Residence permit for the purpose of attending the Working-Holiday- or Youth Mobility-Programme

Germany has concluded bilateral agreements with various countries on working holiday programs. There is also an agreement with Canada on youth mobility. All agreements allow stays of up to 12 months.

In principle, the required national visas should be applied for at German diplomatic missions abroad. However, nationals of certain countries can also apply for Working Holiday or Youth Mobility visas after entering Germany. They will then be granted a one-year residence permit.

This residence permit allows you to take on holiday jobs to supplement your income. Self-employment is also permitted.

Note for Japanese nationals: Due to technical reasons, the online application is unfortunately not yet available for you. We are working on quickly implementing the special provisions of the bilateral agreement for the online application. Until then, please use the contact form of the responsible department E4 (see the "More Information" section) to submit your application.

Procedure:
1. Carry out the online application.

Please have all the necessary documents ready for this in PDF format if possible. However, you can also still photograph and upload the documents during the application process using your smartphone or tablet. The following file formats are accepted: PDF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG. The total size of your files must not exceed 50 MB. A single file must be a maximum of 5 MB in size.
Before you can send off the application, you need to pay the service fee.
At the end you will receive a PDF document to confirm your application. This document will certify that your current residence title remains valid in the federal territory beyond the previous validity date. (This does not apply if your current residence title has already expired on the day of application.)
Please therefore make sure to save this document and print a copy if possible.

2. Once you have carried out the online application, we will check it and then contact you as soon as possible. Where necessary, we will request further documents.

3. If your application is considered to be successful, you will be given an appointment for an in-person interview. Please bring the originals of all the necessary documents with you to this appointment.

Prerequisites

Working-Holiday-Agreement between Germany and Australia, Israel, Japan or New Zealand
- Nationals of Australia, Israel, Japan and New Zealand can apply for this residence permit within 90 days of entering the country.
- Until further notice, Japanese nationals should use the contact form of the responsible department E 4 for their application (see section "More information").
Youth-Mobility-Agreement between Germany and Canada

Foreign nationals from Canada may apply for this residence permit within 90 days of entering the country.
Working-Holiday-Agreement between Germany and the Republic of Korea

Foreign nationals from Korean Republic may apply for this residence permit only in exceptional cases in Germany. This is possible when an applicant from the Republic of Korea lives in Germany with a residence permit, e.g. for attending a language course.
Between 18 and 35 years of age
The following age limits apply for attending the programmes:
- for Australia, Israel, Japan, Korea and New Zealand between 18 and 30 years of age,
- for Canada between 18 and 35 years of age.
The date of application is decisive.
Main residence in Berlin during the residence for research purposes
No indications of a threat to public safety or order
- Fines alone can prevent the granting of a residence permit.
- An application for a residence permit may not be processed while investigation proceedings are ongoing.
- You pose no threat to the free democratic basic order or the security of the Federal Republic of Germany.
- You are not involved in acts of violence in pursuit of political or religious goals, do not publicly call for the use of violence and do not threaten to do so.
Current email adress

The Berlin Immigration Office will contact you via your current email address. Please also check your spam folder regularly.
For the online application: Consent to the electronic payment process
The following methods of payment are available to you:
- Credit card (Visa, Mastercard)
- Paypal

Documents required

Application for a residence permit for employment
- only possible online
- You will receive a PDF document to confirm your application. This document will certify that your current residence title remains valid in the federal territory beyond the previous validity date. (This does not apply if your current residence title has already expired on the day you apply.)
- Please therefore make sure to save this document and print a copy if possible.
In the case of an application being filed by an authorised representative: power of attorney stating the subject matter of the procedure
Passport copies (in color)
Copies of the following pages of your passport are required:
- Always: Data pages (with your photo and personal details)
- If you have entered the country and are applying for a residence permit for the first time, additionally: Entry stamp
Proof of funds in the amount of at least 2,000 Euros

e.g. bank statement
Rental agreement and amount of rental costs
- Tenancy agreement (without house rules or other annexes) and
- Proof of the current monthly costs (rent with utility costs included – “Warmmiete”), e.g. bank statements
Foreign travellers’ health insurance that is valid for one year
Proof of your residence in Berlin

Fees

The fee must be paid before you send off the online application (by credit card or PayPal).

100.00 euro: for nationals of Australia, Israel, Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea
None: for nationals of Japan

A refund is not possible in the event that the application is withdrawn if we have already begun to process the application (by examining the documents you sent or sending you an appointment for an in-person interview).

Legal basis

Average time to process request

If your application is considered to be successful, you will be given an appointment for an in-person interview.
After an appointment, it typically takes 3-4 weeks until the residence permit is issued as an electronic residence title.

More information

Notes on responsibility

This service can only be taken advantage of in the Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung – LEA) at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer.

Your point of contact

Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA)
Berlin Immigration Office, Friedrich-Krause-Ufer
Berlin Immigration Office, Friedrich-Krause-Ufer
Contact
- Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA)
- Berlin Immigration Office, Friedrich-Krause-Ufer
- Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24 , 13353 Berlin
- Tel.: (030) 90269-4000
- Fax: -
- Contact form
- Home page
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