Germany · DE-SKILLED · Work visa

Skilled Worker Visa Germany

Issued for 4 years, or for the length of the job contract plus 6 months if shorter (Section 18(4) Residence Act).

7 official facts · checked 4 Nov 2026

Cost
€75
Time
3 weeks
Stay
48 months
Germany DE-SKILLED

Skilled Worker Visa Germany

7 verified facts

Cost
National visa fee: €75 (Section 46 Residence Ordinance). Service providers used by some missions may charge extra.
Time
Under the accelerated procedure, the visa decision is normally made within 3 weeks of a complete application (visa appointment offered within 3 weeks).
Stay
Issued for 4 years, or for the length of the job contract plus 6 months if shorter (Section 18(4) Residence Act).
Leads to
To be confirmed with the German mission or local foreigners' authority before applying.
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The details

What the official rules say

Each line links to its official source and the date we checked it. Anything we could not check is marked.

Cost

€75

National visa fee: €75 (Section 46 Residence Ordinance). Service providers used by some missions may charge extra.

Applies to National (D) visa fee, when applying for a visa at a German mission abroad.

≈ USD 84 — indicative only, at the ECB reference rate of 3 Nov 2026. Not an official fee.

gesetze-im-internet.de ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

€100

Residence permit or EU Blue Card issued in Germany: €100 (Section 45 Residence Ordinance).

≈ USD 112 — indicative only, at the ECB reference rate of 3 Nov 2026. Not an official fee.

gesetze-im-internet.de ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

How long it takes

Under the accelerated procedure, the visa decision is normally made within 3 weeks of a complete application (visa appointment offered within 3 weeks).

The government's target, not a promise

Applies to Only under the employer-initiated accelerated procedure for skilled workers (Section 81a Residence Act, €411 fee).

gesetze-im-internet.de ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

How long you can stay

Issued for 4 years, or for the length of the job contract plus 6 months if shorter (Section 18(4) Residence Act).

gesetze-im-internet.de ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

Can it lead to living there permanently?

To be confirmed with the German mission or local foreigners' authority before applying.

Rules

If you are 45 or older and earn less than €55,770 gross a year (2026), you must prove adequate pension provision.

Applies to Gross per year, 2026; Aged 45 or older.

digital.diplo.de ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

These are the official rules we have so far. There may be more. Read the official page before you apply.

Official page

Visa to take up employment as an academic — Federal Foreign Office Consular Services Portal

digital.diplo.de ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

Visa to take up employment as a skilled worker with professional training — Federal Foreign Office Consular Services Portal

digital.diplo.de ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

What can come next
  1. This visa Skilled Worker Visa Germany
  2. Next step Next step: permanent residence — details coming soon

A possible next step. Times come from each visa's official rules. See what long-term visas need.

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