If you are under 25 years of age and want to complete a qualified vocational training program in Germany but have not yet found a training position, you can obtain an extension of your residence permit for the purpose of finding training if you meet certain requirements.

Please note that the residence permit is issued for a maximum of six months. An extension of your residence permit is only possible if this 6-month period has not yet expired. The extension must be applied for in good time before the expiry of your current residence permit.

If you already had a six-month residence permit, the residence permit can only be reissued if you have spent at least as long abroad after your departure as you previously spent in Germany looking for training.

The residence permit will be reissued for a limited period, but for a maximum total validity of six months.

In principle, the same requirements must be met for the extension of the residence permit as for the initial granting of the residence permit. This means:

• You are still looking for a training place to complete qualified vocational training (vocational training in a state-recognized or comparably regulated training occupation for which a training period of at least two years is specified).
• The total validity period of your residence permit of six months has not yet been exhausted. Alternatively, after leaving Germany, you have stayed abroad for at least as long as you were previously in Germany on the basis of your residence permit.
• You have not yet reached the age of 25 at the time of application.
• You have a good knowledge of German at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
• You have one of the following school qualifications:
  • Graduation from a German school abroad: The qualification obtained at a German school abroad must be a secondary school qualification (e.g., secondary school diploma, secondary school leaving certificate, qualification for transition to upper secondary school, technical college entrance qualification, university entrance qualification, or foreign school leaving certificate that entitles the holder to study in Germany or at least to study in the country where the German school abroad is located).
  • School qualification entitling the holder to enter higher education in the Federal Republic of Germany: This may be a German school qualification obtained in Germany or a foreign school qualification. The decisive factor is that the school qualification entitles the holder to enter higher education (university and university of applied sciences) in Germany.
  • School leaving certificate that entitles the holder to enter higher education in the country in which the school leaving certificate was obtained: This can be determined using the anabin database. If the qualification is listed in the anabin database, a formal examination of the certificate is not necessary. Only if the qualification is not listed in the anabin database can it be checked on a case-by-case basis by the relevant certificate recognition authorities of the federal states.
• You can cover your living expenses and health insurance from your own resources without claiming public benefits.
• There is no interest in deporting you.

• Find out whether your immigration office allows you to submit your application online or provides a special application form.
• If you are under 18 years of age, you may not submit the application yourself, but will need a representative (usually the application is submitted by the parents with custody).
• If the application can only be submitted in person, make an appointment with the immigration office. If you apply online, the immigration office will contact you after receiving your application to arrange an appointment.
• If you are under 18 years of age, you must be accompanied by at least one legal representative (usually a parent) when you attend the appointment in person. In the case of joint custody, the parents must always appear together at the office and submit the application for you jointly. If one parent is unable to appear in person, the other parent with custody must issue a written power of attorney for the application.
• During the appointment, your identity and documents will be checked (please bring your documents, preferably the originals, with you to the appointment).
• If your application is approved, your fingerprints will be taken for the production of your residence permit in the form of a new electronic residence title (eAT card).
• The Foreigners' Registration Office will order the eAT card from the Federal Printing Office. Once it is ready, you will be notified and can collect the eAT card from the relevant office. The eAT card must always be collected in person.
• If your application is rejected, you will receive a rejection notice.

Federal Government portal for skilled workers from abroad

https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/de/visum-aufenthalt/arten/berufsausbildung

Multilingual information portal about life in Germany for people who are new to Germany. Sponsored by the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration, the Federal Government Commissioner for Anti-Racism

https://handbookgermany.de/de/visa-seeking-vocational-training

Information on the evaluation of foreign school qualifications from the Central Office for Foreign Education

https://anabin.kmk.org/anabin.html

• The extension of the residence permit is at the discretion of the competent immigration authority. Applicants are therefore only entitled to a decision that is free of discretionary errors.
• During the period of validity of the residence permit, gainful employment is not permitted.

• If the search for a training place is discontinued, a change in the purpose of residence is generally only possible for employment as a skilled worker in accordance with Sections 18a (skilled workers with vocational training) or Section 18b (skilled workers with academic training) of the Residence Act and in cases of a legal entitlement (e.g., for the purpose of studying). This does not affect the possibility of changing to a residence permit for the purpose of qualified vocational training (Section 16a of the Residence Act) after successfully completing the search.
• The procedure is usually conducted in German.
• All information provided to the immigration authorities should be correct and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief so that the matter can be processed without major delays.
• Incorrect or incomplete information can slow down the procedure and be disadvantageous for those affected. In serious cases, incorrect or incomplete information that is not completed or corrected in time to the immigration authorities can result in the withdrawal of residence rights already granted, a fine, imprisonment for up to three years, or expulsion from the federal territory.
• Due to the complexity of residence law, this description is for informational purposes only and is not legally binding.

• Appeal against the decision of the immigration authority within one month of notification
• Action before the court specified in the notice of objection if the objection is not upheld

Application deadline

Duration (if range): 6 to 8

Note (for further information on the deadline):

The application should be received by the immigration office no later than six to eight weeks before the current residence permit expires.

Duration (for fixed periods): maximum 6

Note (for further information on the deadline):

The residence permit will be renewed for a limited period, but for a maximum total validity of six months.

Duration (range): approx. 6 to 8

Note for further information on processing time:

The processing time may vary depending on the workload of the immigration office.

It takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks for the Federal Printing Office to produce the electronic residence permit.

The immigration office responsible for the applicant's place of residence is responsible for processing the application.

In principle, the renewal of your residence permit requires the submission of the same documents as for the initial issuance:

• Recognized and valid identity document (e.g., passport or passport substitute)
• Current biometric photo in passport format (45 x 35 mm)
• Proof of sufficient funds to cover your living expenses (e.g., from your own assets, deposit of a security deposit into a blocked account, bank guarantee, letter of commitment, scholarship, third-party contributions)
• Proof of health insurance coverage (e.g., confirmation of health insurance coverage or insurance policy).
• Proof of actively searching for a training place.
• For minors: consent of all legal guardians to the planned stay (declaration of consent); if the parents with custody cannot submit the application for their child together, a written power of attorney from the absent parent is required; if only one parent has custody, the signature of that parent is sufficient
• Proof of German language skills at level B2 (e.g., language certificate).
• Proof of school leaving certificate that qualifies the holder for university admission.
• Proof of departure and the duration of the stay abroad

The documents and information must always be submitted in German. In individual cases, the immigration office may require less or more evidence.

Cost (fixed):

• 96.00 for an additional stay of up to three months
• 48.00 for minor applicants for a further stay of up to three months
• 93.00 for a further stay of more than three months
• 46.50 for minor applicants for a further stay of more than three months

Note:

Additional fees may apply for the issuance of a new residence permit in the form of an electronic residence permit (eAT card), which can also be used as electronic proof of identity.

The timing and form of fee collection and payment vary depending on the authority.

In certain cases, fee reductions or exemptions may be considered (for example, for persons entitled to asylum or recognized refugees). Lower fees may apply for Turkish citizens.

Forms available: No

Written form required: No

Informal application possible: Yes

Personal appearance required: Yes