Job Seekers Visa to Germany

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Can we apply for a Job Seeker Visa to Germany from India?

Germany Immigration visa department, has created several pathways to attract and bring foreign workers to Germany to fill in labour shortages. The German job seeker visa is one of these immigration opportunities for Indians and other nationalities. This visa allows you to enter Germany and look for employment. This is a good pathway to work in a relevant field in in Germany. This is a long term visa.  If you are an Indian citizen looking to apply for this Job Seeker visa, you must first know whether this visa is appropriate proper for you and whether you meet the eligibility criteria. We at Olive Consultants, Chennai will do the eligibility assessment, free of charge for you.

If you wish to go to Germany and look for potential employers, then you must obtain a job seeker visa before entering Germany. If you have a valid Schengen visa for Germany, you still need to apply for a job seeker visa. After getting the employment in Germany, then you apply for a German work visa.

You’re eligible to apply for a German job seeker visa, if you hold an Indian passport and you meet the following conditions:

  • You have completed a training course or a study program in Germany.
  • You have received a degree in India that is equivalent to the one in Germany.
  • You have a Bachelors or a Masters degree that is recognised in Germany.
  • You have at least five years of professional work experience.
  • You can prove that you have enough financial resources to cover all your expenses while in you are in Germany to meet potential employers and recruiters.
  • You have completed vocational training and can show proof of your German language.
  • Visa application form. You must submit a filled-out and signed application form for your job seeker visa application. We will assist you in this, to ensure that there are no errors on your visa application.
  • Passport copy. Please make sure your passport has been issued within the last ten years.  It must have a few blank pages. Ensure that your passport validity period is 12 months at least.
  • Passport size photo. you may be required to submit up to three pictures.
  • Aadhar card copy will show that you are a resident of India.
  • Evidence of academic qualifications. Please provide proof of all your academic achievement’s from a German university or equivalent to a German degree.
  • Proof of recognition of academic degrees. If your degree is not equivalent to one in Germany, you must make sure your degree is fully recognised before applying for your visa. We will assist you to get the recognition from the German authorised office.
  • Evidence of professional work experience. Submit any documentation (CV, professional achievements, salary slips, Income tax proof, bank statements etc.) that supports your relevant work experience.
  • Cover letter. Submit a cover letter detailing how you plan to find employment in Germany, your future career plans, and what you plan to do if the job search is unsuccessful.
  • Proof of accommodation. Make sure to submit proof of temporary accommodation while you will stay in Germany. You can submit a hotel reservation, rental agreement, or proof that you will stay with a friend or family member in Germany.
  • Evidence of enough financial that you have allocated for your stay in Germany. You must submit proof of having sufficient financial resources to support your stay in Germany while you look for employment— make sure you submit one of the following:
    • A blocked account showing you have a minimum of EUR 947 (equivalent toINR 85,619.79 as of March 2024) per month. We will assist you to open a proper Blocked account, which is approved by the German visa department.
    • A formal obligation letter (Affidavit of support) from your sponsor if someone inn your family is covering your financial expenses.
  • You must provide proof of having travel insurance with a minimum of EUR 30,000 for your  medical coverage.
  • You need to submit civil status documents such as your:
    • Marriage certificate.
    • Family certificate.
    • Birth certificate.
    • Aadhar card.

You must apply at your closest German embassy or German consulate in India for a German job seeker visa. We will assist you to file your job seeker visa.

You can apply for a German job seeker visa from India by following the instructions below

  1. Determine your application office in India.
  2. Assemble the required documents.
  3. Set up an appointment for the submission of the application.
  4. Pay the required visa fee.
  5. Submit your application.
  6. Wait for an answer.
  7. Enter Germany.


Determine the Correct Application Office in India


First, you must confirm the correct German embassy or consulate in India, where you are required to submit your application.


Set up an Appointment with the German Embassy/Consulate


Once you know where you are to submit your job seeker visa application, please make an appointment with the German embassy or consulate. Most German embassies/consulates in India use an online system for visa appointments. Please keep in mind that an appointment is essential for you to submit your application.


Note: it may take several weeks to get an appointment, and you cannot receive an accelerated appointment as those are reserved for emergency cases.


Assemble the Required Documents


To submit a successful job seeker visa application; you must prepare several documents, which include your passport, application form, and identification documents— you can find the complete list of requirements below.


Pay the Job Seeker Visa Fee


On the day of your visa appointment; you must pay the required visa fee. Different embassies and consulates in India accept other forms of payment, so check carefully how to pay your visa fee in advance.


Submit Your Application


Finally, at your appointment with the German embassy/consulate in India; you can submit your application along with the required documents. You may also be asked to attend a visa interview on the same day. They will ask you about your intention to work in Germany, your experiences,  if you have family members in India, and so on.


Wait for an Answer


Once you submit your application, it will take several weeks for the embassy to process it and decide. You have to wait patiently for an answer on your visa application. If your visa application is granted, you will obtain your visa, if not the embassy will send you a notification of the denied application along with why the application was rejected.


Enter Germany


If you receive your German job seeker visa after you enter the country, you have to complete two essential steps:


  • Register your address. Within two weeks of arriving in Germany, you must visit your municipality’s closest registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt), found in the citizens’ office (Bürgerbüro) and register your address. You can register your hotel, rental agreement, or private accommodation with friends or family. But you must provide an address during your stay in Germany.
  • Get your residence permit. Once you enter the country, you must obtain a temporary residence permit for a job seeker visa holder. You must make an appointment with your area’s nearest immigration authorities (Ausländerbehörde).

To submit a successful application for your German job seeker visa in India, you must submit original documents or certified copies.

The German embassies/consulates in India require you to translate some of your documents from English to German, such as civil status certificates and have them certified.

To authenticate your documents, you must bring them to the embassy or consulate before your visa interview, as the authentication process may take up to 12 weeks. Additionally, you must also pay an additional fee for authentication on the day of your visa interview— the amount of this fee depends on the embassy/consulate.

A German job seeker visa from India costs EUR 75.

To qualify for a job seeker visa, you must prove that you have enough financial means to support yourself during your stay in Germany. Your bank balance must show you have a minimum of EUR 947 for each month you spend there. So, if your visa is valid for six months, you must provide proof of having a minimum amount of EUR 5,682.

If you do not have the required financial means, you must show evidence that someone else is sponsoring you for the visa— you may also be required to submit your sponsor’s bank statements.

A Germany job seeker visa for Indian citizens is valid for six months. This is when you must find employment in the country and then switch to a work visa. Please make sure to follow your visa’s validity period.

If you are a skilled individual with a recognisable degree in Germany, a job seeker visa is not very difficult to obtain.

Yes, speaking German is not a requirement for you to obtain a German job seeker visa— unless you have vocational training, in which case you’re recommended to provide evidence of a minimum of level B2 language skills.

Even if you are not required to speak German to obtain the visa, you are highly recommended to have at least a B1 level, as it will increase your chances of finding a job.

It’s important to have a clear idea of what kind of job you are looking for in Germany and where your skills are best applied. Then, you must prepare several applications— a minimum of 100 to 200 is the general advice— and send them out to potential employers

If you find work in Germany with your job seeker visa, you must switch to an EU Blue Card or a residence permit for employed foreigners in Germany.

If your Germany job Seeker visa is rejected, you may re-apply for your visa again— please note that the application fee is non-refundable in case of denial. If you believe the reason for your rejection is unfair, you may always appeal against the decision— in this case; you need to contact the German embassy or consulate in India to understand how to proceed next.