Key facts
Ausbildung is the German path to a recognised profession without a university degree. You are employed by a company, go to vocational school (Berufsschule) on fixed days, and learn the trade in real projects — while getting paid.
Roughly half of all German school leavers choose it, and Germany has tens of thousands of unfilled training places every year, which is exactly why international applications are welcomed by many employers.
Nursing (Pflegefachkraft) is the largest international entry point with the strongest employer support. IT roles (Fachinformatiker in system integration or application development) are growing fast. Mechatronics, electrical, manufacturing and logistics roles complete the big four.
Commercial roles like industrial clerk (Industriekaufmann) and hotel and restaurant training are popular but require higher German levels, because the work is language-heavy.
You need a school leaving certificate (Matric/Intermediate or a degree — the higher the better), German at B1 minimum with B2 strongly recommended, and a health certificate for most professions.
There is no legal maximum age for a training visa, but employers break the average applicant at 25-30, and state funding rules favour younger candidates. Be honest with yourself here: a 35-year-old with a degree has better options than a training seat.
Training wages are set by collective agreements and rise every year: nursing apprentices in 2026 earn roughly 1,340 euros in year one, rising to about 1,550 in year three. Technical and IT apprentices start around 1,000-1,200 euros.
Working hours are the normal 38.5-40 hours weekly, with vocational school counted as working time. After the final exam, qualified salaries jump to 2,900-4,000 euros depending on the trade — that is the real reward of the route.
The visa for training is §16d (Ausbildungsvisum). The sequence: choose a profession, get employer offers, sign the training contract, then apply with attested and translated documents at the embassy.
Employers often provide accommodation help and some language support; for nursing, the employer usually organises the recognition of your school documents. From first application to the first day of training, plan 8-14 months — German B1/B2 included.
The candidates who succeed treat Ausbildung as a career investment, not a fallback: they arrive with B2-level German, active commitment to the contract, and a technical or care-oriented mindset.
The ones who struggle arrive at B1 with weak motivation and switch or drop out within the trial period. Employers remember this, so a later application gets harder. Choose Ausbildung only if you genuinely want the profession.
Book a free counselling session — we map the route, points, costs and documents for your profile.
