Work Permit

Priority Examination

The visa application will be passed on to the German Federal Employment Agency which will decide on the permission to work after a priority examination. Only the following cases are exempt and will be permitted regardless of any priority:

• Highly qualified employees such as scientists with special technical knowledge, scientists in prominent positions as well as specialists or executive personnel with extensive professional experience and a minimum annual income of 64,800 €.
• Executive employees with managerial functions in German companies and foreign managing partners of German business partnerships. 
• Salesmen who represent a German company abroad or sales personnel sent to a German company, if  the presence in Germany does not exceed 3 months per year.
• Technical personnel of a foreign company that is required to install or repair machines, plants or other technical equipment if the presence in Germany does not exceed 3 months per year.
• Service personnel employed in an EU and EEA member state and sent to Germany for the temporary provision of services. For more details please refer to our chapter on posted workers.
• Teachers, scientists, artists, musicians, journalists, professional athletes and models.
• Foreign graduates of German universities, if the employment is appropriate to their academic degree.

During the priority examination the Employment Agency will investigate

• whether the employment of the foreigner has no negative effects on the German labor market,
• whether employees from Germany, other EU- or EEA-Member States and Switzerland are not available,
• whether the employee will not work under worse conditions than comparable German personnel.

Only applicants that comply with these prerequisites will receive a work permit. In some cases the Employment Agency may also issue a permit that is restricted to a specific occupation, a particular employer, the district of the issuing Employment Agency, or specific working times.