Legal Guidance on all German Visa and Residence Procedures – Work, Study, Family Reunion and Long-Term Residence.

This depends exclusively on your nationality. In detail, you can read more about visa-free entry here. There are five groups to be distinguished:

1. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens: These citizens enjoy full freedom of movement and do not require a visa or residence permit to live and work in Germany.

2. Privileged nationals (§ 41 para. 1 AufenthV): Citizens from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the USA can enter for a short-term stay without a visa and apply for any residence permit (also for work) after entry. The application must be made before starting the activity.

3. Other privileged nationals (§ 41 para. 2 AufenthV): Citizens from Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino may also enter for a short-term stay without a visa, but may only apply for certain residence permits (e.g. for study) after entry. For employment, a prior visa procedure from abroad is usually required.

4. Nationals in Annex II of the EU Visa Regulation
   Nationals of Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Canada, Kiribati, Colombia, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Solomon Islands, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, United Kingdom, SAR Hong Kong, SAR Macau can enter without a visa, but only for a short stay. As a rule, you cannot switch to a long-term residence permit in the country without leaving and re-entering.

5. All other nationals: Nationals of other countries must apply for the correct national visa (type D) for any long-term purpose (such as work or study) or a Schengen visa (type C) for short-term stays at the responsible German mission abroad before entering Germany.

For qualified skilled workers, the two main paths are the EU Blue Card and the visa for skilled workers (§ 18b AufenthG). The EU Blue Card is often preferred as it generally offers a faster path to a settlement permit and more flexible rules for family reunification. The best choice depends on your specific qualifications, your profession, and your salary. We analyze your profile to determine the most advantageous and quickest path for you. Read more about the EU Blue Card here.

As a rule, yes, but possibly with a delay. Family reunification is a central element of German residence law for holders of residence permits for the purpose of gainful employment. Holders of work visas such as the EU Blue Card can bring their spouse and minor children with them. A key advantage, especially with the Blue Card, is that the spouse receives an immediate and unrestricted work permit. We can process all family applications together to ensure a smooth transition for everyone. You can read more about the topic here.

German residence law is complex, and small errors in the application can lead to significant delays or even rejection. As your lawyer, I ensure that you choose the right legal path from the outset, your documents are perfectly prepared, and communication with the authorities is handled professionally. This minimizes risks, saves you valuable time, and gives you planning security.

Getting started is straightforward and always begins with an initial consultation.

1. Book a consultation: Use our online tool to book a video consultation at a time that suits you. In it, we will discuss your individual situation, your goals, and outline the best visa strategy.

2. After the consultation, you will receive a summary of our conversation and a clear, personalized checklist of all required documents. Based on this, you can decide whether you would like to book our comprehensive application package.

Processing times vary greatly depending on the German mission abroad and the local immigration authority and can range from a few weeks to several months. The most common cause of delays are formal errors or incomplete applications. Our goal is to avoid this by submitting a perfect application from the very beginning. For urgent cases, we can also use the accelerated skilled worker procedure (§ 81a AufenthG) to significantly shorten the processing time.