I am a banker at Company M who is about to be dispatched to Germany .
I am curious about what a work visa is for stay and what is the issuance process.
1. About German work visa and residency (residence permit)
Korean citizens can travel without a visa for up to 90 days in the Schengen area for tourism or business purposes. However, if your stay exceeds 90 days or if it is not for the purpose of tourism or business trip, you must apply for a visa . In accordance with the visa agreement between Korea and Germany, you can also apply for visa issuance at the relevant foreign affairs office within 90 days of entering Germany.
Therefore, if the visa issuance is approved by the foreign affairs office in your jurisdiction, you can begin activities related to the relevant purpose (employment and study abroad) . Therefore, if you want to start working immediately after arriving in Germany, you must apply for a suitable visa and obtain permission through the German Embassy in Korea before coming to Germany.
However, just because a visa is issued does not mean you can stay in Germany for a long period of time. Please remember that after arrival, you must obtain a permit allowing long-term residence (stay) within the visa period of approximately 3 to 6 months in order to be able to engage in normal employment activities and free business trips/travel.
2. From visa issuance application to residence (stay) permit issuance
A. Preparing documents to apply for visa issuance
The documents that must be submitted to the German Embassy for visa issuance are provided on the German Embassy in Korea website as follows.
| ① Completely filled out and signed visa application form ☞ Click ② Valid passport (attach a copy of the page containing personal information) ③ Two latest passport photos (3,5 x 4,5 cm, bright background, taken within 6 months) ④ In some cases, a valid Korean alien registration card ⑤ A copy of the German employer’s employment contract (if there is a contract) ⑥ Original and copy of “ Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis ” (confirmation of employment relationship) prepared by the employer (must bear the company seal); ⑦ In case of overseas dispatch, please additionally fill out the relevant attached file . ⑧ Education/experience certificate (university graduation, training, experience, etc.) ⑨ Resume ⑩ 1 original and 1 copy of invitation letter from German employer (include company address and person in charge) * In some cases, submission of other documents may also be requested. |
| * Visa processing usually takes 4-6 weeks , but may be shorter or longer depending on individual cases. Please refer to this and apply for documents in advance. * The visa application fee is 75 Euros, which must be paid in Korean won (the exchange rate on the day) at the time of application. (Visa, Master – Credit card payment is made in Euros) * The fee is not refunded even if visa issuance is denied or the applicant cancels the application. * Visa issuance is decided by the consular department of the German Embassy in Korea after reviewing it with Germany’s competent foreign affairs office and the German Federal Labor Office. * If a positive review is made, the embassy will issue a 3-month visa, and the visa period will be extended at the competent foreign affairs office before the visa expires after entry. |
In some cases, submission of other documents may be required, and it is stated that the issuance of a visa is decided after review with Germany’s competent foreigners’ office and the German Federal Labor Office, so a work permit ( from a local employer or domestic human resources department (HRBP)) It is recommended that you obtain a prior work permit (Vorabzustimmung Bundesagentur Arbeit), which is equivalent to a Work Permit, and submit it as a document when applying for a visa.
Also, since you may need the same documents to apply for a residence (residence) permit after entering Germany, it is a tip to get at least 3 copies notarized/apostilled. However, it may be unnecessary to prepare an excessive amount of documents as you may be asked to have documents up to date with the number of months valid from the date you apply for a residence permit.
B. What to do when entering Germany
Even if you have been issued a visa in Korea, you must obtain a residence permit after arriving in Germany. In order to apply for a residence permit, Anmeldung (registration of residence) must be completed first. This is the first thing you need to do because without it you will not be able to open a bank account or apply for a residence permit.
| STEP 1. Anmeldung (register of residence, Anmeldung) ① Valid passport ② A written confirmation from the landlord or building owner that the applicant actually resides at the address being registered is required. It is called Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and must be filled out and signed by the landlord or residence owner . ③ In the Google search bar, you can search for the Anmeldung office in the city you wish to apply for by using “Residence + Anmeldung Termin”. ④ Receive a certificate of residence confirmation * After Anmeldung, you need to check your German tax number (Steuer ID) with the office staff in advance. STEP 2. Application for residence (residence) permit ① Required documents may vary depending on your city of residence and status, so you must receive guidance from the foreign affairs office in your city. ② Documents generally required – Application for residence permit – Proof of health insurance subscription – Residence rental agreement, residence confirmation certificate – Employment contract, work permit, graduation certificate – Passport (Visa) – Education certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable) – * Other documents requested by the Foreign Affairs Office STEP3. Issuance of temporary residence (residence) permit ① After applying for a residence permit and receiving a temporary residence permit, you can stay in the city normally. ② After the Schengen period of stay (up to 90 days) has elapsed, you cannot leave the city until an official residence permit is issued. STEP4. Issuance of formal residence (stay) permit ① Once the residence permit issuance is complete, a letter will arrive from the Foreigners’ Office to your Anmeldung address. ② After making a reservation for receipt, receive your residence permit. |
| ■ Precautions regarding residence registration and residence permit application – After entering Germany, you must immediately register your residence (Anmeldung) at your city hall and apply for a residence permit (Antrag auf Erteilung einer Aufenthaltserlaubnis) within 90 days of entering Germany. – From the time of application for a residence permit until the results of the temporary residence permit (Fiktionswirkung) examination are issued, the stay is recognized as being permitted. ※ (Caution) Economic activities are possible after obtaining a residence permit from the Foreign Affairs Office. – Temporary residence permit is recognized even when applying for extension of existing residence permit within the expiration period, and work permit is also valid during this period. |
3. Good things to know for a smooth local settlement
From visa application to residence card issuance, if the expatriate/dispatchee tries to prepare on his/her own, a lot of trial and error may occur, time/physical costs will be wasted, and difficulties may arise in smooth settlement.
but, Visa application – Residence contract – Residence report – Children’s school admission – Car rental – Housekeeper – German learning – Public utilities (electricity, gas, Internet, mobile phone TV, etc.) – Account opening – Insurance contract – Visa application – Residence card application, etc. Expatriates/ All processes that the dispatcher must personally prepareHow great would it be if a relocation partner could help you?
Local settlement support services, also known as Landing Service or Destination Service, range from airport pick-up/drop-off in the area you plan to move to housing arrangement and contract, vehicle arrangement, public administration service registration, child school registration, and mobile phone service. A variety of support services such as and internet contracts enable early soft landing in a new location.
Depending on the company’s scope of support and budget, you can use it selectively or add desired services at your own expense.
4. Visa – Duration of application and issuance of residence permit
Due to the recent increase in refugees, outbreaks of war, and threats of terrorism in Europe, the time from work permit to visa and residence permit issuance is sometimes taking from at least 6 months to up to 12 months.
Therefore, we recommend that you prepare with sufficient time in advance. Of course, it is possible to issue it even after leaving the country, but there may be restrictions on commercial activities, which may make it difficult to conduct business smoothly.
5. Which visa and settlement support company should I use?
Due to the nature of visa services, if you have sensitive personal information or information that requires security, you must choose a place where it will not be leaked. Service guarantee items and unit prices vary by company, so you must carefully compare and select. In addition, you should choose a company that has a service infrastructure where cancellation and refund policies are clearly visible and progress can be viewed at a glance.
At SoftLanders, you can meet more than 500 alliances (service vendors located on the SoftLanders platform) around the world in one place, and platform security technology is applied, so you can use it with confidence against personal information and security data leaks.
6. Softlanders Service
A. Cost reduction through comparative estimates
Softlanders has several alliances that provide overseas visa issuance services. When a customer requests a quote, we encourage blind quote competition between various visa alliances to provide customers with cheaper visa issuance costs. (Each quote is reviewed and selected by the customer)
B. Efficient visa preparation
Additional tasks such as translation and notarization required during the visa issuance process can also be completed at once. Except for processes that require actual participation, such as interviews, and cases where there is a separate request from the Alliance, customers can conveniently solve the complexities of visa issuance by simply submitting the necessary documents.
C. variety of options
In addition to consulting or law firms, you can choose from various alliances such as immigration agencies and administrative agencies depending on the type of visa and purpose of issuance. Not only can you save on visa costs, but you can also discover a more convenient and faster issuance process that you didn’t know about.
D. More benefits and advantages
In addition to this, the Softlanders platform has many more diverse advantages. Check it out on our platform!
해외 파견을 위한 One-Stop 리로케이션 & 핀테크 플랫폼, 소프트랜더스
해외 파견, 이동을 앞두고 있다면?
l
