Officials waive preapproval requirements for internships under 90 days

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Germany’s Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) has waived preapproval requirements for internships of up to 90 days in a 12-month period.

What does the change mean? While non-EU nationals applying for internships will no longer be required to complete the preapproval process for internships of less than 90 days, they will still be required to meet the legal requirements of the training-intern category.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Training-Internship Visas.
• Who is impacted: Employers and non-EU nationals applying for internships in Germany.
• Impact on processing times: The change will speed up the application process because the pre-approval process can take between three and six weeks to complete.

Analysis & Comments: Businesses planning to hire non-EU students for an internship in Germany should check to make sure that the students meet the legal requirements for the internship category. Once eligibility is confirmed, German embassies and consulates can provide relevant information on obtaining a Training-Internship Visa, if required. Visa-waived nationals can complete internships based on their passport without obtaining a visa, but must make sure they meet the established requirements and carry all relevant documents when traveling to Germany. They must also track their time in the Schengen Area because their time working in internships counts toward the maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period for visa-waived nationals.

Source: Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.