If you are a non-EU citizen, you can come to Germany for training if you meet the requirements for the training course you are interested in and have the means to support yourself.
You will receive a residence permit for the purposes of “school education serving to acquire a vocational qualification” (Section 16 (5a) of the Residence Act).
If you are doing your training with a company (“dual education”), you can obtain a residence permit for the purpose of “basic and advanced industrial training” (Section 17 (1) of the Residence Act). This requires the agreement of the Federal Employment Agency.
Please note that approval is usually given if there is no German applicant or another applicant with priority rights for the training course.
The vocational training course must last at least two years. During your training period, you can take up employment for up to 10 hours a week.
After completing your training, your residence permit may be extended for a year to allow you to find a job which corresponds to your qualifications.
During this period, are allowed to exercise any occupation in order to support yourself. Once you have found a job corresponding to your qualifications, you can get the appropriate residence permit from the foreign nationals’ registration authority.
This article has been prepared using information provided by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).