The following residence permits, among others, can be applied for:

• EU Blue Card
  The EU Blue Card is a special residence permit for foreign academics or persons with a comparable level of qualification who wish to take up qualified employment in Germany. Further information on this can be found in the separate service description under "Related topics".

• Residence permit for skilled workers
  Foreigners who have completed qualified vocational training or studies (including outside Germany) and have a job offer can obtain a residence permit in accordance with Section 18a of the Act on the Residence, Employment and Integration of Foreigners in Germany (Residence Act - AufenthG) or Section 18b AufenthG in order to take up qualified employment in Germany as a skilled worker.

• Residence permit for experienced professionals
  Experienced professionals with extensive professional experience have good career opportunities in Germany if they wish to work in non-regulated professions. They can then obtain a residence permit for qualified employment in Germany. Formal recognition of your qualification in Germany is not required for this. Special facilitations apply in particular to IT professions.

• Opportunitycard for job search
  The opportunity card allows you to enter Germany to look for a job. It is issued if you either have a recognized professional qualification or if you have a recognized foreign qualification and have achieved a certain minimum number of points within the framework of a points system.

• Residence permit for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications and recognition partnership
  If it is determined in a recognition procedure that the foreign qualification cannot be fully recognized, it is possible to attend qualification measures in Germany in order to acquire the missing theoretical and/or practical skills. These can be, for example, training courses in a company, specialist training courses, preparatory courses or job-related German courses. Under certain conditions, it is also possible to work alongside the qualification measure. Alternatively, under certain conditions, it is also possible to have a recognition procedure carried out after entering Germany and to work in the desired profession at the same time.
• Residence permit for researchers
  You can also apply for a residence permit for the purpose of research.
• (Mobile) ICT card
  Also third-country nationals who are temporarily posted to Germany within a company or group of companies by their employer based in a third country. ICT is the abbreviation for "intra-corporate transfer" or "intra-corporate transferee" and they can apply for the corresponding residence permit. Foreign employees who are already in possession of an ICT card in another EU country can also be transferred to Germany for more than 90 days within the company or within the group of companies and apply for a mobile ICT card for this purpose.

• Residence permit for self-employment
  A residence permit is required for self-employment as a business or freelancer.

There are also some special regulations. The most important are

• Special regulation for nursing assistants
  The German labor market is also open to nursing assistants from third countries. This means that people who have completed nursing training that is not considered qualified vocational training or who have been recognized as such (nursing assistants) can work in nursing activities.

• Study-related internship EU
  Students from foreign universities or foreign nationals who have obtained a university degree in the last two years can obtain a residence permit for a study-related internship under certain conditions.

• Special regulation for professional drivers
  Drivers of trucks or buses who have the required driving license and the (accelerated) EU or EEA basic qualification can obtain a residence permit for their work.

• Western Balkans regulation
  Nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have the opportunity to work in Germany within the framework of a quota, regardless of qualifications. Further information on this can be found in the separate service description under "Related topics".

• Au pair
  Au pair employment involves the temporary placement of foreign nationals between the ages of 18 and 27 in a German host family. For the foreign national, the focus is on acquiring cultural knowledge and improving their German language skills. In return for imparting this knowledge, the au pair supports the host parents in looking after the minor children.

• Other specific nationals
  For nationals of Andorra, Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (as defined in Section 1(2)(6) of the Act on the General Freedom of Movement for Citizens of the European Union (Freizügigkeitsgesetz/EU - FreizügG/EU) and the United States of America, a residence permit may be issued for the purpose of exercising any employment irrespective of the employer's place of business.