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Documents required for working in Germany

08.09.2023 - Artikel

The following documents must always be submitted when applying for a visa:

  • Fill in the application form here and bring two printouts with you to your appointment.
  • Information sheet on data protection here
  • 2 recent biometric passport photos
  • passport that is valid for at least 6 more months, has at least 2 blank pages and does not exceed a total validity period of 10 years (photocopies of all pages with entries are required);
  • valid Finnish residence permit
  • Your up-to-date Finnish residence certificate (original document) : Residence certificate for Finland or an EU authority in English at the Digi- ja väestötietovirasto (DVV)
  • Admission to statutory health insurance is only possible after entry and registration of a place of residence in Germany. Therefore, the following proof must be submitted for the visa application: Valid travel health insurance for all Schengen countries, which covers the costs of repatriation in the event of illness or death as well as the costs of emergency medical assistance and/or an emergency admission to a hospital (minimum coverage amount €30,000). Please make sure that your travel health insurance does not exclude insurance cover if a longer-term or permanent stay is planned. Only health insurance policies concluded within the EU are accepted
  • the visa fee (€ 75) can be paid in cash or by credit card (Visa or MasterCard)


Additional documents required for working in Germany

  • Employer’s declaration/Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (to be completed by your employer);
  • Proof of professional qualifications (e.g. evidence of previous studies in Finland);
  • If you have already studied in your home country, a certificate of completion of these studies with a translation into German. Under www.justiz-dolmetscher.de  you will find a translator database of the ‘Landesjustizverwaltungen’;
    Not all foreign university degrees are directly recognized in Germany. To determine whether your university degree can be recognized in Germany, please visit the anabin website. Both printouts of the results from the anabin database for your university and your university degree must be attached to the application documents;
  • If available: previous employment contracts in Finland or Germany.

The purpose of this checklist only is to check and prepare the documents for the application. Please print the list two times. Please sort all of your application documents in the order given into two complete sets (one set of originals and one set of copies). Please note: Originals are handwritten (not digitally) signed documents. The originals will be returned to you immediately after they have been checked by the visa department.   


You can find information on the entry of skilled workers here.

If you would like to apply for a visa as part of the accelerated skilled worker program and if you have already received your prior consent in accordance with Section 81a (3) No. 6 AufenthG, please, contact us here.

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