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Visa for employment as a skilled worker in Germany
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dakar processes all applications for a national visa from nationals who require a visa and have their habitual residence in Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau (proof required).
Nationals of Cabo Verde also require a visa to enter Germany. The Embassy in Dakar has temporarily taken over responsibility for processing visa applications from Cabo Verde nationals.
The visa process
- Book an appointment: Please book an appointment to apply for a visa via the Embassy's online appointment system.
- Personal Appearance: All applicants must appear in person at the embassy.
- Processing of the application: The embassy will process your application. Information on the duration of the visa procedure can be found here.
- Collection
Please do not send any documents to the embassy in advance. The applicant must bring all documents with him/her when submitting the application.
If you are asked to submit additional documents when submitting your application or afterwards by e-mail, always indicate the file reference (five-digit number). This can be found on the receipt under the barcode.
| Information on the ban on the recruitment and placement of healthcare and nursing staff |
The WHO has identified a critical shortage of health personnel in Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, among others, and has recommended not actively recruiting and placing healthcare and nursing personnel from these countries. The Federal Republic of Germany has transposed this recommendation into binding law (Section 38 BeschV and Annex). Any kind of private placement of healthcare and nursing staff is therefore prohibited in the consular district of the Embassy in Dakar! All activities aimed at bringing together employers and those seeking training or employment in order to establish an employment relationship are deemed to be job placement. This also includes activities aimed at finding a job oneself (e.g. advertising measures). An intentional or negligent violation of this prohibition on placement is prosecuted by the Federal Employment Agency as an administrative offence and can be punished with a fine of up to EUR 30,000 (Section 404 (2) No. 9, (3) SGB III). |
| Information on the recognition procedure |
| As a skilled worker, you must have your qualification recognised before applying for a visa. You can find important information on the recognition procedure on our page Recognition of foreign educational qualifications. |
Required documents
All listed documents must be submitted in the original as well as a good quality photocopy.
The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documents.
- A fully completed application form signed by the applicant (application forms are free of charge).
- Underage travellers:
- Minors require written consent from all the persons with custody. In addition, copies of the passports of all persons with custody must be submitted
- Underage Gambian nationals require a “Travel Clearance”. This is issued by the Gambian police.
The following are required: a copy of the family register or birth certificate and copies of both parents' identity documents
- a current biometric passport photo with a white background (do not attach to the application form)
- Birth certificate of the applicant and, if applicable, marriage certificate and birth certificates of the children
- Valid passport (valid for at least 3 months after expiry of the visa) as well as a copy of the photo page and a copy of all visas in this passport
- Copy of old passports with (already expired) German visas and copy of entry and exit stamps, if applicable
- ID card
- only for applicants without Gambian or Senegalese citizenship residing in Senegal or Gambia: a valid residence permit for one of the countries.
University degree or professional training
- University degree obtained in Germany or professional training completed in Germany or
- foreign university degree with recognition or foreign professional training with recognition
- Further information on recognition can be found on our information page on the recognition procedure.
- Signed employment contract
- Form “Erklärung zum Beschäftigunsverhältnis” from the Federal Employment Agency completed and signed by the employer
- The form can be found on the website of the Federal Employment Agency under the section “Downloads ”: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/unternehmen/arbeitskraefte/fachkraefte-ausland/informationen-arbeitsmarktzulassung
- Proof of language skills
- Travel health insurance valid from the date of entry until the start of work
- Curriculum vitae
- Proof of education (school reports, diplomas, etc.)
- Skilled workers who have reached the age of 45 at the time of application must either
- receive a gross salary of 55% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance (2023: 4,015 euros per month/48,180 euros per year) or
- provide evidence of an appropriate pension scheme
| EU Blue Card for highly qualified skilled workers |
| When you apply for a visa, the embassy will automatically check whether you fulfil the requirements for an EU Blue Card. You can find out more here. |
Duration
To process the visa, your documents will be sent to the Federal Employment Agency and the local Aliens' Authority in Germany. These authorities must approve the visa issue.
Therefore, the processing time is often five to six weeks or longer after all documents are complete. The processing time depends heavily on the capacity utilisation of the authorities in Germany.
You should therefore submit your visa application well in advance!
Fees
The processing fee is FCFA 50,000 and must be paid when the application is submitted.
If the application is rejected or withdrawn, the fee will not be refunded!
Further information
Information on visa processing can only be provided by embassy staff, not by security personnel or third parties. The Embassy does not work with agents, travel agencies or middlemen. Persons who claim to do so are usually acting fraudulently. Information from third parties is often incorrect. Please refer to the official information on the embassy website.
Languages spoken at the Counter
At the counter, we speak German, French, English, and Wolof. If the applicant does not speak any of these four languages, it is advisable to bring a third person for interpretation.
Translation of documents
All documents that are not in German, French or English must be submitted together with an officially certified translation.
Retention of certain documents
Original documents will be returned after processing has been completed if you submitted a copy when you submitted your application. Application forms and passport photos will be retained by the embassy.
Submitting an application does not guarantee a visa
A visa appointment and complete application documents do not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
Refusal / “Remonstration”
If a visa is refused, you or a third party authorised by you in writing have the option of requesting a reconsideration of the application (“Remonstration”) in writing within 4 weeks, stating the reference number and a postal address suitable for delivery. Please enclose further documents. The processing time for remonstrations is at least 4 weeks, often several months.
Collection
As soon as the embassy has made a decision on your visa application, you will be contacted by phone/SMS or email.
You can then collect your passport and documents at the following times:
| Embassy Dakar |
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 13:30 |
| Embassy Banjul |
Collection is also possible at the Embassy in Banjul. When sending documents to Banjul, a two-week longer processing time is to be expected. Please allow sufficient time for this. You can find the opening hours of the German Embassy in Banjul here. |
Check your visa sticker!
When you collect your passport, check that the visa sticker is correct and complete. Any errors must be reported immediately.
Your visa contains your full name, your passport number and your photo. The validity period of the visa and the number of authorised days of stay are stated.
As a rule, the visa is initially issued for 90 days. After entering the country, you should immediately make an appointment with your local Aliens' Authority. You must then apply for a residence permit at the Aliens' Authority.
Entering the country
Please carry all original documents submitted in the visa procedure in your hand luggage when travelling. The border authorities may require you to present these documents again at immigration control.
These documents must also be presented again when applying for a residence permit at the Aliens' Authority.
The border authorities may refuse entry to visa holders even if they are in possession of a valid visa.
Data protection in the national visa procedure
Your personal data is processed and stored in the visa procedure. You can find information on this on our page on data protection in the visa procedure.
