Which visa is the right one for me?

Which visa is the right one for me?

Please note that this is not legal advice and we can only provide a preliminary, rough overview here.

Which visa is the right one for me?

This cannot be answered across the board, as it depends on individual factors. Do you want to come to Germany first to get your bearings? Then a Schengen visa or a language visa might be good. With a Schengen visa, you can stay in Germany for up to 90 days and, if you wish, attend a language course or make contacts. With a language visa, you can stay in Germany for a maximum of 1 year and submit your Approbation application here, but also apply for a new visa, e.g., according to §16d AufenthG.

You should apply for a visa according to §16d (more precisely: §16d - Visa for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications) if you know that you want to stay here. The visa is initially issued for 12 months, but with proof that you have applied for your Approbation, e.g., the deficiency notice, it will be easily extended by 12 months. After that, a further extension of 12 months is possible, whereby your Approbation should certainly be granted within 24 months. The visa according to §16d was specially introduced for shortage occupations, and doctor is a shortage occupation, and is intended to make a move to Germany more attractive.

Another possibility would be a visa according to §20 AufenthG (6 months) or Chancenkarte (12 months) for direct job searching. This could be interesting, for example, if you find a position in research, but large corporations (e.g., Siemens HealthCare, GE HealthCare, Pfizer, BASF...) are also always looking for doctors for activities for which you do not need Approbation. Such things can open up new perspectives, at least conversations should be held if the opportunity arises.

Another option, though not as popular, is to work as an MFA (Medizinische Fachangestellte), also known as a doctor's assistant. This is, from a professional point of view, a step backward, of course. But if you look at the advantages, it could certainly be attractive at first:

• you will definitely find a job immediately with this
• you will get to know the daily routine of a general practitioner or specialist (especially interesting if you want to open your own practice later!)
• you might already be able to have intensive medical exchanges, depending on the willingness to cooperate of the doctor you work for
• you will massively improve your German language skills
• you can already start building a network
• you will earn some money on the side

Under these conditions, you might also consider such an activity.

Important: For most visas, you need a blocked account with approx. €1,000 for each month you want to stay in Germany as proof of securing your livelihood. With the Chancenkarte and a job offer, this blocked account is usually not necessary.

Usefull links:
Recognition of professional qualifications, 16d AufenthG:
 - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__16d.html
 - https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/fileadmin/1_Rebrush_2022/a_Fachkraefte/PDF-Dateien/3_Visum_u_Aufenthalt/IQ_Handout_16d_Aufenthaltsgesetz_DE.pdf

Chancenkarte (§ 20a AufenthG):
 - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__20a.html
 - https://berlin-hilft.com/2024/06/02/fachkraefteeinwanderung-chancenkarte-nach-%C2%A7-20a-%C2%A720b-aufenthg-ab-01-06-2024/

Schengen-Visum:
 - https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/visa-und-aufenthalt/schengenvisa
 - https://handbookgermany.de/visitor-visa

Language visa:
 -  https://bern.diplo.de/ch-de/service/visumundeinreise/nationalesvisum/bildung/2639760-2639760
 - https://www.mygermanuniversity.com/de/articles/German-Language-Course-Visa
 - https://www.germany-visa.org/de/studentenvisum/sprachvisum-deutschland/

We hope we could give you a good first overview? We are of course happy to provide you with further information.