In short
- For the standard route, get your foreign qualification officially recognised in Germany first. The Federal Foreign Office says a visa application cannot be processed until this is done.
- You need a specific job offer. Your employer fills in a declaration about the employment contract.
- Apply to the German mission responsible for the place where you live. Most employment visa applications start online, on the Consular Services Portal.
From official sources
From the Federal Foreign Office page What requirements must I meet to qualify as a skilled worker? and the German Missions in India page National Visa (article dated 1 October 2026). We checked both on 22 October 2026.
- Recognition: the Foreign Office says a skilled-worker residence title can be issued if your foreign degree or certificate has been officially recognised. Training or higher education completed in Germany does not need recognition. For a foreign university degree in a non-regulated profession, confirmation that the degree is listed in the anabin database may be sufficient.
- Job offer: you need a specific job offer, and your employer must complete the “Declaration regarding a contract of employment” form. The work must be subject to compulsory social insurance contributions in Germany. You must also meet the general requirements for foreigners, such as a valid passport and secure means of support.
- Regulated professions (the Foreign Office gives health care as an example): you need written permission to practise, or an express assurance that you will receive it.
- Which mission: the National Visa page says to choose the German mission responsible for the Indian state or district where you live, and warns that an application to a mission that is not responsible for your area cannot be processed.
- How to apply: the National Visa page says to apply online through the Consular Services Portal, choosing the employment visa type. Some employment categories must still be filed on paper, for example the visa to complete the recognition of professional qualifications.
- Fast-track procedure (section 81a of the Residence Act): your German employer can request a chargeable pre-approval from the competent authority in Germany. With a pre-approval, the National Visa page says you can upload it on the Consular Services Portal under “Optional Documents”. It also says you can book a VFS appointment in the fast-track category (not available at all German missions in India), or use the mission's contact form to ask for paper-application instructions.
- Visa fee: the National Visa page states 75 euros (shown as 8,300 Indian rupees) for applicants over 18, payable in Indian rupees at the exchange rate on the day of the on-site appointment. It says the fee is a processing fee, is not refunded after a refusal or withdrawal, and that the external service provider charges an additional service fee. The German Missions in India payment page lists demand draft (and, in New Delhi, cash) as accepted methods. Confirm the payment method for your appointment when you book.
- Official help: the Foreign Office lists make-it-in-germany.com, anerkennung-in-deutschland.de (recognition) and the “Working and Living in Germany” hotline +49 30 1815 1111.
What these pages do not state, and this guide therefore does not claim: salary thresholds, language requirements for every case, or processing times. The National Visa page gives no processing times, and the missions say waiting times may apply. Use the mission's current checklist for your visa category before you apply.
Health professionals: ask the mission first
An older German Embassy New Delhi page on the Skilled Immigration Act says that, for India, health personnel are excluded from the opportunities it describes. The page is undated and describes the rules in force from March 2020. The current National Visa page does not repeat this. If you are a nurse or another health worker, check with the responsible German mission and with the recognition authority for your profession before you pay for anything.
Step by step (standard route)
- Check whether your occupation is regulated in Germany, using anerkennung-in-deutschland.de.
- Get your qualification recognised. Follow the recognition procedure the portal gives for your occupation. For a university degree in a non-regulated profession, check anabin.
- Find a job with a German employer and get a specific job offer. The employer completes the declaration about the employment contract. Ask whether they will use the fast-track procedure.
- Find your responsible mission, based on the state or district where you live.
- Apply on the Consular Services Portal in the employment visa category, and upload the fast-track pre-approval if you have one. Then attend the on-site appointment the mission gives you, with the documents on the mission's current checklist.
Who does what
| Employer in Germany | You |
|---|---|
| Makes the specific job offer and completes the “Declaration regarding a contract of employment” | Gets your qualification recognised before applying for the visa (standard route) |
| Can request a fast-track pre-approval from the competent authority in Germany | Applies to the mission responsible for where you live, through the Consular Services Portal, and brings the documents on the current checklist |
Recruitment safety
- The official process described above does not need any private agent. Be careful with anyone who “guarantees” a German visa or job for a fee.
- Apply only through the Consular Services Portal or the official appointment route named by the German mission. Do not pay anyone for an “appointment slot”.
- Check any agent in India on eMigrate. Read our guide on checking an overseas job offer before you pay anyone.
Official sources
- Federal Foreign Office, What requirements must I meet to qualify as a skilled worker? (checked 22 October 2026)
- German Missions in India, National Visa (article dated 1 October 2026; checked 22 October 2026)
- German Missions in India, visa fee payment methods (checked 22 October 2026)
- Consular Services Portal, Federal Foreign Office
- German Embassy New Delhi, Skilled Immigration Act (older page, undated; cited only for the note on health professionals)
- Make it in Germany, official portal of the German government
- Recognition in Germany
- anabin database
Last reviewed: 22 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Private Job is not a recruiting agent and never charges job seekers.