Work visa for Germany 2026: types and salary thresholds

Updated:
05.10.2026

If you have decided to come to Germany for long-term residence, you need to obtain a national D-type visa. It differs from the Schengen visa and will allow you to legally remain in the country and eventually obtain a residence permit.

Having it will enable you to live in Germany for more than 3 months, work, study, and engage in entrepreneurial activity, depending on which type of Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit) you obtain in Germany.

Features of the national D visa:

Grants the right to work or receive education.
Designed for a prolonged period – up to a year. Issuance for specific dates is possible when it is known in advance that the total duration of stay will be up to 1 year.
When travelling to other states in the Schengen Area, a D visa acts as a tourist visa. Multiple entries and exits are permitted if the visa bears the annotation MULT. You can enter the territories of other countries for a period of 90 days in every six months, but you cannot work there.
The processing fee is €75 per adult and €37.50 per minor child in 2026. If your application is rejected, this amount will not be refunded.
Applications take 30 to 90 days to process. It can sometimes take longer. In a number of cases, approval from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) is required, which can increase the time. You need to check with your consulate.
Personal presence is required to submit an application for a national D-visa. The exception is children under 12 years of age. This is required for fingerprinting and having your photograph taken at the visa application centre.
It is permissible to apply for a D-visa in your country of residence. If you have moved to another country, you can apply through the local German consulate. In this case, you need to take into account additional requirements that may apply depending on the country of residence; registration may be required in some places, and in others you may need to have lived there for at least 6 months. In Russia documents are being accepted only at the German Embassy in Moscow.

You can compare and arrange medical insurance suitable for any type of visa via the link.

More details

Main documents required for obtaining a D-visa for Germany

Please check the full list of documents with your consulate

Valid international passport and photocopies of all completed pages.
Internal passport and photocopies of all completed pages.
Photocopy of the residence permit, in the absence of a passport of your country of residence.
Completed application form. It is best to enter the information in German. English is also permitted, provided that the established requirements are met.
Declaration that you have read the Residence Act of the Federal Republic of Germany, specifically sections 53 and 54.
3 photos 35×45 mm.
Employment contract / job offer. The document specifies the name and address of the company, employer’s contact details, salary, position, and duration of employment.
A document confirming knowledge of the German language. It is not mandatory, but significantly increases your chances of getting a visa.
Document confirming qualification. These can be certificates or diplomas that are recognised in Germany. They must be translated, certified and apostilled.
Proof of solvency. This can include salary certificates, bank statements, tax returns. Please note that confirmation of funds in Russian bank accounts is not accepted.
Medical insurance policy with a cover amount of at least €30,000. It must be valid for at least 3–4 weeks from the start of the stay in the country.
Receipt confirming payment of the consular fee.

The consulate has the right to request additional documentation; it is better to clarify this matter in advance. Sometimes they ask you to send your work record book, documents confirming the necessary skills in the case of a non-related degree, etc.

Please note: For some documents, you will also need a certified translation into German, for example your birth certificate. So check the website of your German embassy or consulate in advance to find out what will be required.

Type D visas can be divided into 3 groups:
Work, study and family reunion. Below we look in more detail at visas with work authorisation and family reunion.

Types of national work visa and their requirements

1. Fachkräfte (skilled workers) §18a, §18b

Fachkräfte - skilled worker visa for those with vocational or higher education recognised in Germany §18a and 18b.

It is necessary to have your qualifications recognised. This is how you prove that your diploma is equivalent to a German qualification. There are a number of professions that require a licence to practise, such as medicine.
To have a job offer from an employer in Germany. It is important that this is qualified employment requiring a university degree or vocational training.
Is there a separate salary threshold in the law for § 18a and § 18b? The answer is no: the Employment Agency (BA) checks that you are being paid no worse than comparable local workers. The threshold only appears from the age of 45 — €55,770 a year, or €4,647.50 a month upon first receiving such a residence permit (§ 18 Abs. 2 Nr. 5). Instead of a high salary, pension provision can be demonstrated. All thresholds are tied to the pension insurance contribution ceiling (€101,400 in 2026) and are revised every January. Details in the breakdown Residence permit in Germany after 45 years of age.

2. Berufserfahrene (experienced professionals) §19c

Berufserfahrene §19c– visa for professionals with at least 2 years of work experience in the last 5 years (internships do not count).

It is not necessary to have a relevant university degree; a completed qualification lasting at least 2 years and confirmed by the ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education) will be sufficient.
Professional experience: at least 2 years, within the last 5 years. This experience must be related to the profession you wish to practise in Germany.
Job offer in Germany.
The salary must be included in the employment contract and be at least €45,630 a year gross — this amounts to €3,802.50 per month, or 45 % of the pension insurance contribution ceiling for 2026 (§ 6(1)(2) BeschV). If you are over 45 and are being granted this residence permit for the first time, the threshold is higher — €55,770 a year, or €4,647.50 a month; instead of the salary, pension provision can be proven (analysis of the 45+ rule). Both sums are reviewed every January.
Employment approval has been received from the Federal Employment Agency (BA).

3. Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card) §18g

EU Blue Card (Blue Card EU) is a fixed-term residence permit for employment: it is issued for a maximum of four years. Unlike the American Green Card, it is not a permanent status.
It will suit you if you have a higher education degree obtained at an EU-recognised university. As well as if you are an IT specialist without a degree, and have at least 3 years of work experience over the last 7 years. It is precisely with such candidates that employment contracts are more readily concluded.

A higher education degree recognised in Germany is required (with the exception of IT specialists).
Job offer in Germany in the field of your degree. The employment contract must be for at least six months.
The salary must be included in the employment contract and be at least €50,700 a year gross — €4,225 per month (2026). Approval from the Employment Agency is not required in this case. If you work in a shortage occupation or graduated no more than three years ago, the threshold is lower — €45,934.20 a year, or €3,827.85 a month, but this requires the BA’s consent. Both amounts are reviewed every January: they are 50 % and 45.3 % of the pension insurance contribution ceiling, which is €101,400 in 2026. We explain what the Blue Card offers beyond the threshold in the article EU Blue Card in Germany. Detailed list of in-demand occupations — here.

4. German freelance visa §21

German freelance visa or Aufenthaltserlaubnis zur freiberuflichen oder selbständigen Tätigkeit (residence permit for freelance or self-employed work) — visa for freelancers and the self-employed. This often takes longer to process than others. Processing time is up to 6 months, depending on the country where the documents are submitted. It is tied to a single field of activity. When applying for the visa, you must choose one profession and stick strictly to it during your stay in Germany on a residence permit. It provides the opportunity to apply for permanent residence after 3 years of successful activity, provided you have knowledge of German. You can move with your family, provided there is sufficient financial support for all family members.

It is necessary to have clients from Germany: it is important that there are multiple employers/clients, they must all be from Germany, and they must also write a so-called “letter of intent”: in month X, I plan to commission work worth €10,000 from Ms Y. This letter in no way obliges the person who wrote it to place an actual order. There must be at least 2 such letters for the application, from different employers.
Proof of sufficient financial means for the entire duration of the stay — income from your business or savings, sufficient to cover living costs and health insurance. The figure of €1,091 a month (€13,092 a year, 2026) is the requirement for the Chancenkarte (opportunity card) – more on this in the article Chancenkarte 2026.
CV with a cover letter. Portfolio, documents confirming professional achievements.
Educational diploma and recommendation letters: Proof of qualifications and references from previous employers.
Additional documents for business owners: Information about company activities.
Complete business plan, including rent calculation and utility bills.

5. Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) §20a, §20b

Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) — a new type of job seeker visa for Germany. We explain in detail how to get an Opportunity Card and how many points you need to score.

Knowledge of the German language at a minimum of level A1 or knowledge of the English language at a minimum of level B2.
2 years of study or a university degree.
Financial proof: blocked account based on €1,091 a month (€13,092 per year, 2026) or a guarantor.
Travel insurance for a trip to Germany – Incoming-Versicherung.
If the qualification is not recognised in Germany, an additional 6 points must be gained through skills and work experience.

6. Family reunion §28-36

With this type of visa, you can bring your family over.
If you hold a visa for Fachkräfte, your spouse and minor children have the right to submit documents for a visa at the same time as your application or later. For this, the following conditions must be met:

If you hold the EU Blue Card, your relatives do not need to prove knowledge of German either. Once your family members arrive in Germany, they will need to apply for a residence permit at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). You will not have to prove that you have accommodation of the required size, but you will have to prove an income sufficient for the whole family (unless you and your family have already lived in another EU country with a Blue Card issued there).

A family reunion visa allows its holder to work, but family members who join you under the programme are not entitled to state social assistance (under SGB II or SGB XII).

Representatives of certain professions can reunite with their parents or with the parents of a spouse or registered civil partner (according to Section 36(3) of the Residence Act). This option is available to managers, directors, scientists, researchers, engineers, technicians and others, provided that they are in Germany with an EU Blue Card, a residence permit for civil servants (pursuant to Section 19c paragraph 4 of the Residence Act) or a residence permit for the self-employed, and that they received this permit for the first time on or after 1 March 2024. In this case, it is also necessary to prove that the family’s means of subsistence and health insurance are secured on a permanent basis.

Sometimes, when submitting an application, you may be invited for an interview where you will be asked about your spouse’s domestic habits, where you met, when you got married, and so on.

5 Steps to obtaining a national D-visa

Step 1 Check the requirements from the list above. Please note that the visa application process often requires approval from the Federal Employment Agency (BA) (exception: EU Blue Card with an annual salary of at least €50,700).

Step 2 Prepare the necessary documents, including the employment contract, passport, proof of a recognised degree or professional qualification certificate, and the visa application form.
Find out about the possibility of expediting the procedure through your employer.

Step 3 Apply in your country of residence.
Bring a full set of documents with you, and prepare 75 euros in local currency (to pay the fee).

Step 4 Entry into Germany. Obtain an entry visa for employment purposes, book a ticket. Please note: to be issued an entry visa, it is necessary to present valid medical insurance. After entering the country, it will be necessary to take out a new health insurance policy directly in Germany.

Step 5 Applying for a residence permit in Germany:
Register your residential address at the residents’ registration office (Bürgeramt or Rathaus), make an appointment with the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde), and request the necessary documents from the immigration authorities. Apply for a residence permit. Please note that fees can be up to 100 euros. The application for a Blaue Karte EU must be submitted before your entry visa expires. If you submit the documents too late, there is a risk that the visa will expire before you receive your residence permit. In itself, this is not a major problem — you simply have to wait for the decision. However, if in such a situation you need to leave the country, you will need to request a temporary certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung). This document is intended for cases where a foreigner is legally residing in Germany and awaiting the extension of their visa status, but their previous document has already expired. The application for a residence permit is made at the Ausländerbehörde, the immigration authority, which is responsible for ensuring that foreign nationals comply with the rules governing their stay in Germany.

Changing jobs in Germany

If you decide to change employer, you must notify the Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) about the new job, as the visa is tied to the employer. If you do this within the first year of employment, the Ausländerbehörde can either suspend your employment or block the change of workplace if it does not meet the visa conditions. The authority has 30 days to do this. If you fail to notify them on time, the office may revoke the document (according to §52 of the Residence Act) for both you and your family members.

If you have resigned in Germany and have not yet found a new job, since 1 June 2024 there has been a new option – the Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card). This is a residence permit that allows you to look for work in Germany. It is issued for up to one year, but can be extended for a further two years. It allows you to work up to 20 hours a week whilst you are looking for a job in your field; once you have found one, you must apply for a different residence permit to replace this one.

A work residence permit by profession: what changes in each case

The paragraph in the law is the same, but the route to it differs: for some professions recognition of the qualification comes first, for others the salary decides, and for a third group no formal degree is required at all.

Doctors

The visa is only half of it. Working as a doctor requires admission to the profession: the Approbation. While the degree is being recognised, the state authority may issue a temporary permission to practise, limited in time and place. A specialised language examination for medical staff is taken separately. Recognition is handled by the health authorities of the federal state, not by the Ausländerbehörde — and it is worth starting before the visa application. How the procedure works and where to find your authority is on the page about recognition of a foreign degree. The residence permit itself usually runs under § 18b as for a specialist with a university degree, and with a salary above the threshold as a Blaue Karte EU.

Nurses and care workers

Here the qualification is vocational rather than academic, so § 18a applies. Recognition is again a matter for the federal state, and the outcome is most often partial: either an adaptation course or a knowledge examination is prescribed. The language is needed earlier and at a higher level than for many other professions, because without it you are not admitted to the recognition procedure itself. The practical conclusion: the timeline is set not by the consulate but by the queue at the state authority.

Engineers

The degree is checked against the anabin database: if it is listed there as recognised, no separate procedure is needed and § 18b is enough. With a salary above the threshold the Blaue Karte EU is the better route — it gives a shorter path to permanent residence. The professional title “Ingenieur” is protected by state law, but for working in the field at a company a recognised degree is sufficient.

IT professionals

The only group that need not have a degree at all. Under § 19c Abs. 2 AufenthG together with § 6 BeschV the residence permit is granted for practical experience: at least two years of relevant work acquired within the last five years, and a salary of no less than 45 per cent of the annual Beitragsbemessungsgrenze (contribution assessment ceiling) in the statutory pension insurance. In 2026 that is 45 630 € a year.

For IT there is an explicit exception: “In Berufen auf dem Gebiet der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie findet Satz 1 Nummer 3 keine Anwendung” — the requirement of a formal qualification does not apply.

From the age of 45 the threshold is higher — 55 770 € a year, and this is already the general rule for everyone receiving a residence permit for the first time at that age: either such a salary, or proven pension provision. The details are on the page about Residence permit after 45 years of age.

Thresholds for 2026 and legal references verified on 8 September 2026 against § 6 BeschV and Bundesagentur für Arbeit data.

Extending the visa and converting it into an Aufenthaltstitel (residence title)

A D visa is already a residence title in the legal sense: under § 4 Abs. 1 Satz 2 Nr. 1 AufenthG the list of Aufenthaltstitel includes the “Visum im Sinne des § 6 Absatz 1 Nummer 1 und Absatz 3”. It is issued for a short period, though, and once you are in Germany it is exchanged for an Aufenthaltserlaubnis card at the Ausländerbehörde responsible for your registered address.

Extension follows the rules for first issue

§ 8 Abs. 1 AufenthG: “Auf die Verlängerung der Aufenthaltserlaubnis finden dieselben Vorschriften Anwendung wie auf die Erteilung” — the same provisions apply to an extension as to the first issue. The practical meaning is simple: everything required for the visa is required again — a valid employment contract, a salary at or above the threshold for your section, recognised qualifications and a secured Lebensunterhalt (means of subsistence).

Apply before the title expires, not after

Under § 81 Abs. 4 Satz 1 AufenthG, if the application is filed before the title expires, the previous title “gilt … vom Zeitpunkt seines Ablaufs bis zur Entscheidung der Ausländerbehörde als fortbestehend” — it counts as continuing until the authority decides. For that period § 81 Abs. 5 AufenthG provides a Fiktionsbescheinigung: a certificate confirming that the application has been filed and the status remains. File after expiry and this protection does not apply: you are left without a valid title even though the application is sitting with the authority.

Health insurance is part of the requirement, not an extra piece of paper

A secured Lebensunterhalt under § 2 Abs. 3 Satz 1 AufenthG means supporting yourself “einschließlich ausreichenden Krankenversicherungsschutzes ohne Inanspruchnahme öffentlicher Mittel” — that is, together with adequate health insurance and without public funds. Through § 8 Abs. 1 the requirement carries over to the extension. So when you change employer, move into self-employment or have a gap between contracts, what to check is not only the visa but what happens to the insurance at that moment.

Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer) — employment with income below the compulsory insurance threshold.
Private insurance — income above the threshold, and self-employment under § 21 AufenthG.
Switching between the systems — what changes if your status or your income has changed.

Legal references verified on 8 September 2026.

We wish you a successful and speedy acquisition of your German work visa. May all stages of the process go smoothly and your dreams of working and living in Germany be fulfilled without delay. Good luck on this journey and all the best in your new country!