Skilled Worker Visa (Sec 18a / 18b)
Work permit for graduates and vocationally trained workers with a job offer.
Official Germany & Europe pageWho this route is for
Non-EU workers with a recognised university degree (Sec 18b) or qualified vocational training of 2+ years (Sec 18a) who have a concrete German job offer.
Eligibility requirements
- Recognised university degree OR vocational qualification of at least 2 years recognised in Germany
- Concrete employment contract or binding job offer for qualified work
- The job no longer has to match the exact field of the qualification (post-2024 reform)
- No fixed minimum salary, but adequate pay; over-45 first-time applicants must show salary of at least 55% of the annual pension-insurance ceiling (approx. EUR 53,130/yr for 2026) or adequate pension provision
- Valid health insurance; recognition certificate where the profession is regulated
Requirements reviewed June 2026. They change frequently — confirm the current rules on the official page before relying on them.
Check your points first
Use the free Opportunity Card Points Calculator to see if you're likely to qualify before you start.
Other Germany & Europe routes
Germany Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte, Sec 20a)
TemporaryPoints-based job-search visa — come to Germany with no job offer.
EU Blue Card (Sec 18g)
TemporaryThe EU's flagship permit for university graduates with a German job offer.
Germany Recognition Partnership (Sec 16d)
TemporaryGet your foreign qualification fully recognised after you arrive in Germany.
Germany Intra-Corporate Transfer (ICT) Card (Sec 19 / 19b)
TemporaryTransfer within your multinational employer to a German branch.