In addition to being a preferred choice of many students because of multiple renowned universities and educational institutes, Germany is also a favorite place for fresh graduates and international students all across the Globe for professional training and internships in their areas of interests at multiple known institutes and organizations.
If you aspire to take a training program or do an internship in Germany, you must know a couple of things before you travel towards your destination. For instance, you should find out whether you are eligible for the training program that you want to take and if you need a visa for traveling to Germany or not.
Who can apply for a Training/ Internship in Germany?
No matter to which religion you belong, what your gender is and how old are you, if you want to do an internship in Germany, you can apply for it. The exact requirements for taking any training or internship program vary and they depend upon the institution or company which offers it.
Different companies have different prerequisites. Some demand high fluency in the German language while some allow individuals with just basic level knowledge of German to take training.
You can take the assistance of the internet and find the internship and training opportunities online. Remember that not every internship program is paid. Before you apply for any training or internship program, make sure you check whether they are going to pay the interns or not. Many institutes pay their interns well. But there are many such organizations a swell who don’t pay anything for internships. You might have an idea that living in Germany has its own expenses. Therefore, you must keep the budget in mind as you might not be able to cover your living expenses in Germany even if the company pays you.
Who needs a Germany Internship/Training Visa?
Once you find out a training program or internship in Germany where you want to polish your professional skills, the next critical step is to find out do you actually need to apply for a visa or not. Your nationality/citizenship will determine whether you need a permit or not.
Foreigners who don’t need to apply for a Visa
The applicants who are the passport holders of any of the below-mentioned areas don’t have to obtain a visa for taking any training or internship program in Germany.
- Member States of the European Union
- European Economic Area
- European Free Trade Area
If you belong to any of these areas, you can enter Germany visa-free and start looking for a training or internship program.
In addition, candidates from Canada, Japan, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, The United States, and Korea do not need to apply for a visa for entering Germany for an internship or training. But, once they reach Germany, they should visit the immigration office and directly apply for residence permit. It will allow them to complete their training or internship in Germany legally. You can start looking for a suitable internship in your native country or after moving to Germany.
Foreigners who need a visa
The individuals from all the countries other than the ones mentioned above need to apply for an internship visa to Germany. First, they will have to find a training program or an internship and then go through the whole visa process which includes docs preparation, application submission, and an interview.
If you are a national of any such country which requires a visa for taking an internship or training program in Germany, the following information can be very beneficial for you. Whether you want to know the prerequisites for application submission or you need to check the visa processing fee, we have got you covered.
Requirements for Internship/ Training Visa to Germany
Remember that if you want to apply for a Germany Training/Internship visa. You will have to provide some essential documents at the German consulate or German Embassy which is located in your home country. These docs are required for proving your identity, purpose of traveling, background and financial stability to confirm that you can bear your traveling expenses.
We have divided the documents required for attaining Germany visa into two main categories. Take a look at both of these one by one.
Commonly Used Documents for Germany Visa
Application Form
Submit an entirely filled application form with accurate information that matches the info mentioned on other documents that you provide. Make sure you print the form of visa application twice and sign both the copies at the end. If you don’t sign any of the copies, the embassy will not consider it a valid application, and they will reject it instantly. Therefore, you must review the form once filled and remember to sign both the copies.
Two Identical Photographs
Make sure you provide two identical photographs which show your clear face. Remember that the pictures must be in passport size, should not be more than three months old, and they must meet all the requirements set by the Immigration authorities of Germany.
Valid Passport
Your national passport must not be more than 10 years old. There must be one empty page where the visa sticker can be affixed. It is essential that your valid passport meets all the passport requirements as per the rules set by the authorities.
Along with passport, you will have to submit a copy of data page of your passport in A4 size.
Some applicants also have to submit their old passport. For instance, if your old passport is expired or its all the pages are filled with visa stickers and stamps, you also have to submit that in addition to a new passport. Remember that you should not staple the passports together. Instead, take a rubber band and tie them.
Health and Travel Insurance
The applicants need to submit a confirmation letter from the insurance company that you have bought health and travel insurance. The document must clearly indicate that your insurance covers any hospitalization or emergency treatment in case of accidents and repatriation if the applicant dies with coverage of at least 30,000 Euros in the entire territory of Schengen.
Proof of Financial Stability
You have to submit documents to prove that you have enough funds to afford your stay in Germany. It can be your bank statement to indicate that you are capable of bearing your expenses throughout the stay in Germany.
Besides, you can provide a copy of the contract with the firm who is offering the internship to show how much they are paying you.
Moreover, you can submit a sponsorship letter which confirms that somebody is going to send you money on a regular basis for covering the expenses of the stay in Germany. The letter must include the sponsors’ bank statement, pay slip and work contract.
In addition to these, the applicants may also have to provide the following documents as per their status.
If Employed: If you are employed at some company, you have to provide an employment contract or pay slips for the last three months
If Self-Employed: If you are self-employed, you have to submit Ownership proof or Proprietorship Certificate. You can also present Land title proof or evidence of agricultural income.
Proof of Civil Status
You can submit your marriage certificate, birth certificate of your child or death certificate of your spouse if needed.
Flight Itinerary
You can provide your flight reservation, tickets or rail or any other thing relevant document. You can find a suitable flight online through a visa consultation service as well.
Accommodation Proof
Submit the proof of your residence for the entire stay in Germany. It can be a hotel booking, a rental agreement or an invitation letter from any of your friend or family member who is living in Germany.
Specific requirements for Training/Internship Visa to Germany
Bundesagentur Fur Arbeit
It is a kind of work permit which will enable you to work in Germany. The interns must have it in order to participate in any training or internship in Germany legally. It is the responsibility of the organization or institute which is offering the training or internship to get this letter to you. However, there are some internships under the European Union Founded programs which don’t require this particular document. Some of these programs include Erasmus, Socrates, and Leonardo.
No-Objection/Deputation Letter
Submit a letter from your university or employer to confirm that you are the student/employee of that organization.
Letter of Approval from the German Institute
This letter should clearly mention your conditions of stay in the country along with the payment.
Evidence of Qualification
Submit your academic certificate, mark sheets of a diploma.
Training/Internship Visa Application Process
The visa application process for training or internship in Germany is simple and easy. You just have to follow the below-mentioned steps in sequence ensuring that you don’t miss out a single thing.
• Prepare the Visa Application
• Book an Appointment
• Visit the Application Center
• Submit your application
• Online Entry of Application Information
• Biometric Data Collection
The applicants need to apply at German Consulate or German Embassy whichever is near your place of residence. It is highly recommended that you apply at least three weeks before your desired date to travel so that you can avoid any potential trouble due to delay.
Internship/ Training Visa Processing Fee
When you go for your visa interview, you will have to submit the receipt for the confirmation that you have paid the visa processing fee. This fee is necessary to be paid, and without it, no application will be processed. A processing fee for German Long stay visas which allow the stay of over 90 days is about 75 Euros. You can pay this fee in your local currency as per the exchange rates that are approved by the German Embassy.
Internship/ Training Visa Processing Time
Generally, the application processing for Internship/ Training visa to Germany takes about 10-15 days. However, the actual time taken may vary from one person to the other. There is a possibility that some applicants receive a response from the embassy within a week and some may get the answer after two weeks because of their situation or any complication in the application.
Sometimes, if the embassy receives a large number of applications, the processing may take longer than 15 days. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you submit your application as soon as possible.
Germany Internship/ Training Visa Validity
The maximum duration for which the Internship/ Training visa can be granted is for 12 months. Its validity depends upon the exact length of your internship or training program. For instance, if your chosen internship is going to last for four months, the embassy will issue you a visa for 4 months with some additional days before the start of internship and some days after the end date of the internship.
Please note that it is important to check your visa sticker when you get it to find out your permitted stay duration and visa validation.
Can Germany Internship/ Training Visa be extended?
If you aspire to apply for training visa extension, you will have to give a solid reason for your application. The authorities will go through your application and decide whether to approve or reject your request.
Many times it happens that the institute or organization in which you take internship or training wants you to continue your work even after the initially decided period is about to over.
At the end of your training or internship period, if the company wants to hire you as an employee, you will have to go back to your native country first and then apply for the work visa from there. Once you get the employment visa, you can come to Germany and start working with that organization.
Can my Family Accompany me?
If you are taking an internship or training program in Germany and you wish your family to come over there and accompany you, they can apply for obtaining a visitor/tourist visa for visiting you. Here it is important to mention that they don’t qualify for applying under family reunion visa category.