Germany Western Balkans Regulation (Sec 26(2) BeschV)
Quota work route for the six Western Balkan nations — any job, no qualification recognition needed.
Official Germany & Europe pageWho this route is for
Nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia with a concrete German job offer in any occupation (including non-qualified work).
Eligibility requirements
- A binding, concrete job offer from a German employer for any type of employment
- Approval from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit) confirming pay/conditions match local standards
- A consular appointment slot within the annual quota (now 50,000 visas/year from 2025, up from 25,000)
- No formal qualification or recognition of qualification required — this is the key advantage
- Cannot have drawn certain German social benefits in the prior 24 months
Requirements reviewed June 2026. They change frequently — confirm the current rules on the official page before relying on them.
Recent changes & caveats
Extended indefinitely and the quota doubled to 50,000/year; demand is so high the cap is regularly exhausted (around 18,000 applications were turned away in December 2025 once the cap was reached).
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.
Skilled Worker Visa (Sec 18a / 18b)
TemporaryWork permit for graduates and vocationally trained workers with a job offer.
Germany Recognition Partnership (Sec 16d)
TemporaryGet your foreign qualification fully recognised after you arrive in Germany.