Purpose of residence – vocational training - Welcome Portal Saarland

Purpose of residence: vocational training

Purpose of residence: vocational training Learning a trade in the Saarland

Purpose of residence: vocational training

Learning a trade in the Saarland

European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

Citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

If you want to pursue a vocational qualification in the Saarland and are a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you require neither a visa nor a residence permit, as you have the right to move freely within Europe.

Exception: Swiss citizens

Swiss citizens receive a residence permit from the immigration office to prove their right of residence.

Immigration offices in the Saarland

Funding programme for training

Special assistance is available to young vocational training candidates from the EU, EEA countries or Switzerland, who are free to work anywhere in the EU.

The job of my life

International Placement Services (ZAV)

International Placement Services (ZAV) at the Federal Employment Agency recruits and finds candidates from non-European countries for project sponsors. There are project sponsors in the Saarland.

For information, please contact the hotline of International Placement Services (ZAV) by calling +49 (0)228/ 7131083 oder e-mailing thejobofmylife@arbeitsagentur.de.

Citizens of other countries

Citizens of other countries (non-EU citizens)

If you come from a country outside the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you can also pursue vocational training in the Saarland under certain conditions. However, you will require a visa. You can apply for a visa for educational purposes at the local German mission (embassy, consulate) in your country. If you are a citizen of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand or the US, you may also enter without a visa and apply for a residence permit for educational purposes at the local immigration office.

German embassies and consulates A-Z

Prerequisites for training in the Saarland

Training position

You have already found a training position at a company in the Saarland.

Find a training position now

Approval of the Federal Employment Agency

The Federal Employment Agency has approved your training programme. If you complete your training at an advanced vocational college or similar organisation, you do not need the approval of the Federal Employment Agency.

Financial self-sufficiency

In your visa application for the training you have to prove that you can finance your own living expenses.

During your training, you may also work ten hours a week in a job that is not related to your training, such as serving in a restaurant.

Contact the German embassy in your home country to find out whether you need to meet additional requirements for the visa and which documents are required.

If you meet all the requirements for the training programme and obtain a visa, you must apply for a residence permit for the training programme at the immigration office after you arrive in the Saarland.

Immigration offices in the Saarland

German diplomatic missions

German language skills

Recognition of school reports

German language skills for training programmes

Officially, you are not required to demonstrate any German language skills to pursue a training programme in the Saarland. However, you will need some German skills for your training programme because German is spoken in the workplace, at vocational schools and technical colleges. Furthermore, examinations will be held in German. Therefore, you should already have good language skills when you start your training.

Learning German

German language skills for training programmes

Recognition of school reports

You can contact the SEAQ service centre for foreign qualifications for help if the company where you are training requires recognition of a secondary school diploma or only admits trainees if a specific school leaving certificate has been recognised.

Learning German

Service centre for foreign qualifications

After your training

After you complete your training, you can stay in the Saarland for one year in order to look for a job in your studied profession. You will need a residence permit from your local immigration office. During this time, you can take any job to finance your own living expenses.
If you find a job that matches your qualifications during this year, you can obtain the appropriate residence permit from the immigration office.