Germany

Employment as a nursing or care assistant with recognised training

Short business activity that is not treated as employment under the immigration rules

Posted employment executing an approved international contract for work or materials

Temporary work in Germany while providing a service for a foreign undertaking

Temporary domestic-help employment under a public placement arrangement

Short domestic-service assignment accompanying an employer or family from abroad

Domestic work accompanying an employer temporarily posted to Germany

Employment teaching a native language or another subject in the applicant's mother tongue

Employment route available regardless of formal qualification to listed privileged nationalities

EU Blue Card for an experienced IT specialist without a formal academic degree

EU Blue Card for employment obtained within three years of graduation

EU Blue Card employment in a qualifying shortage occupation

Highly qualified employment meeting the standard EU Blue Card salary threshold

Temporary employment assisting a travelling fairground enterprise

Journalistic work in Germany for a foreign media employer

Intra-corporate transfer to Germany for a graduate training programme

Intra-corporate transfer to Germany as a manager

Intra-corporate transfer to Germany as a specialist

Temporary in-company professional training linked to foreign employment

Employment through an approved international personnel-exchange arrangement

Cross-border road or rail transport employment connected with a foreign undertaking

Temporary interpreting for a foreign company at meetings or negotiations in Germany

Qualified IT employment based on professional experience without a formal qualification

Job-search residence after meeting the basic qualification and six-point threshold

Job-search residence for a person already recognised as a skilled worker in Germany

Employment-linked entry to obtain the German licence and initial professional qualification

Employment as a professional goods or passenger driver with completed EU/EEA credentials

Employment in a non-regulated qualified occupation based on foreign experience

Temporary project employment connected with an international undertaking

Qualified employment with a recognised or comparable academic degree

Qualified employment with a recognised foreign vocational qualification

Work while completing the German recognition procedure with employer support

Residence for a qualification measure required to obtain full recognition of a foreign professional qualification

Employment predominantly for religious reasons

Seasonal work under a Federal Employment Agency placement arrangement

Temporary employment admitted under a demand-based federal quota

Short residence to complete a skills analysis where recognition cannot be decided from documents

Employment as a speciality cook under the occupation-specific rule

Temporary tour-guiding while accompanying a foreign tourist group

Employment route for nationals of six Western Balkan states regardless of formal qualification

Freelance teaching of the applicant's native language or other subjects in that language

Self-employed freelance work with sufficient funding and required professional licences

Independent artistic or creative work in Germany for more than 90 days

Establishing or operating a commercial business with an economic case and secured financing

Research or teaching under a hosting agreement or research contract

Qualified in-company vocational training in Germany

Doctoral studies conducted as study at a German university

Internship within an EU-funded programme or bilateral development cooperation

Degree-related internship for an advanced foreign-university student

Degree study at a state-recognised higher-education institution

Residence for an intensive German course not linked to another principal purpose

Internship through an international exchange programme for foreign students or graduates

Residence for a company internship that prepares the applicant for later study

Language course, preparatory course or similar measure before enrolment

Internship supported by German, EU or intergovernmental public funds

Residence to attend a qualifying German school

Qualified school-based vocational training in Germany

Entry to seek university admission or a preparatory place

Entry to seek a qualified vocational training place

Short practical training for pupils or graduates of foreign general-education schools

Short practical training for pupils or graduates of German schools abroad

Study-related internship in Germany for a foreign student or recent graduate

Child reunification subject to arrival timing or integration conditions

Residence permit for a child born in Germany to a qualifying resident parent

EU-family reunification for a child or other direct descendant under 21

Facilitated reunification for an older minor child of a skilled worker

Discretionary EU close-relative admission based on dependency, household membership or serious-health care

Core-family reunification after expiry of the facilitated three-month period

Family reunification under the temporary-protection framework

EU-family reunification for an adult direct descendant receiving maintenance

EU-family reunification for a dependent parent, grandparent or other direct ancestor

Facilitated residence for a durable non-married partner of an EU citizen

Facilitated family residence accompanying a Blue Card holder moving from another EU state

EU-family rules for the family of a German returning after genuine residence in another EU state

Accompanying family member from the first Member State of an EU long-term resident

Facilitated residence for a foster child dependent on an EU citizen

Exceptional family admission while ordinary subsidiary-protection reunification is suspended

Facilitated reunification for a minor unmarried child after protection recognition

Child reunification with a third-country resident for a child under 16

Family reunification for a minor unmarried child of a German parent

Family reunification outside the core family to prevent exceptional hardship

Family reunification for the custodial parent of a minor German child

Reunification for the parent of an unaccompanied protected minor

Reunification for parents and qualifying parents-in-law of certain skilled workers

Facilitated core-family reunification after asylum or refugee recognition

Family reunification with a German spouse or registered partner

Facilitated spouse reunification with a skilled or highly qualified resident

General spouse or partner reunification with a third-country resident

EU-family reunification for a non-EU spouse or registered partner

Independent residence status for a child who held family residence

Long-term move to Germany by a Blue Card holder from another EU state

Accelerated permanent settlement for a Blue Card holder with B1 German

Permanent settlement for a Blue Card holder after 27 months

Short-term work mobility to Germany for a Blue Card holder from another EU state

German residence for work based on EU long-term resident status in another Member State

German residence for another permitted purpose based on EU long-term resident status elsewhere

German residence for self-employment based on EU long-term resident status elsewhere

German residence for study or training based on EU long-term resident status elsewhere

Study mobility to Germany using a study title from another EU state

Extension of an Opportunity Card after obtaining qualified employment

Permanent settlement under the general five-year route

ICT mobility to a German group entity for up to 90 days

Immediate settlement in special cases for a highly skilled professional

Independent spouse residence after termination of marital cohabitation

Long-term ICT mobility to a German group entity

Research mobility lasting more than 180 and up to 360 days

Permanent EU long-term resident status after qualifying residence in Germany

Job-search residence after assistant-level German health or care training

Job-search residence after successful full recognition of a foreign qualification

Job-search residence after completing research activity in Germany

Job-search residence after successful completion of German higher education

Job-search residence after successful vocational training in Germany

Research mobility using a research title from another EU state

Residence for a person who previously held German citizenship

Return residence for a former long-term resident who grew up in Germany

Facilitated permanent settlement after German education and skilled work

Discretionary permanent settlement after long-term humanitarian residence

Permanent settlement after three years in an existing German family unit

Permanent settlement for a child who has held family residence for five years

Permanent settlement after three years of successful commercial self-employment

Permanent settlement for an adult child after five years of residence

Accelerated permanent settlement for exceptionally integrated recognised protection beneficiaries

Permanent settlement after qualifying skilled employment or research

Facilitated permanent settlement for a working spouse of a skilled-worker settlement holder

Residence under EU freedom of movement without gainful employment

Residence under EU freedom of movement while genuinely seeking work

Residence under EU freedom of movement as a self-employed person

Residence under EU freedom of movement for study

Residence under EU freedom of movement as an employee or vocational trainee

Permanent EU-family residence after lawful continuous residence with the EU citizen

Permanent right of residence after lawful continuous EU residence

Residence in Germany under the EU–Switzerland free-movement framework

Holiday employment during an official semester break for a student enrolled abroad

Working-holiday stay for eligible South Korean nationals

Working-holiday stay for eligible young nationals of Germany's partner jurisdictions

Youth Mobility route for Canadian citizens aged 18–35 under one of four agreement categories

Cultural exchange placement as an au pair in a German-speaking host family

Service for a charitable or non-profit body under a qualifying agreement

Long-term employed work in Germany's cultural or entertainment sector

Participation in the European Voluntary Service under a compliant host agreement

Temporary professional modelling activity under the special-occupation rule

Special artistic performance, festival or cultural event while retaining habitual residence abroad

Short business trip for a visa-required traveller

Short cultural, sports, conference or educational visit

Study or training visit lasting no more than 90 days

Short tourist or private visit for a visa-required traveller

Short visit without a visa for an eligible visa-exempt national

Individual admission from abroad for international-law or urgent humanitarian reasons

Formal asylum application examined by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees

Protection for a person persecuted on political grounds under the German Basic Law

Transfer of an asylum seeker to Germany under an EU relocation or special redistribution procedure

Group admission under a federal humanitarian programme

Durable third-country resettlement of a vulnerable refugee selected through the institutional programme

Residence following a national prohibition on deportation

Refugee protection under the Geneva Refugee Convention

Residence where departure is impossible in law or fact and the obstacle is not expected to end soon

Temporary residence for a trafficking victim whose presence serves criminal proceedings

Temporary residence for a labour victim needed in criminal proceedings or to claim remuneration

Derivative residence for qualifying family of a Section 25a beneficiary

Derivative residence for the core family of a Section 25b beneficiary

Residence for a long-term tolerated person who is sustainably integrated

Exceptional residence following a state hardship-commission request

Admission under an order issued by a German Land for a specified group

Protection where serious harm is threatened and refugee or asylum status does not apply

Temporary protection for eligible persons displaced from Ukraine

Temporary residence for urgent humanitarian or personal reasons or substantial public interests

Special asylum procedure for an unaccompanied child through child-protection and guardianship structures

For the spouse or a descendant of a late repatriate who is named in the admission notice issued by the Federal Office of Administration.

For a Jewish immigrant from a successor state of the former Soviet Union who qualifies under the special admission conditions for this group.

For a person of German ethnic origin under the Federal Expellees Act, including descendants of Germans from the former Soviet Union and other Eastern European states.

Long stay in Germany for planned medical treatment

Short stay in Germany to undergo planned medical treatment

Paid professional sport or coaching for a German competitive-sport organisation

Paid professional esports employment for a German competitive-esports organisation

Airside transit through a German international transit zone for a nationality requiring Category A