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The visa route to care training in Germany for international trainees
By Birgit M. Schwinn · Last checked: · 5 min
People from outside the EU who start a vocational training in Germany need a residence permit for training. Many steps depend on the training contract your organisation issues. Knowing the steps makes the start date easier to plan.
The legal basis: § 16a AufenthG
Section 16a of the German Residence Act covers residence for in-company vocational training. The Federal Employment Agency must approve it; the authorities request this approval internally. The basis is a training contract with an employer in Germany.
What applicants must show
- German, usually at level B1. There are exceptions if the training employer has already checked the applicant's German or a preparatory language course follows. For care professions, some states and schools ask for B2.
- Proof of funds: in 2026, at least 1,048 euros gross or 822 euros net per month for in-company training. If the allowance is lower, the gap can be covered, for example with a blocked account or a formal declaration of commitment.
- The training contract in German.
- Health insurance for the time before statutory insurance starts.
The fast-track procedure
As an employer you can apply for the fast-track procedure for skilled workers (§ 81a AufenthG) at your local immigration office, also for training. The Federal Employment Agency's approval then counts as given if it does not object within one week, and the German mission abroad should offer a visa appointment within three weeks. According to Make it in Germany the fee is 411 euros. This comes from an older page; please check the current figure with your immigration office.
The visa at the German Embassy in Windhoek
Applicants from Namibia apply for the national visa at the German Embassy in Windhoek. According to its information sheet (February 2025), the visa fee is 75 euros and processing takes four to six weeks. The embassy asks, among other things, for the training contract in German and a German certificate at level B1 that is not older than one year.
After graduation
Graduates who stay with their employer move to a residence permit for employment. Graduates who first look for a suitable job can get a residence permit for job seeking (§ 20 AufenthG). Graduates in nursing (Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann) hold a vocational qualification as skilled workers; Make it in Germany explains the rules for care staff.
Recruiting from Namibia and § 38 BeschV
Health and care jobs have a special rule: from countries listed in the annex to § 38 of the German Employment Ordinance, only the Federal Employment Agency may recruit and place workers. Some authorities apply this rule to training as well. Namibia is not on this list (version BGBl. I 2023 No. 353). The list follows the World Health Organization's safeguards list. Namibia is not on the WHO's provisional 2026 list either (circular letter of 8 June 2026). Check the current status before every project.
Welwitschia Care prepares trainees to German B2, above the usual visa level, and supports the visa, travel and appointments with authorities. More on the page how the programme works for hospitals and care homes.
This article is not legal advice. Rules and amounts change; check the current position with the bodies named.