How Does the German Skilled Worker Visa Work, Sections 18a and 18b? (2026)
The verdict
Sections 18a and 18b give a recognised skilled worker a permit for any qualified job: 18a for vocational training, 18b for a degree. You need a concrete job offer and, as a rule, approval from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. There is no general salary floor, but at 45 or older a first permit needs EUR 55,770 a year in 2026, or proof of adequate pension provision.
Legal basis: AufenthG sections 18a and 18b, common rules in section 18 · Aufenthaltserlaubnis für Fachkräfte
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Do You Qualify?
- Section 18a: a German qualified vocational training, or a foreign qualification whose equivalence to one has been established. Qualified means a recognised training occupation of at least two years.
- Section 18b: a German degree, a recognised foreign degree, or a foreign degree comparable to a German one.
- A concrete job offer for qualified employment, meaning a job that needs the skills taught in a degree or a qualified vocational training.
- A licence to practise, where your profession requires one, such as in medicine or nursing.
- Aged 45 or older at your first permit: a salary of at least EUR 55,770 a year in 2026, unless you prove adequate retirement provision.
The Steps, in Order
- 1
Have your qualification recognised: equivalence for a vocational qualification, recognition or comparability for a degree.
- With
- The recognition body for your occupation, which differs by profession and Bundesland
- Bring
- Qualification certificates, transcripts, proof of work experience, certified translations
- Fee
- None at this step
- Takes
- Set by each body and profession, not nationally. If only part of your qualification is recognised, the section 16d recognition visa is the route instead.
- 2
Sign a concrete offer for a qualified job. You and the employer both confirm the job will actually be carried out, and the agency checks the terms.
- With
- Your employer, and the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, which approves where pay and conditions are no worse than for comparable domestic workers
- Bring
- Signed employment contract or binding job offer
- Fee
- None at this step
- Takes
- Not centrally published
- 3
Apply for the national visa for skilled workers under section 18a or 18b at the German mission in your country of residence.
- With
- The German embassy or consulate responsible for where you live
- Bring
- Passport, the application form, biometric photos, and the proof of funds for this route; Your own mission's checklist: there is no national document list, each mission publishes its own
- Fee
- EUR 75
- Takes
- Not centrally published. Appointment and decision times are set per mission and vary from weeks to months, so book the appointment before anything else.
- 4
Convert the visa into a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) after you arrive and register.
- With
- The Ausländerbehörde of the city you registered in
- Bring
- Meldebescheinigung from the Anmeldung, passport with the visa, biometric photo, proof of health insurance
- Fee
- EUR 100
- Takes
- Set by each city, not nationally. Apply before the visa expires: a booked appointment is what protects your status if the date falls later.
After you arrive: The Anmeldung within two weeks, the Steuer-ID by post after it, and the residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde before the visa expires. Every deadline of the first 3 months.
What You Must Prove
No general salary floor. From age 45 at first issue: EUR 55,770 a year (2026)
Your employment contract, with pay no worse than for comparable domestic workers. No blocked account is required.
Also accepted
- From age 45: proof of adequate retirement provision instead of the salary threshold
Work and Duration
Working
The Act grants the permit 'zur Ausübung jeder qualifizierten Beschäftigung', so for any qualified job rather than unskilled work. The agency approves without a labour-market priority check. Before changing employer, ask the Ausländerbehörde: the Blue Card's explicit waiver for job changes does not appear in sections 18a and 18b.
Duration
Up to four years, or the contract or approval term plus six months where that is shorter (section 18(4)). If the job ends early and the permit is shortened, at least six months of validity remain (section 18(5)).
What It Turns Into
A settlement permit under section 18c(1) after three years on the permit, 36 months of pension contributions and German at B1, plus the section 9(2) conditions. A German vocational training or degree cuts this to two years and 24 months. With a degree and a qualifying salary you can also move to the Blue Card, where an 18a or 18b holder who keeps the same job counts as having secured livelihood.
What This Route Does Not Allow
- It is not a job-search permit. The job offer comes first; without one, the Chancenkarte is the route.
- It does not cover unskilled work. The job itself must need the skills of a degree or a qualified vocational training.
- It does not skip recognition. Under section 18a the equivalence of your foreign qualification must already be established.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a minimum salary for the German skilled worker visa?
Not in general. The agency checks that pay is no worse than for comparable domestic workers. The one fixed floor is for applicants aged 45 or older at their first permit: 55 percent of the pension contribution ceiling, which is EUR 55,770 for 2026 on our calculation, unless they prove adequate retirement provision.
What is the difference between section 18b and the EU Blue Card?
Both are for graduates with a job offer. The Blue Card needs a salary of at least EUR 50,700 in 2026, or EUR 45,934.20 on the reduced route, and gives faster settlement after 27 or 21 months. Section 18b has no general salary floor but settlement takes three years, and the over-45 rule applies.
Does the over-45 rule apply if you switch from the Chancenkarte?
Yes, according to the notice German missions hand applicants. It applies when a skilled-worker permit follows a section 16d recognition measure or a Chancenkarte inside Germany, because it is still the first permit under section 18a or 18b.
When can a skilled worker get permanent residence in Germany?
After three years on the permit with 36 months of pension contributions and German at B1, under section 18c(1). If you completed a vocational training or degree in Germany, it is two years and 24 months.
The Other Routes
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