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Employment for skilled professionals with vocational training (§18a Residence Act) or an Academic Degree (§18b Residence Act), Blue Card (§18g Residence Act)

10.06.2024 - Artikel

Documents and certificates are to be provided in German or English. Should your documents be issued in any other language, please provide the original with an official translation into German or English.

Certificates, diplomas, etc. must be presented in the original with apostille/legalisation.

Your passport and Civil ID will be returned to you after having been checked by the Visa Section. All other original documents will be returned to you once your application has been processed.

Missing documentation delays the procedure and can result in your application being rejected.

Forged or falsified documents, will result in an immediate refusal of your visa application and a possible entry ban.


List of required documents:

  1. National Visa Application form
    One duly filled (in English or German) and signed application form. Please use the VIDEX application form for National visas in order to speed up the application process and to reduce your waiting time.
  2. Visa fees
    The visa fee for applicants from the age of 18 or older is 75,- Euros, for applicants up to the age of 17 is 37,50- Euros. The fee is to be paid in cash in KWD (according to the current Embassy exchange rate) at the Visa Section when applying.
  3. Passport
    Valid, non-damaged, signed by the passport holder if he/she is above the age of 10, issued within the past 10 years, minimum of two empty pages.
    Please provide your original passport as well as any previous passports (if available) together with one copy of the data page.
  4. Biometric photo
    One recent (not older than 6 months) biometrical passport photograph with a white background (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm). The photo has to show the facial features from the chin to the hairline as well as the left and right half of the face. Please see the sample chart for passport photos on the website.
  5. Proof of residence in Kuwait
    Colored copy (front and back) of your valid Kuwaiti Civil ID.
  6. Curriculum Vitae
    Applicant’s Curriculum Vitae, showing academic and professional background.
  7. Documents regarding employment in Germany

    - Declaration regarding a contract of Employment (Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis), completed and duly signed by the Employer
    - Information pursuant to Section §18 II No. 4a Residence Act
    If applicable: Pre-Approval by the Federal Employment Agency (not applicable for a salary above 45.300,- € annually). It is not mandatory - it can however shorten the time to process your application significantly.

    Blue Card
    - 41.041,80,-- € / year for MINT and other shortage professions, e. g. Natural Scientists, Mathematicians, Engineers, Doctors and IT professionals
    - 45.300,-- € / year for all other professions
    If you meet the requirements for a Blue Card: Information pursuant to section §82 1 Sentence 6 Residence Act is required

  8. Proof of recogntion of foreign qualification

    - Original University degree(s) or certificate of vocational training
    - Certificates of prior working experience as well as your high school degree
    For general information on the recognition process please visit www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de

    Skilled workers with Academic degrees:
    Please provide a printout from the anabin database for your degree and the awarding institution.
    In case the awarding institution is classified as “H+/-”, your degree must be assessed either as “entspricht” (comparable) or “gleichwertig” (equivalent) and additionally must be listed in the degrees awarded by your specific university.
    In case the degree is not classified as “entspricht” (comparable) or “gleichwertig” (equivalent) and/or the institution is not classified as “H+”), please provide a statement of Comparability by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
    In the case of regulated professions in which permission is required to exercise the profession, for example, doctors, engineers (complete list are available from the Federal Employment Agency or the European Commission), please provide the permission to exercise your profession (Berufsausübungserlaubnis) issued by the authority responsible for recognising qualifications or assurance of permission to exercise a profession.

    Skilled workers with Vocational Training
    Written notification of recognition of foreign vocational training of the agency in Germany responsible for recognition of vocational training. Further information on where and how to obtain the recognition can be found on the website make-it-in-Germany.
  9. Additional documents for skilled workers with vocational training
    Proof of German language skills at least at level A2, for medical professionals at least level B1 in the form of a recognised language diploma.
    Motivation letter which includes information on how you found your future employer and – in the case of intended training – why you wish to train in that profession.
  10. Health insurance
    Certificate of compulsory health insurance from your German employer valid from date of employment.
    Please note: If not already included in the compulsory health insurance, a separate travel health insurance has to be presented for the time from arrival in Germany until beginning of employment.
  11. Apllicants 45 years of age or older
    Applicants who are 45 years of age or older and whose yearly salary is below 49.830,-- €, need to provide proof of adequate contribution to a German Pension fund / pension insurance.


The German Embassy Kuwait reserves the right to ask for additional documents and /or call applicant for an interview at any time.


Information sheet Employment for skilled professionals with vocational training (§18a Residence Act) or an Academic Degree (§18b Residence Act), Blue Card (§18g Residence Act)

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