An Ausbildung (vocational training) in Germany usually starts on 1 August or 1 September, according to the Federal Employment Agency. For a 2027 start, that leaves about ten months from now to reach a usable level of German, find a training place, sign a contract and get the visa. For many school-based programmes, the agency says applications are due a year before the start, so that window may already be closing.
This timeline is for Indian applicants who want to start training in Germany in 2027 and are applying from India. If you plan to search for a place from inside Germany, read our guide to the Ausbildung search visa instead.
First, know which kind of training you want
The type of training changes the timing and the documents:
| Dual (in-company) training | School-based training | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you train | In a company, with classes at a vocational school | Mainly at a vocational school |
| School-leaving certificate | No specific qualification required by law; each company sets its own criteria | A completed general school education, officially recognised in Germany |
| When to apply | Early; the agency advises applying in good time | For many programmes, one year before the start |
| Where to search | Jobsuche of the Federal Employment Agency, chamber listings | The Federal Employment Agency’s Ausbildungsplatzsuche |
Make it in Germany notes that in practice many companies ask for an intermediate school-leaving qualification, and that if a company asks for a specific qualification, recognition may be needed. Recognition of school certificates is handled by the bodies of the 16 federal states, and they only accept an application once you have a German address or a confirmed training place.
October to December 2026: choose the occupation and work on German
Pick a small number of occupations and read their requirements. Make it in Germany points to BERUFENET, the Federal Employment Agency’s occupation database, for the school-leaving qualification usually expected in each one.
German matters from the start, because Make it in Germany notes that training and exams take place in German. Make it in Germany says that, as a rule, you should be able to show at least B1. The German Missions in India’s visa checklist sets the visa minimum lower, at A2, with at least B1 for medical professions. These two sources do not say the same thing: B1 is what training usually needs, and A2 is the stated floor for the visa. Plan for B1, and check what each company asks for.
If you are looking at school-based training for 2027, check the application dates now. A programme that wants applications a year in advance may already be past its deadline for 2027, and 2028 may be the realistic target.
January to spring 2027: apply for training places
The Federal Employment Agency advises informing yourself and applying early. For dual training, it recommends its Jobsuche. The skilled crafts chambers’ Lehrstellen-Radar and the IHK’s “Meine Ausbildung in Deutschland” also list training places.
Each company sets its own application requirements. The mission’s visa checklist later asks for your 10th and 12th mark sheets, a recognised German certificate and a motivation letter, so have those ready from the start. Our CV and motivational letter service page explains how SGC helps with this part.
After you sign: contract, approvals and visa
Once a company or school offers you a place, the visa process depends on the signed training contract. For in-company training, the German Missions in India also ask for confirmation that the contract is registered with the competent body, such as the chamber of commerce and industry (IHK) or the chamber of crafts. The company usually arranges this.
The mission lists two optional steps that can shorten processing: a pre-approval from the Federal Employment Agency, and a pre-approval through the accelerated skilled worker procedure, which your employer applies for at the immigration authority. Both are for the company to start, so ask early whether it will.
Apply for the visa through the Consular Services Portal, using the mission’s checklist for vocational training. You must complete the online application before booking the on-site appointment. The mission does not publish a processing time, so the earlier the contract is signed, the more room you have. Our guide to the visa after a training contract covers the documents in more detail.
July to September 2027: arrive and register
Plan to arrive before 1 August or 1 September, depending on your contract. The mission says visas are usually issued for 90 days to one year, and that for a longer stay you apply for a residence permit at the local foreigners’ authority after arriving. Register your address soon after you enter Germany; our Anmeldung guide covers the first steps.
If things run late, the Federal Employment Agency says it is still possible to start training until the end of the year.
Where it depends
Each company sets its own selection criteria and dates. School-based training has stricter certificate and recognition rules than dual training. The language level that convinces a company may be higher than the visa minimum. Make it in Germany also notes there is no age limit for training, but people over 45 who need a visa should check the minimum salary or retirement-provision requirement, because training pay usually falls below it.
What SGC does not decide
Companies and schools choose their trainees, the chambers register contracts, and the German missions decide visas. SGC can help you plan the route and prepare application documents; see the Ausbildung Route page. The next step is to choose two or three occupations and check their requirements in BERUFENET.