Internship at GU

As a citizen of one of the 27 EU member states or an EEA state (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) or Switzerland, you do not need to obtain a work permit or the consent of the Federal Employment Agency. The same rules apply as for German applicants.

As a third country national, you usually have to apply for a work permit at the Federal Employment Agency in order to be allowed to complete an internship. However, there are some exceptions for internships related to studies.

Please note that Goethe University only hires interns for whom such an exception applies. Accordingly, you can only complete an internship at Goethe University, if it is not classified as an employment relationship. There are two practicable ways to do this:  

1. Mandatory internship
   The internship is compulsory (i.e. an internship - whether in your home country or abroad - is required by the study regulations). In order to complete an internship without a work permit, you mus meet the following conditions: You are applying for a compulsory internship prescribed in the curriculum, are at least in your fourth semester of study, in a course clearly related to the internship. Please note the information on the agreement of the Federal Employment Agency in the tab "Application".
2. Freemover
3. Your internship will be classified as a study stay (i.e. you will be registered as a visiting student/freemover at Goethe University for your internship.) You will then have to apply for a visa based on a study stay in Germany. For this visa you do not need an approval by the Federal Employment Agency.

Please discuss the procedure with your contact person at Goethe University before applying for the visa.

As a third country national, you can only complete an internship at Goethe University if it is not classified as gainful employment. An internship is not classified as gainful employment if, among other things, it is recognized as part of the education. 

To be recognized as part of your education, it must be a mandatory internship. You must also be in at least your fourth semester of a course of study that is  clearly related to the internship. If these requirements are met, the consent of the Federal Employment Agency (BA) is sufficient (as opposed to a work permit, which is much more difficult to obtain). 

The purpose of the consent is ultimately to check whether the above-mentioned requirements are actually met. As a rule, the work/internship employer applies for the consent. Therefore, the following documents must also be submitted in the course of obtaining the agreement: The employer must fill out the registration form for a specialized internship according to § 15 No. 5 Employment Ordinance and submit it together with the certificate of enrollment (on the template of the Federal Employment Agency (BA)) (of your home university), a copy of your passport, an internship schedule and the anabin printout.

Please discuss the process of applying for the agreement with your contact person at Goethe University well in advance!

Alternative: Obtain Freemover status, see below.

Students are allowed to reside, work and thus complete internships in germany without restriction if they are nationals of one of the following countries:

• Of a member state of the European Union (EU),
• a country of the European Economics Area (EEA, which additionally includes Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or
• Switzerland.

Countries that are not members or contracting parties of the EU are referred to as third countries. If you are a citizen of such a third country, you need a residence permit (in this case a visa) to enter Germany and to complete an internship at Goethe University.

The visa must be applied for before entering the country. This must be applied for at the German Embassy or Consulate abroad.

Further information can be found on the website of the German government.

Students only need to apply for a visa if they come from a third country, i.e. do not have citizenship of an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland.

In general, two types of visas are relevant for internships at Goethe University.

The Schengen visa (USV) can be issued for short-term stay of up to three months (90 days per 180 days). It can only be extended in exceptional cases. It can be applied for at the responsible German Embassy or Consulate abroad. As a rule, gainful employment is not permitted with a Schengen visa. Whether and to what extend gainful employment is permitted is stated in the visa.

The national visa is issued for longer stays of more than three months and a maximum of one year. With a national visa and a valid travel document, it is now possible to move freely in the Schengen area for up to three months in a six-month period. Whether and to what extent the national visa entitles the holder to gainful employment is stated in the visa.

Please check first whether you need a permit or the consent of the Federal Employment Agency. You must apply for this before the visa. Furthermore, you must already have an internship commitment.

For applicants from third countries, you must first make an appointment with a German embassy or consulate. There are usually special appointment booking systems for this purpose. Please note the sometimes long waiting period for an appointment.

At the same time, you should prepare the visa application. You will usually need the following documents:

• Passport: note the validity of the passport
• Application form: you can find the visa application form on the website of each embassy.
• Biometric passport photos
• Formal confirmation of internship
• If applicable, work permit or agreement of the Federal Employment Agency
• If necessary, further proofs with supporting documents. The exact documents can be found on the website of the German embassies and consulates. 

A fee is charged for the application. The processing time varies, but you should allow several weeks. 

If your visa is not issued for the entire duration of your stay, you will need to apply for a residence permit after your arrival. 

Further information from the German government can be found here.