Germany needs skilled staff in engineering, IT, healthcare, the trades and many other fields, and it has reformed its immigration law in recent years to make recruitment from abroad easier. For people living in the UAE, that has opened several routes. The details are specific, though, and most of them depend on how your qualification is assessed in Germany.
This guide gives an overview of the main routes for skilled workers from outside the EU. It is general orientation, not legal advice. Salary thresholds and other conditions are updated regularly, so check the current position before you apply.
Start with your qualification
German immigration law sorts applicants by the qualification they hold, not only by the job they are offered. Before choosing a route, it helps to know which of these describes you.
- You have a university degree that is German or comparable to a German degree.
- You have a vocational qualification that a German authority has recognised as equivalent to German training.
- You have a degree, or vocational training of a minimum length, recognised by the state where you obtained it, but not yet recognised in Germany.
- You work in IT and have substantial professional experience, with or without a formal qualification.
For degrees, the anabin database shows how German authorities assess many foreign universities and degrees. If yours is not listed, the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) can issue a Statement of Comparability. For vocational qualifications, the government’s Anerkennung in Deutschland portal has a Recognition Finder that tells you which body handles your occupation, often a chamber of crafts or a chamber of commerce and industry.
Regulated professions work differently. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, teachers and some others need a licence to practise from the responsible authority in the federal state where they will work, whichever visa route they use.
EU Blue Card
The EU Blue Card is Germany’s main permit for university graduates. It needs a degree that is German or comparable to a German one, and a job offer that matches the qualification with a salary above a minimum threshold. A lower threshold applies to shortage occupations, which include many roles in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and to some recent graduates. IT specialists without a degree may also qualify on the strength of their professional experience.
For many applicants, the Blue Card offers the most favourable conditions. Spouses can join without proving German, and holders can usually apply for a settlement permit sooner than people on most other permits, particularly if they learn German. The salary thresholds are set each year.
Residence permit for skilled workers
If your qualification is recognised in Germany but the Blue Card does not fit, for example because your training is vocational or the salary is lower, the residence permit for skilled workers may apply. It covers university graduates and people with recognised vocational training, and it needs an offer of qualified employment.
In most cases, the Federal Employment Agency checks that your pay and working conditions are comparable to those of German employees, using details that your employer supplies. If you are above a certain age and coming to work in Germany for the first time, you may also need a higher salary or proof of adequate retirement provision.
If your qualification is not yet recognised in Germany
- Employment based on professional experience: people with a qualification recognised by the state where they trained, and relevant professional experience, may work in a non-regulated occupation without formal recognition in Germany. A salary threshold applies unless the employer is bound by a collective agreement.
- Recognition partnership: you and your employer agree to complete the recognition procedure in Germany. You can enter and start work while it runs, provided you have basic German and meet the other conditions.
Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)
The Opportunity Card lets you come to Germany to look for work without a job offer. You can live in Germany for a limited period, take part-time work while you search and try out jobs through trial employment. Once you find qualifying work, you can move to a work-based residence permit.
People whose qualification is already fully recognised in Germany qualify directly. Others need a degree or vocational training that is recognised in the country where they obtained it, basic German or good English, and enough points. Points are awarded for factors such as partial recognition, work experience, language skills, age and previous stays in Germany. Everyone must show they can support themselves, usually through a blocked bank account.
Apply only if you meet the criteria. The German missions in the UAE ask people who do not qualify to refrain from applying. The card is for finding work. Longer-term residence depends on the permit you move to once you have a qualifying job.
Why German matters
Some Blue Card holders start work in international companies with little German. That is the exception. Most employers outside the largest firms and cities expect some German, and so do many trades, care roles and customer-facing jobs.
- Some routes require German at a set level, including recognition partnerships and vocational training.
- Opportunity Card applicants earn points for German, and for English.
- Settlement permits and citizenship have their own German language requirements.
- Recognition procedures may include exams or adaptation periods conducted in German.
Certificates from recognised providers such as the Goethe-Institut, telc or ÖSD are widely accepted. If you are serious about Germany, starting lessons while you are still in the UAE is one of the most useful things you can do.
Looking for work from the UAE
Most routes start with a job offer, so the search matters. Official portals, including Make it in Germany and the Federal Employment Agency’s job exchange, list vacancies open to international applicants. Employers will expect a German-style CV, clear evidence of your qualifications and, where possible, a recognition decision or an anabin printout.
- Start recognition early. It can take months, and a recognition decision strengthens your position with employers and with the consulate.
- Be sceptical of anyone who charges you for a German job offer or a place on a recruitment programme. Genuine employers do not sell jobs.
- Check your residence status. The German Consulate General in Dubai handles long-stay visas for people whose habitual residence is in the UAE, and most categories are submitted online through the Consular Services Portal.
- Plan your civil documents. Marriage and birth certificates must be authenticated for use in Germany, and UAE-issued documents usually need attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs followed by legalisation at the German mission.
If you are considering Germany, you can request an eligibility assessment or book a consultation with Ashford. We will look at your qualifications, experience and languages, and explain which routes may fit. Where your case needs a lawyer admitted in Germany, we will explain this and the options available to you.
