Ausbildung in Germany: Visa, Salary & How to Apply

Does this sound like you?

You want to do an Ausbildung in Germany. But the way there's anything but clear.

“Is my school certificate enough for an Ausbildung?”

For most Ausbildung programs in Germany, a mid-level school certificate is enough. No Abitur, no university degree. But what exactly applies to your certificate from your country? We give you a clear assessment.

Question about your school certificate

“My German is B1. Is that really enough?”

For many Ausbildung occupations, B1 to B2 is enough. You pick up the technical vocabulary on the job. You don't need perfect German. You need to want to start.

Question about your language level

“Which occupation even fits me?”

Germany has more than 325 recognized Ausbildung occupations. Around 30 of them are especially accessible and in demand for applicants from abroad. Your clear recommendation: We filter what fits your profile.

Question about choosing an occupation

90 minutes. Your personal Ausbildung plan.

No template, no generic guide. A conversation with Felicia, then your Personal Germany Plan within 3 business days.

The wrong Ausbildung costs you three years. A consultation costs you an afternoon.

The wrong occupation, the wrong route, or a company that isn't right for you: you only notice once you're already in it. An Ausbildung runs up to 3.5 years, and your residence permit hangs on that exact contract. Quitting means: search again, apply again, all of it again. One afternoon of advice up front saves you years afterward.

What you work through with Felicia

Which Ausbildung occupation actually fits you
Dual or school-based Ausbildung: Which route is even open for your occupation
Whether your school certificate is enough, and what recognition requires
Which German level your target occupation actually demands, and when the proof can be waived
How the dual system works and what you earn
Whether your pay is enough for the visa, or whether you also need a blocked account
Which companies in which regions are actually hiring
Living and housing: What to expect in your target region, what rent and daily life cost, and what is left of your pay
A realistic timeline with concrete next steps

Your Personal Germany Plan: Within 3 business days

Your clear occupation recommendation: The Ausbildung occupation that really fits your profile, with the reasoning behind it. Plus two alternatives as a fallback, in case your first choice doesn't work out
Matching Ausbildung companies: Specific companies, portals, and contact points that fit your occupation and your target region
Application documents in German: What belongs in your CV and cover letter, what companies expect, and what they don't
Funding and support: Ausbildung scholarships, help with language courses, migration advice for your home country
Visa roadmap: Which Ausbildung visa applies to you, what you need, and how the language course visa works as a first step
Your personal timeline: What to do when, with real application deadlines and contacts
Your start in Germany: Housing, insurance, and government offices in the right order, with contacts for your city

Ausbildung Consulting € 299 Start with a free call →

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Written Consulting € 149

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Your consultant

Felicia, coach, teacher and entrepreneur

I live in Germany, I know the system from the inside, and I build your personal plan. Direct, honest, no detours.

Get to know me, free

The dual system

Learn and earn. At the same time.

Here's how the dual training system works: You learn your trade at a real company and attend a vocational school alongside it. No degree program, no debt, no pure theory. You work from day one, earn your own money, and end up with a state-recognized qualification.

That qualification carries serious weight internationally. An Ausbildung in Germany isn't a plan B. It's a direct route into a stable career with real prospects.

Pay during your Ausbildung: € 724 to € 1,200 gross per month, depending on the occupation and your training year (as of 2026)
Duration: 2 to 3.5 years, depending on the occupation
Qualification: State-recognized, valid nationwide
Chances of being kept on: More than 6 out of 10 trainees are hired by their company after finishing

A training supervisor explaining production to apprentices

Timing decides everything: Ausbildung positions in Germany are filled 12 to 18 months in advance. Start too late and you lose a whole year. Your personal timeline is the first and most important step.

For applicants from the EU: No visa needed. Enter, register, and apply directly. The rest of this page is aimed mainly at applicants from countries outside the EU.

Two routes, one recognized qualification

Dual or school-based Ausbildung?

Most people only know about the dual Ausbildung. But there's a second route, and for some occupations it's the only one. The differences sound small and are anything but: they determine your money, what your school certificate has to do, and what you have to prove for your visa.

Route 1: Dual Ausbildung

The standard route and the most common form. You're employed by a company and attend vocational school alongside it.

Your money: Pay every month, starting at € 724 gross in your first year (as of 2026).
Your school certificate: The law doesn't require any specific one. The company decides.
Typical occupations: Skilled trades, engineering, industry, retail, office work, IT.

For your visa, you have to show that your living costs are covered. The authorities work with a benchmark of € 1,048 gross per month (as of 2026), which comes to roughly € 822 net. How much actually lands in your account depends on your tax class. In your first training year, the pay is often below that. In that case, you cover the gap with a blocked account or a formal declaration of sponsorship.

Route 2: School-based Ausbildung

Full-time at a vocational school or college, with internships alongside. No training company.

Your money: As a rule, no pay. Public schools are free, private ones often charge tuition. In nursing and midwifery it's the other way around: there the law requires pay and bans tuition fees. For therapy professions like physiotherapy, that doesn't apply.
Your school certificate: You need a certificate from a general education school, and you have to get it officially recognized. Which one exactly depends on the occupation.
Typical occupations: Health, nursing, early childhood education, social work, therapy.

Without pay, you have to prove your living costs another way: a blocked account, a declaration of sponsorship, or a scholarship, at a minimum of € 959 net per month (as of 2026).

The difference that surprises most people: For a dual Ausbildung, you don't need to get your school certificate recognized. For a school-based one you do, at the certificate recognition office of your federal state. That takes time, and you have to build it into your timeline. In residence law, both routes run through Section 16a. On German, a qualified Ausbildung generally calls for B1. But there are exceptions: if your school or company has already assessed your language skills, or if you're taking a preparatory German course first, the B1 proof can be waived.

Your solution

This is exactly where Jump2Germany helps: Which route is even open for your target occupation, whether your certificate is enough, whether you have to get it recognized, and what you ultimately have to prove for your visa: all of that depends on your occupation, your home country, and your qualification. That combination is different for every single person, and it's exactly where most plans fall apart. We review your case and give you your clear recommendation on which of the two routes fits you. No list for you to sort out yourself.

More info: Make it in Germany and BAMF. All information without warranty. As of 2026.

Requirements

What you need. What you don't.

The good news: An Ausbildung in Germany is more accessible than you think. No German Abitur, no university degree, no perfect German. What counts is your profile as a whole.

What you should bring

A certificate from a general education school (for a dual Ausbildung, the company decides which one is enough)
German at B1 as a rule, B2 is better (there are exceptions, see above)
In practice, being of legal age when you enter (18 years)
An Ausbildung contract with a German company

What you don't need

No recognized German Abitur or university degree
No perfect German
No work experience in Germany
No recognition of your school certificate for the dual Ausbildung

Where your chances are best

These occupations are in demand. Especially from abroad.

Every year in Germany, tens of thousands of Ausbildung positions go unfilled. In these fields, the need is especially large.

Health & Nursing

Nursing specialist (3 years)
Medical assistant
Dental assistant

Very high demand · Triple Win funding possible

Office and administration Ausbildung in Germany

Office & Administration

Office management clerk
Industrial clerk
Retail clerk

Wide range of openings · Good pay

Hospitality & Hotels

Chef
Restaurant specialist
Hotel specialist

Fast processes · Housing often included

Social work and education Ausbildung in Germany

Social Work & Education

Early childhood educator
Social work assistant
Childcare assistant

High demand · Public vocational colleges

The Ausbildung visa

Your official route to Germany

There's a dedicated visa for a recognized vocational training program in Germany: the Ausbildung visa. The single most important requirement: an Ausbildung contract with a German company. The visa covers your entire training period and gets extended if the company keeps you on afterward.

Your process, step by step

Secure your Ausbildung contract

The contract is the basic requirement. No contract, no visa.

Put your documents together

Contract, school certificate, B1 or B2 language certificate, CV, proof of finances.

Apply for your visa at the embassy

The German embassy in your home country handles it. Wait time: 3 to 6 months.

Arrival and start of your Ausbildung

A realistic timeline

Get your German to B2

6 to 12 months before your Ausbildung starts

Send out applications

12 to 18 months before the start

Contract and visa application

6 to 9 months before the start

Arrival and start of your Ausbildung

Typically August or September

Tip

Your Ausbildung pay alone often is not enough as proof of finances. The authorities work with a benchmark of € 1,048 gross per month (as of 2026), roughly € 822 net depending on your tax class. But the statutory minimum pay is € 724 in your first year (as of 2026). Most companies pay more than that minimum, and even so there's often a gap in the first training year. If your contract sits below the benchmark, you cover the difference with a blocked account or a declaration of sponsorship. Sort this out early. A rejected visa application costs you time you can't afford to lose.

After you get in

Landing in Germany

The plan doesn't end with your contract. Housing, insurance, government offices, daily life: the part everyone else leaves out is what decides whether your start goes well. And a lot of it depends on your situation.

Finding an apartment

Where you can realistically search from home, and how not to fall for scammers.

Insurance: Which ones you need

Health, liability, and other coverage. What's mandatory and what's simply smart.

Registering with the authorities

Registration at the citizens' office, residence permit, tax ID. What comes first, and where.

Bank account, phone, daily life

The first steps nobody else explains to you.

Here's what we do for you: We give you the right order and specific contacts for your start, matched to your city and your situation.

Earn money. Learn a trade.
Your Ausbildung in Germany.