if a job ended early where the permit came from the skilled-work chapters. Permission to work for an employer does not by itself cover freelance or foreign-employer remote work, and entry as a visitor never carries the right to work.: geography: National (federal law); Short trips to other Schengen states on a German permit: The Federal Foreign Office states that non-EU nationals who live in a Schengen state and hold a valid residence permit generally need no visa for visits to Germany of up to 90 days in any 180-day period when not taking up work. The page covers visits to Germany from another Schengen state; the entry rules of each other state are set by that state. A residence permit is not a passport, not citizenship, and not a travel right beyond what the rules state.: applicability: Holders of a residence permit of a Schengen state: geography: National (federal law)

• Federal Foreign Office: abolition of the remonstration procedure (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Visa refused: court action, not an automatic appeal: The Federal Foreign Office states that an applicant can bring an action at the Berlin Administrative Court against a refusal in the visa procedure. For a national visa the page gives one year unless the notice says otherwise; for a Schengen short-stay visa it gives one month. The notice of refusal carries the reasons and instructions on legal remedies, and information is given only to the applicant or someone authorised in writing. The Foreign Office also announced that the voluntary remonstration procedure ended on 1 July 2025 without shortening the legal route, and that a new application can be made at any time. Nothing here promises that an action or a new application will succeed; check the deadline in your own notice.: applicability: Applicants refused a German visa: geography: National (federal law)

• Federal Foreign Office: help for Germans in emergencies abroad, deaths (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: A German who dies abroad: recording and consular help: A death of a German citizen abroad can be recorded in the German register on application by the deceased's parents, children or spouse or partner, any person with a legal interest, or the German mission in the country. The Federal Foreign Office says consular staff advise on repatriation to Germany or burial locally, can issue a coffin passport or urn certificate for repatriation, and name local funeral firms, but relatives choose the firm. It states that repatriation and burial costs cannot be advanced from public funds, and that help with an estate abroad carries charges and expenses. No fee or timeline is quoted here.: applicability: Relatives of a German citizen who dies abroad: geography: National (federal law)

• Federal Foreign Office: national visa refused, what can I do (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Visa refused: court action, not an automatic appeal: The Federal Foreign Office states that an applicant can bring an action at the Berlin Administrative Court against a refusal in the visa procedure. For a national visa the page gives one year unless the notice says otherwise; for a Schengen short-stay visa it gives one month. The notice of refusal carries the reasons and instructions on legal remedies, and information is given only to the applicant or someone authorised in writing. The Foreign Office also announced that the voluntary remonstration procedure ended on 1 July 2025 without shortening the legal route, and that a new application can be made at any time. Nothing here promises that an action or a new application will succeed; check the deadline in your own notice.: applicability: Applicants refused a German visa: geography: National (federal law)

• Federal Foreign Office: Schengen visa refused, how to proceed (opens in a new tab)

  auswaertiges-amt.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Visa refused: court action, not an automatic appeal: The Federal Foreign Office states that an applicant can bring an action at the Berlin Administrative Court against a refusal in the visa procedure. For a national visa the page gives one year unless the notice says otherwise; for a Schengen short-stay visa it gives one month. The notice of refusal carries the reasons and instructions on legal remedies, and information is given only to the applicant or someone authorised in writing. The Foreign Office also announced that the voluntary remonstration procedure ended on 1 July 2025 without shortening the legal route, and that a new application can be made at any time. Nothing here promises that an action or a new application will succeed; check the deadline in your own notice.: applicability: Applicants refused a German visa: geography: National (federal law)

• Federal Government bulletin 89-5: Bundestag speech on changing citizenship law (8 October 2025) (opens in a new tab)

  bundesregierung.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Dual nationality and multiple passports: law is changing, check the current text: A Federal Government page of 19 January 2024 described the reform as allowing multiple citizenship, with applicants no longer required to give up a former nationality, and a naturalisation period cut from eight to five years. Sections 12 and 25 of the Nationality Act now show as repealed. A Bundestag speech of 8 October 2025 describes a further proposal to drop the three-year fast-track naturalisation, so the rules on naturalisation periods are still moving. Nothing here says which passport is stronger, whether your other country allows dual nationality, or whether you would keep or gain German citizenship; that depends on both countries' law.: applicability: People who hold or may acquire more than one nationality: geography: National (federal nationality law)

• Federal Government: modernisation of citizenship law (19 January 2024) (opens in a new tab)

  bundesregierung.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Dual nationality and multiple passports: law is changing, check the current text: A Federal Government page of 19 January 2024 described the reform as allowing multiple citizenship, with applicants no longer required to give up a former nationality, and a naturalisation period cut from eight to five years. Sections 12 and 25 of the Nationality Act now show as repealed. A Bundestag speech of 8 October 2025 describes a further proposal to drop the three-year fast-track naturalisation, so the rules on naturalisation periods are still moving. Nothing here says which passport is stronger, whether your other country allows dual nationality, or whether you would keep or gain German citizenship; that depends on both countries' law.: applicability: People who hold or may acquire more than one nationality: geography: National (federal nationality law)

• Federal Ministry of Food: labelling of vegan and vegetarian foods (opens in a new tab)

  bmleh.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Vegan and vegetarian labels: The Federal Ministry of Food states that vegan and vegetarian products are subject to the general food-labelling rules (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011), that the state food authorities apply published definitions of the two terms when they assess labels, and that the guidelines of the German Food Code Commission are an orientation aid. Private seals are not government rules.: geography: National (federal law)

• German Customs: requirements for duty-free removal goods (opens in a new tab)

  zoll.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Household goods moving from outside the EU: conditions for duty-free import: German Customs states that for duty-free removal goods your habitual residence must have been outside the EU customs territory for at least twelve months and you must take up residence in Germany, even if only temporarily. The goods must belong to you, non-consumable goods must have been used by you for at least six months in the third country, and clearance is possible within twelve months after the move. For twelve months the goods stay under customs supervision and may not be lent, sold or given away; if that is breached the duty is charged afterwards. The goods are declared in writing on form 0350. Import VAT is waived but excise duties are not. Goods for a business are a different matter and are not covered here.: applicability: People moving their residence to Germany from a non-EU country: geography: National (federal law)

• German Pension Insurance: A1 certificate FAQ (opens in a new tab)

  deutsche-rentenversicherung.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: A1 certificate: proof of which country's social-security law applies: The German Pension Insurance explains that an A1 certificate lets a person show which sending state's social-security law applies during temporary work abroad; a German A1 confirms the person stays under German law. The employer applies for it. It covers the EU states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and no A1 can be issued for work outside that area. An A1 is a certificate for a specific posting, not an automatic exemption for every worker.: applicability: Employees sent temporarily from or to Germany: geography: EU, EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

• German Pension Insurance: contacts for posting certificates under social security agreements (opens in a new tab)

  deutsche-rentenversicherung.de · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Outside the EU: bilateral agreements and who issues the certificate: For countries with which Germany has a social-security agreement, the pension insurance page says the issuing body depends on where the pension contribution is paid: the statutory health insurer or the GKV-Spitzenverband, DVKA in Bonn, if it goes to a health insurer, otherwise Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund in Berlin where the country table does not assign DVKA. From 1 January 2026 applications on the health-insurance side go through the SV-Meldeportal. An agreement does not by itself exempt anyone; the certificate and its conditions decide.: applicability: Posting between Germany and an agreement country: geography: National (federal law)

• KBLV Bavaria: travelling with pets (state food-safety and veterinary authority) (opens in a new tab)

  kblv.bayern.de · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Bringing a dog or cat from outside the EU: The Bavarian authority states: a 15-digit ISO microchip implanted before a rabies vaccination; vaccination at 12 weeks or older, valid on the travel date, with a 21-day wait; a rabies antibody test with a 90-day wait for animals from non-listed countries; an EU veterinary certificate completed by an official veterinarian, valid 10 days; and an import examination at a border control point. More than five animals, unaccompanied animals or a transfer of ownership count as commercial import.: geography: Bavarian entry points; EU rules apply federally

• Make it in Germany: school system and compulsory schooling (Federal Government portal) (opens in a new tab)

  make-it-in-germany.com · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Compulsory schooling: from six, nine or ten years, set by each Land: BAMF states that all children and young people who live in Germany must attend school, generally from the sixth birthday for at least nine years, depending on the Land. The Standing Conference of the Education Ministers says compulsory schooling is mostly nine full-time school years, with ten in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Thuringia and nine or ten in North Rhine-Westphalia depending on the course. The federal portal adds that part-time compulsory schooling follows and can be met through dual vocational training. Rules differ by Land, so check the education ministry of the Land where you will live.: applicability: Children and young people living in Germany: geography: National framework; each Land sets its own rules; Enrolment and school types: The federal portal says parents normally receive an invitation from the responsible school office with dates and registration steps, and that for newly arrived children the head teacher decides on enrolment together with the school authority. Primary school (Grundschule) covers grades 1 to 4, or 1 to 6 in Berlin and Brandenburg; secondary options include the Gymnasium and comprehensive or community schools, and names vary by Land. Newly arrived pupils without enough German may be given trial lessons and German as a second language support. Which school a child is placed in is decided locally; it is not promised in advance.: applicability: Families with school-age children: geography: National (federal law)

• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers: Annex II and Articles 21 and 44 (EUR-Lex) (opens in a new tab)

  eur-lex.europa.eu · Official (government or regulator) · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Allergen groups the EU food-information rules name: Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 lists the substances that cause allergies or intolerances: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk (including lactose), nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10 mg/kg, lupin and molluscs, each with products made from them. In an ingredient list the name of such a substance must be emphasised in a typeset that sets it apart. This is a labelling rule for food businesses; it is not a guarantee that any venue or product is free of an allergen, and it says nothing about cross-contact in a kitchen.: geography: EU rule applying in Germany; Loose food: allergen particulars are still mandatory: For food that is not prepacked, Article 44(1)(a) of the same Regulation makes the particulars named in Article 9(1)(c), the allergen information, mandatory. How a business provides them (for example orally or on a menu) is left to national rules, and no German format is stated here. Ask the venue and check the label; do not treat the absence of a warning as proof of safety.: applicability: Cafes, canteens, bakeries and restaurants: geography: National (federal law)

• Standing Conference of the Education Ministers: educational paths and qualifications (opens in a new tab)

  kmk.org · Explainer or secondary · Germany · Living there

  Last checked 8 November 2026 (Checked this month)

  Backs: Compulsory schooling: from six, nine or ten years, set by each Land: BAMF states that all children and young people who live in Germany must attend school, generally from the sixth birthday for at least nine years, depending on the Land. The Standing Conference of the Education Ministers says compulsory schooling is mostly nine full-time school years, with ten in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Thuringia and nine or ten in North Rhine-Westphalia depending on the course. The federal portal adds that part-time compulsory schooling follows and can be met through dual vocational training. Rules differ by Land, so check the education ministry of the Land where you will live.: applicability: Children and young people living in Germany: geography: National framework; each Land sets its own rules; Enrolment and school types: The federal portal says parents normally receive an invitation from the responsible school office with dates and registration steps, and that for newly arrived children the head teacher decides on enrolment together with the school authority. Primary school (Grundschule) covers grades 1 to 4, or 1 to 6 in Berlin and Brandenburg; secondary options include the Gymnasium and comprehensive or community schools, and names vary by Land. Newly arrived pupils without enough German may be given trial lessons and German as a second language support. Which school a child is placed in is decided locally; it is not promised in advance.: applicability: Families with school-age children: geography: National (federal law)