For adult Chinese nationals resident in China with an existing qualified company-based training place. First offshore application only; excludes school-based/nursing training, further training, onshore switching, dependants and applicants aged 45 or over. Not a training-place search visa.
These are not sequential upgrades or every German visa option. Distinguish a job offer, training contract, recognition notice and employer support. DAB, degree comparability, professional recognition and licensing are not interchangeable.
With a qualification-matched offer, check the standard-salary Blue Card scope; regulated professions require separate authorisation.
Official requirementsWith a German recognition notice and suitable qualification measure, check German, living support and programme requirements; not any course qualifies.
Official requirementsWith a suitable employer and written partnership, check recognition-after-entry criteria; this is not an exemption from recognition or licensing.
Official requirementsWith a company training contract, check training, German and living support; vocational training is not training-place search or recognition qualification measures.
Official requirementsCheck the training contract/plan, German, living support, insurance, general entry rules and applicable BA approval. B1 is usual for qualified training; institution-assessed language or a preparatory course can affect evidence requirements. Check employer and vocational-school admission separately.
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Confirm training and contract, prepare language/funding/insurance, follow current mission procedures and approvals, then complete registration and training residence after entry. Completion does not automatically grant employment residence or permanent residence.
Confirm qualified training, the contract and plan with the company; check vocational-school admission. A regular job offer is not a training contract. Official guidance
Confirm language evidence and compare pay with current living-support rules; fund any shortfall/unpaid preparation and insure the gap before training coverage starts. Official guidance
Use the Foreign Office route to confirm the mission, personal checklist and appointment steps. BA approval may occur within the visa process; no universal applicant-obtained advance approval is implied. Official guidance
Complete applicable registration and residence procedures and undertake authorised training. Additional employment and status changes remain conditional, not open work permission. Official guidance
Introductory preparation summary, not a complete checklist, individual advice or a visa guarantee. Follow official pages and individual notices. Reviewed: 2026-10-25
Cross-checked federal guidance, current German section 16a, BA and the August 2025 China checklist. Recheck current funding and submission procedures; the old PDF is not a 2026 appointment or four-week guarantee. The under-35 search-route rule is not a universal training age limit. Excluding age 45+ here is editorial scope only.
This guide excludes entry to search without a training contract. Do not transplant the search branch age, education, funds or stay rules. Official guidance
Use acceptable supplementary funding when pay is insufficient or a preparatory course is unpaid. A contract does not automatically waive living-support requirements. Official guidance
Existing-place training has no universal under-35 rule. Employer/school admission and older-applicant cases still need separate checks; age 45+ is outside this guide. Official guidance
Download a blank English PDF checklist to print and mark offline. This is not an exhaustive lodgement checklist; official requirements take precedence.