Besides the citizens of the European Union, citizens of Canada, Australia, United States of America, New Zealand, Switzerland, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea can without visa apply for their residence permit for work purposes after entering Germany, whereas citizen from other countries are required to apply for work visa before entering Germany.

Employee in Germany enjoy shorter working hour and unparalleled worker protections than most of their global correlative. Employment prospects for the ones looking to enter the science and pharmaceuticals, IT, healthcare, manufacturing and engineering sectors are quite high. As compared to other European country, public holidays are more in Germany, most employees even provide up to six weeks paid holiday.

Work Visa Requirement

Working in Germany required a work visa and permit unless you are from EU/EEA or Switzerland

WORK PERMITS FOR NON-EU NATIONALS (taken from government site)

After the introduction of the new Immigration Law on January 2005 by the German Republic there are three residence permits for work purposes:

• General employment
• Specialist professional
• Self-employed

1. General Employment

Acceptance of foreign nationals in the general employment category is based on the economic needs of the Federal Republic of Germany. The two basic conditions are:

• Vocational qualification
• A concrete offer of a contract of employment

You will need the following documentation:

• Application form for a residence permit
• Two passport size color photos
• Valid passport
• Two copies of your vocational qualification
• Letter of intent or contract offered to you by a company in Germany containing a detailed description of the employment

2. Specialist Professional

The Federal Republic of Germany is interested in attracting specialist professionals to work and live in Germany. This applies particularly to:

• Graduates with special professional knowledge and experience
• University teachers with outstanding career profiles
• Experienced managers with an offer of a job carrying a salary of not less than 86.400 Euros per year

Applicants should furthermore satisfy the following criteria:

• Ability to integrate into German society
• Sufficient funds to maintain yourself
• A contract of employment

You will need the following documentation:

• Application form for a residence permit
• Two passport size color photos
• Valid passport
• Documentation of your professional knowledge and experience
• Letter of intent or contract offered to you by a German employer, including a detailed description of the employment

3. Self-Employed

To work on a self-employed basis your proposed business must:

• Fulfil the needs of Germany
• Have a beneficial economic impact
• Be fully covered by your own capital or bank loan for which there is a written confirmation

If you investment is worth 1 million Euros and creates 10 new jobs than you fulfil the first two requirements. To ensure the sustainability of your business project, the following criteria will also be taken into account:

• Viability of your business plan
• Your relevant business experience
• Amount to be invested in Germany
• Impact of your business project on employment and skills
• Contribution of your project to innovation and research

You will need the following documentation:

• Complete application form for a residence permit
• Two passport size color photos
• Valid passport
• Detailed description of your business project, including an expectation of how your project meets the required criteria
• Proof that you possess the necessary capital for the business
• If you are over 45 years of age, you must also provide evidence of adequate pension means

A residence permit for self-employed business purposes is valid for a maximum of three years. It can be indefinitely extended if your project is successful.