General information

Foreigners’ access to the labour market is regulated by the Residence Act and the Employment Regulation. In the past years, several measures have been taken to liberalize access to the German labour market. The most recent change has been the implementation of new regulations on the immigration of skilled workers on 18.11.2023.

In general, access to the German labour market is limited to skilled workers (academic or vocational education) and certain occupational groups and normally requires the approval of the employment authorities.

Usually the qualifications have to be recognized in Germany, however there is exceptions for certain occupational groups mentioned in the Employment Regulation.

More information about the new regulations for the immigration of skilled workers and the fast-track procedure can be found here.

Access to the labour market remains restricted for unskilled and low-skilled workers.

Prepare your application

You should start preparing your application as soon as you have plans for your long-term stay in Germany. Prepare your application according to the following list and submit the documents with 1 copy when applying for a visa:

• copy of valid passport (including all pages that are not blank)
• a completed and personally signed national visa application form (please use the online application form VIDEX )
• 2 recent biometric passport photos (not older than 3 months)
• Saudi ID or Iqama or Saudi Arabian visa & entry stamp

• work contract/offer from Germany with exact information on position, duration of contract, working hours, trial period and monthly salary

• employment declaration (“Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis”), filled and signed by the employer
  

• proof of qualifications (e.g. diplomas, university degrees, testimonials, references)

• proof of the recognition of the qualification in form of Anabin-excerpt or Recognition Confirmation (“Anerkennungsbescheid”)

• detailed CV including educational and professional experience, including letters of experience etc.
  

• letter of motivation

• for first-time applicants above 45 years: minimum annual salary of 48.180 Euro (2023) or adequate provision for old age
  

• if applicable: current and previous employment letters
  

• if applicable: proof of German/English language knowledge

• for regulated professions: professional license
  

• visa fee of 75€, to be paid in SAR (cash only)
  

Before the visa can be issued, the German Mission will request a valid health insurance for Germany.

All documents are to be presented in original or certified copy along with one set of copies.

Foreign documents issued in other languages than English or German have to be submitted with an official translation.

The German Missions reserve the right to request additional documents.

Important notes on the visa procedure

Please do not send unrequested documents to the German Mission, especially not before applying for the visa, as those cannot be kept. Please submit all documents when applying in person at the Mission. Incomplete applications will be rejected or denied.

Foreign public documents need to be duly legalized by the competent German Mission in the issuing country, or, if applicable, provided with an Apostille. For documents from some countries, individual document verification might be necessary, that process would require more time and an additional fee.

Processing

The processing of the visa application for employment usually takes two to three weeks, sometimes longer.

The German Mission decides on your application based on the provided documents. You will be contacted as soon as the application has been decided. Please note that questions regarding the status of your visa application cannot be answered. Due to data protection regulation, no status updates can be given via phone.

Book your appointment

Alternative way:
To submit your application, please book an appointment and appear in person at the German Embassy in Riyadh. The Embassy will accept your complete application documents including the visa fee. We will conduct a short interview with you and register your biometric data. New appointments are released on a regular basis.

Please book an appointment through the online system of the Embassy in Riyadh.

Additional information

General information, e.g. on the recognition of foreign qualifications, on employment opportunities in Germany or on social security issues can be found on the website of the Zentrale Auslands- und Fachvermittlung (ZAV), at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and on the EURES -portal (European Employment Services).

You can find general information on professional migration on the web portal “make-it-in-germany” .

If you have any additional question that has not been answered in this article, you can use the contact form. Please refrain from questions that are explained on this website.