An ‘Ausbildung’ is an apprenticeship required by various professions in Germany, with which students complete a three-year vocational training program.

Following the successful completion of your ‘Ausbildung’ program, you officially become a qualified skilled worker – as recognized by the German-state. This dramatically increases your prospects for both living and working in Germany, whether you are a citizen of an EU country or non-EU country.

There are over 300 professions in which you could complete an ‘Ausbildung’ programme beyond those in Restaurant Management, Catering, Hotel Management and Nursing.

In addition to the previously stated reasons, completing an ‘Ausbildung’ programme:

• Provides collaborative learning with a smooth transition between school and your career
• Is free of charge at state schools (although private schools may charge tuition fees)
• Can resolve financing at an early stage
• Aids with direct application to vocational colleges

If you are not a citizen of Germany, then the requirements that you need before starting any ‘Ausbildung’ program are:

• Being a minimum of 18 years old
• Certification proving proficiency of the German language at least at a B1 level
• Having completed education to at least a 9-10 level

Without proficiency in German at least at a B1 level, you will not be able to apply for the required visa. You can complete examinations at the Goethe Institute, Volkshochschule (VHS) or similar institutions in order to prove that you have the required language proficiency.

So now that you can prove that you have the necessary German language skills to begin an ‘Ausbildung’, the next step is to find a company to hire you for an ‘Ausbildung’ programme. This is where we help. We can identify ‘Ausbildung’ programmes and companies in the area of your choice, as well as help you through the process all the way until you graduate.

With our help, you have found the companies in the areas that you wish to apply to. Now you must produce the following documents to prepare for both the visa application and your application to the company that you wish to apply to:

• Motivation letter – this states why you are interested in joining this particular ‘Ausbilding’ programme with that company, and the ways in which you are suitable for the programme.
• Curriculum Vitae – preferably written in the European format.
• Proof of your language skills – this is where you produce the certificate of your German language skills gained in step one.

The visa application process could take between one to three months. We suggest that you prepare all the needed documents as early as possible. For example, should your ‘Ausbilding’ program begin in August or September, then you should prepare all of your documents before March to ensure that everything is ready in time.