Ausbildung in Germany: requirements, costs, training pay and visa

Open Ausbildung (in-company vocational training)

Open. Residence for vocational training is governed by AufenthG section 16a and usually needs approval from Germany's Federal Employment Agency.

Status as of 7 October 2026 Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de)

Summary

  • Residence for in-company vocational training in Germany is governed by AufenthG section 16a and usually needs Federal Employment Agency approval.
  • During Ausbildung you may take a side job outside the training of up to 20 hours a week.
  • For dual vocational training starting in 2026, Germany sets a monthly minimum training allowance that rises each training year.
  • After completing Ausbildung in Germany, you can get a residence permit for up to 18 months to look for work.
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On this page
  1. What are the requirements?
  2. What does it cost and who pays?
  3. How much does it pay?
  4. Which visa is used?
  5. What are the steps?
  6. Which schools or training lead to Germany?
  7. How is Ausbildung different from a regular job?
  8. What are the warning signs of offers to Germany through this route?
Official routes, who runs them, and their legal basis
Route Run by Official link Who pays placement costs Legal basis
Ausbildung (in-company vocational training) Berufsausbildung (Ausbildung) · Vocational training Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer Official source There is no placement agency; the applicant pays the visa fee and other requirements unless the employer covers them. Do not pay a placement fee to any middleman. See the cost rules Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

See this route in the comparison table

What do you need to work in Germany through Ausbildung (in-company vocational training)?

Placement channels from Indonesia for working in Germany through Ausbildung (in-company vocational training): Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer. Language tests asked for: German: Proof of sufficient German for the training, unless the training provider checked it or you join a preparatory course.

Placement channels from Indonesia
Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer An independent migrant worker goes without an agency, only to a legal-entity employer, and must report to the labour office and the Indonesian mission. This is not the same as an individual employer (a household), or an individual who places migrant workers, which is banned.
Job types
Dual vocational trainee at a company, in an occupation regulated by the BBiG or HwO
Language tests
TestLevel
GermanProof of sufficient German for the training, unless the training provider checked it or you join a preparatory course

What does working in Germany through Ausbildung (in-company vocational training) cost, and who pays?

The Ausbildung (in-company vocational training) route to Germany uses no placement agency: you pay the visa fee and other requirements unless the employer covers them, and no middleman is owed a placement fee.

  1. Law 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  2. Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs. A worker may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  3. Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.

Cost rules for this route

  • Visa fee: According to the German Embassy in Jakarta, the only payment is the visa fee charged by the embassy; forms, checklists and appointment booking cost nothing. Deutsche Botschaft Jakarta (Auswärtiges Amt)
  • Training allowance: The company pays at least the minimum training allowance for dual training, unless it is bound by a collective agreement (Tarifvertrag). Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

What is the minimum pay for working in Germany through Ausbildung (in-company vocational training)?

The official pay floor for the Ausbildung (in-company vocational training) route in Germany is EUR 724.00 per month, in force from 1 January 2026 (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)). This is the legal minimum in Germany, not an offered wage.

Official floor
Area or group Official floor Approximate rupiah value
Training year 1 Applies to: Monthly minimum training allowance for dual vocational training under the BBiG or HwO starting between 1 January and 31 December 2026 Excludes: Training covered by a collective agreement (Tarifvertrag), and training not regulated by the BBiG or HwO EUR 724.00 per month In force from about IDR 14,485,597 rate as of 8 October 2026
Training year 2 Applies to: Monthly minimum training allowance for dual vocational training under the BBiG or HwO starting between 1 January and 31 December 2026 Excludes: Training covered by a collective agreement (Tarifvertrag), and training not regulated by the BBiG or HwO EUR 854.00 per month In force from about IDR 17,086,601 rate as of 8 October 2026
Training year 3 Applies to: Monthly minimum training allowance for dual vocational training under the BBiG or HwO starting between 1 January and 31 December 2026 Excludes: Training covered by a collective agreement (Tarifvertrag), and training not regulated by the BBiG or HwO EUR 977.00 per month In force from about IDR 19,547,552 rate as of 8 October 2026
Training year 4 Applies to: Monthly minimum training allowance for dual vocational training under the BBiG or HwO starting between 1 January and 31 December 2026 Excludes: Training covered by a collective agreement (Tarifvertrag), and training not regulated by the BBiG or HwO EUR 1,014.00 per month In force from about IDR 20,287,838 rate as of 8 October 2026

Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

Which visa do you need to work in Germany through Ausbildung (in-company vocational training)?

Visum zur beruflichen Aus- und Weiterbildung: National visa for vocational and further training, applied for through the German Embassy's Auslandsportal. Official source

What are the steps to work in Germany through Ausbildung (in-company vocational training)?

  1. Get a training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag) from a German company for the occupation you chose.
  2. Prepare proof of sufficient German, unless the training provider has checked your language skills or you will attend a preparatory German course.
  3. Apply for the vocational training visa through the German Embassy's Auslandsportal; the permit usually needs Federal Employment Agency approval.
  4. During training you may take a side job of up to 20 hours a week outside the training.
  5. If you lose your training place through no fault of your own, you get up to six months to look for another one.
  6. After you finish, you can get a residence permit for up to 18 months to look for work in Germany.

The order and timings are editor estimates, not promises.

Which schools or training lead to Germany?

The education and training routes linked to working in Germany through Ausbildung (in-company vocational training): Vocational high school (SMK) in Indonesia, Language tests for working abroad, LPK training institutes in Indonesia.

How is Ausbildung different from a regular job?

Ausbildung is vocational training at a company under a training contract. The residence permit is governed by AufenthG section 16a, and its purpose includes a preparatory German course. Trainees receive a training allowance, not a full worker's wage, with a minimum set via BIBB for occupations regulated by the BBiG or HwO. After completing training in Germany, AufenthG section 20 allows a residence permit of up to 18 months to look for work.

What are the warning signs of offers to Germany through this route?

How to check a P3MI agency in 5 steps Learn the signs of trafficking through job offers

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Not legal advice. Always check SISKOP2MI before you sign up.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum Ausbildung training allowance in Germany?

For dual vocational training starting between 1 January and 31 December 2026, Germany sets a monthly minimum training allowance that rises each training year, according to BIBB. The figures are in the table on this page. Companies bound by a collective agreement may follow that agreement.

Do Ausbildung trainees count as Indonesian migrant workers?

Law 18/2017 Article 4(2)(b) says students and trainees abroad are not Indonesian migrant workers (PMI). Because an Ausbildung contract combines training and work at a company, ask KP2MI how your status should be recorded before you leave.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. § 16a Aufenthaltsgesetz: Berufsausbildung; berufliche Weiterbildung Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · AufenthG § 16a · accessed
  2. § 20 Aufenthaltsgesetz: Arbeitsplatzsuche für Fachkräfte Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) · AufenthG § 20 · accessed
  3. Nationale Visa (Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Jakarta) Deutsche Botschaft Jakarta (Auswärtiges Amt) · accessed
  4. Mindestausbildungsvergütung (BIBB) Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB) · accessed
  5. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  6. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Ausbildung in Germany: requirements, costs, training pay and visa. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/germany/vocational-training-ausbildung/

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