How to Apply for the Germany Job Seekers Visa at the Immigration Office in Berlin
This page details exactly how, where and when to apply for the Germany Job Seekers Visa in Berlin. We lay out the exact document requirements for the Job Seekers Visa as well as explain how to book an appointment and apply at the immigration office in Berlin. With our tried-and-tested guide, you will have your Germany Job Seekers Visa in no time.
Who is this page for?
🌍 If you are from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Korea or Japan, you can apply for a Job Seekers Visa after you arrive in Germany. If you are from one of these countries, you can enter Germany without a visa for 90 days and apply for a Job Seekers Visa at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin during this period.
🎓 A Germany Job Seekers Visa is aimed at highly qualified candidates that allows you to live in Germany for an additional period of 6 months to search for a job. If you hold a Germany Job Seekers Visa and land a job in Berlin, you can then apply for a Work Visa or Blue Card in Berlin in order to be able to start working in Germany.
Please note: You are only able to apply for a Job Seekers Visa at the immigration office in Berlin after you arrive in Germany if you are from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States and have completed a university degree that is recognised in Germany.
🛑 Citizens of all other countries must apply for the Job Seekers Visa at a German embassy or consulate before entering Germany. For further details, see our complete guide on how to apply for the German Job Seekers Visa at a German embassy or consulate.
❗ 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 Berlin immigration authorities.
How to Apply for a Germany Job Seekers Visa at the Immigration Office in Berlin
1️⃣ Move to Berlin. Enter Germany visa free for up to 90 days and officially register at an address (Anmeldung).
2️⃣ Check if your degree is listed on Anabin and, if not, apply for it to be assessed by the Central Office for Foreign Education Affairs (ZAB)
3️⃣ Apply for the Job Seekers Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
4️⃣ Apply for a Work Visa or Blue Card at the immigration office in Berlin once you have an employment contract
1️⃣ Move to Berlin. Enter Germany visa-free for up to 90 days and officially register at an address (Anmeldung).
Once you arrive in Berlin, you will have 90 days in which to apply for the Germany Job Seekers Visa at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin. However, to be able to apply for the visa in Berlin, you must first complete one key step:
🏠 Anmeldung in Berlin
In order to apply for any form of visa at the immigration office in Berlin, you first have to officially register at an address in the city. This process is known as Anmeldung. Without an Anmeldung certificate, the immigration office will likely not accept your visa application.
If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
Once you have ticked off this all-important step, you can move on to step 2 and start preparing your Germany Job Seekers Visa application.
2️⃣ Having your university qualifications recognised in Germany
🎓 You must have a university-level qualification that is recognised in Germany to apply for the Germany Job Seekers Visa. To prove that your qualification is recognised in Germany, you have two options:
Find your qualification on the Anabin database
Apply for a Statement of Comparability from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
We have laid out the two options below.
Finding your qualification on the Anabin database
The Anabin database lists foreign degrees and higher education qualifications in relation to German diplomas and degrees. To help you find if your institution, degree type or specific degree is recognised on Anabin, we have put together a comprehensive guide on how to search the Anabin database.
When applying for the Job Seekers Visa at the immigration office in Berlin, you should submit your original degree certificate together with screenshots from the Anabin database which show that your university institution (e.g. University of Melbourne) is classified as H+ and therefore recognised in Germany and that your degree type (e.g. Bachelor's in Engineering) is deemed equivalent to a German one.
❗ Note: If your institution or degree type is not listed on Anabin or if your institution is classified as H+/-, you need to have your degree assessed via the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) prior to your Job Seekers Visa appointment in Berlin. For instructions on how to do this, see the Statement of Comparability section below.
Applying for a Statement of Comparability
The Statement of Comparability is a document issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) that describes your foreign higher education qualification. It is a comparative assessment which specifies the German qualification that your foreign qualification is comparable to.
To help you with the process, we have put together a full guide on how to apply for a Statement of Comparability for Germany.
Here is an outline of the process to get you started:
The cost for this evaluation is €200 and can take up to three months.
The documentation requirements for your Statement of Comparability application depend on which country you are from. Please find the requirements for your country here. Note that certain documents need to be translated and certified so make sure you read the documentation requirements for your country carefully. Incomplete applications will not be accepted by ZAB.
Once you have gathered all the relevant documentation, complete ZAB’s online application form.
When you hit 'Send' at the bottom of the online application form, a hard copy will be generated, which you are required to sign and send by post to the address given on the application form along with all your documentation.
Following the receipt of your application, ZAB will send you an email regarding payment for the assessment. Processing of your application will only begin once the payment has been received.
Once the assessment is completed by ZAB, a long and a short version of the Statement of Comparability is issued. The short version should be included in your Job Seekers Visa application at the immigration office in Berlin.
3️⃣ Apply for the Germany Job Seekers Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
Once you have proof that your university qualification is recognised in Germany, it is time to apply for the Job Seekers Visa at the immigration office in Berlin.
Essential documents for your Germany Job Seekers Visa application
When applying for the Job Seekers Visa at the immigration office in Berlin, you will need to submit a number of documents at your visa appointment:
✅ Address registration (Anmeldung)
If you are applying for your Job Seekers Visa while in Berlin, then you must bring your address registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung) with you when applying. You cannot apply for any form of visa in Berlin without first registering your address in the city. See our Anmeldung page for further details.
If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
✅ A valid passport
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.
✅ One current biometric passport photo
Guidelines recommend a 35mm x 45mm frontal shot with neutral facial expression and closed mouth, looking straight into the camera with a light background. You can obtain a biometric photo from the silver photo booths at the main train stations in Berlin. There are three photo booths located at Alexanderplatz train station.
Here is a useful map of all places you can obtain passport photos in Berlin.
✅ Travel/expat insurance that is valid for six months.
The insurance policy must cover you for the full period of your Germany Job Seekers Visa and provide a minimum of €30,000 medical coverage with repatriation included. You must bring a copy of the policy confirmation and policy wording.
When it comes to travel/expat insurance for your Job Seekers Visa, our favourite choice is Feather’s expat health insurance policy. We like Feather because:
It is approved by the immigration office in Berlin.
It meets the insurance requirements for the Job Seekers Visa for Germany.
The insurance can be paid for and cancelled month to month. This is far more flexible than paying for a 6-month policy in advance.
It is well priced compared to other policies.
If you plan on travelling around Europe a lot during your 6-month Job Seekers Visa, then World Nomads might be a better policy for your needs. Feather only provides medical insurance while World Nomads also includes travel-related insurance cover (e.g. baggage, theft, cancellations, etc.).
✅ University degree/qualification – original and copy
As stated in official documentation, this must be a:
Qualification from a German Hochschule, an accredited foreign university or university college qualification, or a foreign university or university college qualification comparable to a German Hochschule qualification.
To find out if your qualification is recognised in Germany, follow the instructions in our guides:
Along with your original graduation certificate/diploma, you must bring either a screenshot from Anabin or a ZAB Statement of Comparability.
✅ A German translation of your university degree certificate
As well as an original copy of your degree certificate, the immigration office also request a German translation of this certificate. With regards to getting your certificate translated prior to your appointment, check out lingoking, a reliable and competitively priced translation service.
✅ Proof of funds
This can be a statement of earnings certificate, salary slips, bank statements, etc. If you opt to provide a bank statement, this should be recent and issued from your bank showing your name, balance and date. Your proof of funds should show that you have enough funds to support yourself for 6 months while searching for a job in Berlin.
In general, your proof of funds should show that you have at least EUR 934 for each month of the Job Seekers Visa. For the full 6 months, this would be EUR 5604.
Alternatively, you can supply a letter from your parents stating that they will support you during your job-hunting period. In general, the letter should be signed and notarised. You must also supply proof of their income via bank statements or a recent tax return.
If possible, arrange a signed and notarised letter of support from your parents prior to arriving in Berlin.
✅ Completed 'Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit' form (Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels)
You can download the form here.
How to book a Germany Job Seekers Visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin
Follow the link to book a Job Seekers Visa appointment on the immigration office's online booking platform.
Once on the booking platform, click on the ‘Book Appointment’ button to start the process.
Select the visa you wish to apply for. You will then be shown a calendar with available appointments:
Available appointments show up in blue. Select an available appointment from the calendar and enter your personal details in the appointment booking form to complete the booking.
If there are no appointments currently available, you will be shown the following message:
If you are shown this message, you need to wait for the next batch of appointments to be released by the immigration office. Visa appointments are released sporadically throughout the week so we recommend checking the appointment booking platform multiple times a day from around 7 a.m.
You will receive a booking confirmation once you have successfully booked a Job Seekers Visa appointment, which includes the time, date and location of your appointment.
The booking period for Job Seekers Visa appointments in Berlin is generally 1–3 months. Therefore, once you have successfully scheduled your visa appointment, be aware that your appointment date may be up to 3 months away.
📅 For more detailed instructions, see our website guide or YouTube guide on how and when to book a Job Seekers Visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin.
Where and how to apply for the Germany Job Seekers Visa in Berlin
🧭 As of 01.03.2020, the Job Seekers Visa is processed at the immigration office at Keplerstraße 2, Charlottenburg, 10589 Berlin.
Here is a picture of the immigration office at Keplerstraße 2. When arriving at the immigration office, go down the short driveway and then the entrance will be on your left. There will also be a security guard to point you in the right direction:
Once you enter the building, you should go to the floor and waiting room specified on your visa appointment confirmation. Your visa appointment confirmation will also include your Waiting Number (Vorgangsnummer):
At the time of your appointment, your Vorgangsnummer will come up on the screen with a corresponding room number – once your number comes up, go into the room shown on the screen, e.g. room 218.
At your appointment, you simply need to hand over the documents to the caseworker at the immigration office and they will process your Job Seekers Visa application. Your Job Seekers Visa will either be:
issued on the spot at the immigration office
or
ordered by the immigration office and you will be requested to collect your Job Seekers Visa card from the immigration office after approximately 6 weeks. In certain circumstances, this card may be mailed to your registered address.
The fee is €100 and needs to be paid for in cash or using a German EC card.
🎉 Congratulations! You have now successfully applied for the Germany Job Seekers Visa!
Once you have successfully applied for the Germany Job Seekers Visa in Berlin, you then have 6 months to find a job. To help you with your job hunt, we have put together some free resources:
👍 Startup jobs, hospitality jobs and teaching jobs in Berlin
👍 Best board job boards in Germany
👍 Our job board of English-speaking opportunities in Berlin
Once you have landed a job while on a Job Seekers Visa, you are ready to move on to step 3 and apply for a Work Visa or Blue Card at the immigration office in Berlin.
4️⃣ Apply for a Work Visa or Blue Card at the immigration office in Berlin once you have an employment contract
If and when you land a job while on the Job Seekers Visa, you are then eligible to apply for a work permit at the immigration office in Berlin.
To do this, use the following guides:
👍 How to apply for a Work Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
👍 How to apply for a Blue Card at the immigration office in Berlin