How does Skilled Worker Visa (Fachkräfte) work in Germany, and who qualifies?

The Skilled Worker Visa (Fachkräfte) sits at the heart of Germany's Skilled Immigration Act (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz). It has two tracks: the academic track (§18b) for holders of a recognised university degree, and the vocational track (§18a) for people with recognised vocational training. In both cases you need a concrete employment contract for a role that matches your qualification.

The pivotal step for most applicants is qualification recognition: your degree must be recognised or assessed as comparable to a German one, and vocational qualifications normally need formal recognition too. You can check this via the anabin database or anerkennung-in-deutschland.de. Applicants aged 45 and over must meet a higher salary or show adequate pension provision.

This route is a strong foundation for settling in Germany — skilled workers typically qualify for permanent residence after about three years. Fees and salary expectations are reviewed periodically, so confirm current details on make-it-in-germany.com and bamf.de before applying. If your degree gives access to highly qualified work at a qualifying salary, the EU Blue Card may be even more advantageous, and ACME can help you compare the two.