Work and Travel Germany: How to Apply for a Working Holiday Visa at a German Embassy or Consulate
This page will look at how to apply for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany at a German Embassy or Consulate overseas. If you are looking to work and travel around Germany, the Working Holiday Visa is a fantastic way to learn the German language and experience the country’s unique culture over an extended period –while also granting you flexible working rights so that you can pick up employment along the way!
If you are looking to work and travel in Germany, there are few ways that are more convenient than moving on a Working Holiday Visa. In short, the Working Holiday Visa for Germany is a visa that allows you to live in Germany for up to 1 year (2 years for Canadians) while also working to support your life in Deutschland!
❗ Note: We endeavour to keep our visa information up to date. However, before applying, we recommend always cross-referencing our information with the official application information from the German embassy or consulate where you will be applying for the visa.
Who is this page for?
This page is for anyone who is interested in applying for a Working Holiday Visa for Germany at a German embassy or consulate overseas (i.e. outside of Germany). This page provides general tips for all applications at embassies/consulates around the world.
We have also put together specific country guides so that you know the exact application requirements for applying for a Working Holiday Visa for Germany at the embassy/consulate in your home country – these guides can be accessed below:
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Argentina
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Australia
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Canada
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Chile
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Hong Kong
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Israel
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Japan
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in South Korea
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Taiwan
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Uruguay
✔️ Applying for the German Working Holiday Visa in Brazil
Note: citizens of Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Israel can also apply for the Working Holiday Visa after arriving in Germany. Here are full details of how to apply for the Working Holiday Visa after your arrival in Berlin.
Who is eligible for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany?
🌍 The Working Holiday Visa for Germany is only offered to citizens of certain countries. To be eligible, you must be a citizen of:
Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Uruguay or Brazil.
🌱 Secondly, you must meet the age requirements for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany:
If you are from Argentina, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Uruguay or Brazil, you must be between 18 and 30 at the time of application. You can apply right up until the day of your 31st birthday.
If you are from Canada you must be between 18 and 35 at the time of application. You can apply right up until the day of your 36th birthday.
🎉 If you meet these basic requirements, then you are in luck and can start preparing for a great year of work and travel in Germany!
Where can I apply for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany?
🧭 While this page is focused around applying for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany at German embassies and consulates overseas (i.e. outside of Germany), it is important to know exactly where you can apply for the visa as this varies from country to country.
For example, Canadians can apply at the German consulate in Toronto, at any German embassy or consulate around the world or at an immigration office in Germany. On the other hand, South Koreans can only apply at the German embassy in Seoul.
It is therefore extremely important to know where you can apply for your visa. To help you out, we have put together a guide for where you can apply for your Working Holiday Visa for Germany.
Tips and suggestions for applying for a German Working Holiday Visa at a German embassy or consulate
While you may be eager to embark on a year of work and travel in Germany, you still have to actually obtain the Working Holiday Visa in order to get started. For this, we have put together some tips and suggestions below and in our country guides (see above) that will improve your chances of being approved for the visa.
When applying for the visa at a German embassy or consulate, there are a few things that are consistent for all applications. These are:
✔️ You require a full-year travel/expat insurance policy that spans the entirety of your working holiday in Germany. As a minimum, your insurance policy must be valid for a full year from the date of your intended arrival in Germany. To see our favourite travel/expat insurance, see below.
✔️ You must show a basic level of funds to show that you can support yourself financially in your first few months in Germany. This is usually between EUR 2000 and EUR 3500 and varies from country to country. You can find out the exact amounts for your country in the individual country guides listed at the top of this page.
✔️ Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the intended stay, have at least 2 free pages, and not be older than 10 years old.
✔️ The cost for the visa is usually EUR 75, payable in local currency.
✔️ Visa processing time varies from a few days to 1 month. Always check this with your local embassy/consulate and factor this into your planning.
What travel/expat insurance do I need for my German Working Holiday Visa?
🚑 As mentioned above, you need a full-year of travel/expat insurance to apply for the German Working Holiday Visa.
Our favourite choice for this is a policy with Feather. We like Feather expat health insurance because:
It is widely recognised as a suitable insurance provider by German embassies and consulates around the world.
It meets the requirements for your Working Holiday Visa application.
It offers great customer support.
❗ Submitting a travel/expat insurance policy that does not meet the requirements can quickly scupper your plans to work and travel in Germany.
Note: While Feather is widely accepted for this purpose, always check the specific insurance requirements with the German embassy or consulate before taking out and paying for an insurance policy.
*Some embassies/consulates also require that you have personal liability insurance. Check out the country guides at the top of this page for further details.
How much savings do I need for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany?
💰 To apply for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany, you need to show proof of funds to demonstrate that you can afford your first few months of work and travel in Germany. You do not need to show the amounts given below in euros, but you must show that you have the equivalent savings in your local currency. The minimum savings amount varies from country to country and where you are applying:
Immigration office in Germany = EUR 2000
German Embassy in Argentina (Buenos Aires) = EUR 1200 in your account for the previous 3 months + additional funds to cover 3 months of accommodation in Germany
German Consulate in Australia (Sydney) = AUD 7100 in your account for the previous 3 months
German Consulate in Canada (Toronto): EUR 3000
German Embassy in Chile (Santiago): EUR 1200 in your account for the previous 3 months
German Embassy in Hong Kong: EUR 2000 in your account for the previous 3 months
German Embassy in Israel (Tel Aviv): EUR 1200 in your account for the previous 3 months
German Embassy in Japan (Tokyo or Osaka): EUR 2000 in your account for the previous 3 months
German Embassy in New Zealand (Wellington): EUR 2000
German Embassy in South Korea (Seoul): EUR 2000 in your account for the previous 3 months
German Embassy in Taiwan (Taipei): EUR 4000 in your account for the previous 3 months
German Embassy in Uruguay (Montevideo): EUR 1200 in your account for the previous 3 months + additional funds to cover 3 months of accommodation in Germany
German Embassy in Brazil: EUR 2400 shown in a blocked account
To demonstrate that you have the necessary savings for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany, always bring a recent full bank statement issued by your bank to your visa appointment showing your name, the date and balance. You can bring bank statements for multiple different accounts to show that you have sufficient funds for the visa. You cannot use a credit card statement for this, it must be a bank statement.
When can I apply for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany at my local embassy or consulate?
📅 As a rule, you can apply for the Working Holiday Visa within 90 days of your intended arrival in Germany.
Depending on where you are from, you may also be able to apply for the Working Holiday Visa after your arrival in Germany.
How do I book a Working Holiday Visa appointment at my local German Embassy or Consulate?
💻 All German embassies or consulates have a visa appointment booking platform where you can schedule your in-person appointment. To find the appointment booking platform, you should navigate to the section for national visas on the relevant German embassy or consulate website. This section is often labelled ‘National Visas’ of ‘Long-term Visas’.
Here you will be able to access the appointment booking platform. Appointments can fill up months in advance, so make sure you factor this into your planning.
What documents do I need to submit at my local German embassy or consulate?
For specific details of what documents you need to submit at your visa appointment, see our country guides at the start of this page. In general, all applications for a Working Holiday Visa for Germany must include:
✅ A valid passport
✅ A biometric passport photo
✅ Proof of funds in the form of a recent bank statement
✅ A travel/expat insurance policy for the full duration of the Working Holiday Visa
✅ A completed visa application form
✅ The visa application fee
Some embassies will request additional documents, which may include:
✅ A signed, motivational letter
✅ Proof of accommodation in Germany
✅ Flight booking or flight itinerary
✅ CV
For more specific application information, check out our free Working Holiday Visa guides, which you can find here.
How long will my Working Holiday Visa for Germany take to process?
🕓 Processing times vary depending on the embassy or consulate that you are applying at. This can be a matter of days or up to 1 month. Always factor in the embassy/consulate processing time when planning your working holiday in Germany.
When will my Working Holiday Visa for Germany start?
🕓 When applying at your local embassy or consulate, you must specify a start date on your visa application form. This start date must correspond with your one-year travel/expat insurance start date and sometimes also your inbound flight to Germany.
Can I stay in Germany after my Working Holiday Visa expires?
While your Working Holiday Visa only permits you to live in Germany for 1 year (2 years if Canadian), you may want to continue living in Germany after your working holiday.
To do this, you can apply for another visa type. We have provided specific instructions on how to apply for a new visa at the immigration office in Berlin. If you are living elsewhere in Germany, then check the application requirements with your local immigration office before applying. The most popular options are:
Rather than leaving your new visa application to the last minute, we recommend applying for a new visa while you still have at least two months left on your Working Holiday Visa. This will leave you plenty of time to adjust your application if you do not initially meet the requirements for a new visa.
Follow the links above to see the different prerequisites and requirements for the different visas.
Now that you have read some of our general tips and recommendations for applying for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany at a German embassy or consulate, we recommend heading over to one of our country guides. Here you will find specific application requirements for the Germany embassy or consulate in your home country:
✔️ Argentina
✔️ Australia
✔️ Canada
✔️ Chile
✔️ Hong Kong
✔️ Israel
✔️ Japan
✔️ New Zealand
✔️ South Korea
✔️ Taiwan
✔️ Uruguay
✔️ Brazil