Citizens of countries which do not belong to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, need a residence document in order to enter and stay in Germany. Access to the German labour market is determined by the provisions of the Residence Act (AufenthG) and the Employment Regulation (BeschV) pertaining to it.

Different residence documents are issued depending on the duration and purpose of the stay. There are seven different residence documents based on the Residence Act: the visa, the residence permit, the EU Blue Card, the EU permanent residence permit, the ICT-Card, the Mobile-ICT-Card and the settlement permit.

Generally people wanting to enter Germany for the first time in order to take up work, must apply for a visa from the relevant German embassy or consulate in their country of origin, before entering Germany. It is important to select the right visa type for the intended purpose.

Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the USA may also enter Germany without a visa and apply for a residence permit in Germany directly before taking up employment.

Before the visa expires, a residence document for the purpose of employment must be applied for from the relevant immigration authority. If a national visa (type-D visa) was issued by the embassy the employment can be taken up immediately. Nevertheless a registration at the competent authorities - citizens' centre as well as foreigners registration office - should be done within the first three months.

Further information is available on the official website of the German government „Make it in Germany“  https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/visa-residence/procedure/do-i-need-visa and the Federal Foreign Office. The official website of the Federal Foreign Office clears up with rumours about the migration to Germany: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa-service/visabestimmungen-node.