Visas in Germany

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There are several different types of visas in Germany, below is a list of the most applicable.

Tourist & Visitor visa
Family Reunion visa to join a relative or a partner
Job Seeker visa
Working visa
Business visa
Training/Internship visa

A full list of German visas can be found at https://www.germany-visa.org/

Who Needs A Visa

German law requires anyone who wishes to take up employment or pursue self-employment in Germany, to obtain a national visa if you are not from an EU member state.

Exceptions to this:

Nationals of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea (South Korea) or the United States of America.
Holders of an EU Blue Card which was issued by another EU member state, that has been valid for at least 18 months.
Holders of the unlimited residence title EU Permanent Residence issued by an EU member state (except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland or Romania).

Working Visa

This is most likely the visa that you will need. A working visa or German employment visa is an opportunity for qualified foreigners to settle in Germany and work in their field. It gives its holder the chance to enter and work in Germany for up to two years, with the possibility of extending the visa, and later applying for an EU Blue Card, or other types of residence permits.

Criteria for Obtaining a Visa

According to the “Act on Residence”, the act that regulates the residence issue for foreigners in Germany, the following categories are eligible:

Highly qualified foreigners, in particular:

People with special technical knowledge.
Teaching personnel in prominent positions or scientific personnel in prominent positions.

Intra-corporate transferees, in particular:

Managers.
Specialists.

Furthermore, third-world country nationals with a university degree or a non-academic vocational qualification that fulfil the conditions listed below:

There is a shortage of skilled workers in the profession you want to practice in Germany.
You have a concrete job offer.
Your education must be recognized as equivalent with a German degree.

How to Apply for a Germany Work Visa?

Get a job offer in Germany.
Check if you need a visa to Germany for long-stays.
Find out where you need to submit your visa application.
Collect all of the required documents according to the instructions.
Make an appointment for a visa interview.
Pay the German Employment Work visa fee.
Attend the interview.
Wait for a response on your visa application.

What Documents Will You Need?

Two fully completed application forms printed and signed.
Two passport photos.
National passport.
Proof of residence (from the area of the consulate where you want to apply).
Health insurance (This certificate is compulsory in Germany and will be given to you by your employer).
An employment contract/binding job offer.
CV.
Proof of qualification (Diplomas/certificates).
Personal covering letter (explaining the purpose and duration of your stay).
Proof of clean criminal record.
Proof of paid visa fee (€75).
Declaration of accuracy of information (https://www.germany-visa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Declaration-of-Accuracy%EF%BB%BF_Information.pdf)

Where To Apply

You should apply for your visa at the representative body of Germany in your country that is responsible for visa admission:

German Embassy.
A German Consulate.
A Visa Application Centre.

How Long Will It Take?

The processing time for a ling-stay visa is between one and three months depending on how many visa applications have been received and your personal situation.

Posted by Adam Dunne on 26 February 2019

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Swedish Residence Permit

If you are an EU citizen and plan to stay in Sweden for more than three months you will need a to have the right of residence. This means you must have means to support yourself. You do not need a residence permit and you do not need to contact the Swedish Migration Agency. After living in Sweden for five years with the right of residence you will be granted permanent right of residence. With your permanent residence card, you will be eligible to apply for citizenship. Both EU and non-EU citizens must obtain a Personnummer number if they are living in Sweden for more than three months, this is an identification number that is given to all Swedes. It is obtained after you register in the Swedish population register. This can be obtained at a Skatteverket Office (Swedish Tax Agency). You will be required to have a Swedish address to register, as your Personnummer must be sent to your own Swedish address. You will not be able to open a bank account until you have received your Personnummer. This application is relatively straightforward for EU citizens. If you are a non-EU citizen, you will need a work permit to enter Sweden. An application for a work permit of three months or more is automatically issued with a residence permit application. Citizens of Nordic Countries Citizens of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland may live in Sweden without obtaining a residence permit. All you must do is register with the Swedish Tax Agency to obtain your personnummer number. Required Documents You will need to bring the following documents; Passport or national ID card Documents showing your civil status Birth certificate, if you have children Proof of employment in Sweden 'anstallningbevis' A payslip if you have already started working This must be provided from your employer confirming that you will be working in Sweden. The employment certificate must be signed by your employer and you and must include the following; your name and your address your employer's name and address your employer's corporate identity number - organisationsnummer if you are employed on a fixed-term or indefinite-term basis or on a probationary or temporary basis other employment terms including employment date, period of notice, working hours, holiday leave, salary and benefits description of your duties collective agreement (if applicable) Change of Address If at any time you move to a new address, you must report your new address to the Swedish Tax Agency. It is free of charge to report and can easily be done with the use of the Tax Agency’s e-service. On the e-service you can print out the form and send it to them by mail. Where do I register? In the below link you can locate your nearest Swedish tax agency location; https://skatteverket.se/omoss/kontaktaoss/besokservicekontor.4.515a6be615c637b9aa4acd5.html Leaving Sweden If at any point you decide to leave Sweden again you must notify the Swedish Tax Agency of your plans. If you move to another Nordic country the regulations of that country will determine if you will enter its population register. You will be removed from the Swedish population register after the Nordic country has registered you with their population register.

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Tax System in Sweden

If you are living in Sweden for more than 183 days (six months), you are considered a tax resident. You must register to pay tax and submit an income tax return. Types of Income Income from agriculture and forestry Income from business operations Income from self-employed work Income from employed work Income from capital Income from letting property Miscellaneous income. If income does not fall under any of these categories, they are not subject to income tax. Income Tax Sweden has a progressive income tax; this means the rates increase as your income increases. Income tax for residents includes both national and municipal tax. Municipal tax is deducted at a flat rate which varies from one municipality to another, but it is usually between 29-34%. The national tax, for its part, applies at a rate of 20-25% based on how high your income is. Rates: 0 - 455,200 = 32% Municipal income tax 455,300 – 662,200 = 20% National income tax + 32% Municipal Income Tax Over 662,300 = 25% National Income Tax + 32% Municipal Income Tax *In Swedish Kronor Swedish Tax Sweden has one of the highest personal income tax rates in the world, however you will enjoy free education along with subsidised healthcare and public transportation. Tax Year The Swedish tax year is the same as the calendar year, January 1st to December 31st. The income tax return for the year must be received by the Swedish Tax Agency by the 2nd of May at the latest. For more information visit - https://www.skatteverket.se/

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Tech Scene in Stockholm

In recent years, Sweden has emerged as one of the most advanced countries in the world with Stockholm, it’s capital, gaining the reputation of Europe’s “unicorn factory”. Stockholm is home to more $1 billion-plus companies per capita than anywhere outside of Silicon Valley with King, Mojang, Spotify, Klarna and iZettle just to name a few. Spotify is one of the latest unicorns to emerge from Stockholm with the musical giant recently announcing it hit the 100 million paying subscribers mark. Once only known for Ericsson, IKEA and Volvo, Stockholm has transformed its economy and market and is now being dubbed the ‘Entrepreneurial Capital of Europe’. A frenzy of successful acquisitions and IPOs in Stockholm has triggered a virtuous circle with success only breeding more success. How Has It Grown So Successfully? Sweden’s tech scene success can be attributed to a variety of factors. Swedes have always been early adopters of tech with the Swedish government actively encouraging this. Swedes were offered a tax break on personal computers way back in the nineties. Stockholm was home to the world’s largest open-fibre network in 1994 and was the first city in the world to launch 2G, 3G, 4G and now 5G. Stockholm boasts an incredibly supportive start-up ecosystem with vital access to co-working spaces, start-up hubs, events, innovation grants and a growing number of angel investors and venture capital firms. Sweden’s strong social security system offers a safety net to entrepreneurs looking to be creative and take risks. Furthermore, successful Swedish entrepreneurs are always looking to offer support to start-ups. Notable names include Erik Byrenius, Henrik Torstensson and Jane Walerud. These business angels encapsulate the innovative and sharing culture of this Nordic city. Despite its meagre population of less than one million, Stockholm boasts one of the highest concentrations of tech professionals in Europe. Programmer or software developer is the most common job title in Stockholm with approximately 18% of the workforce in high-tech related jobs. Start-up Hubs As previously mentioned, Stockholm plays host to an incredibly supportive start-up ecosystem with start-up hubs dotted all around the city. Here are five of the most prominent hubs; The Factory: Largest innovation and tech hub in the Nordics that hosts 1400+ people, 100+ start-ups and scale-ups, VCs, a tech school, labs and innovation centres. SUP46: Epicentre of Stockholm’s start-up community with over 2000m2 of space. Things: 2,000m2 co-working space for hardware start-ups – IoT, robotics, etc. Epicentar: Epicentar offers hackathons, ideathons and offers flexible workplaces, studios, meeting rooms as well as world-class workshops and international lectures all year long. Norrsken House: Norrsken House is Europe’s biggest tech hub dedicated to social impact and houses people with the vision to change the world. Venture Capital Firms Venture capital firms are highly active in Stockholm. €1.25 billion was invested in tech companies in 2016 with over €4 billion being invested since 2012. Almi, Zenith, Wellstreet Ventures, Standout Capital, Creandum, EQT Ventures, Industrifoden, NFT Ventures are just some of the plethora of VC firms operating in Stockholm. Stockholm is renowned for its impressive exits. Not only was €1.25 billion invested into start-ups in the city, the exit value in the same year was €1.75 billion. Colossal exits and IPOs are not uncommon in the Swedish capital. King, the gaming start-up was acquired by Activision Blizzard for €5.5 billion in 2015. iZettle was acquired by fin-tech giant PayPal for €2 billion in 2018 and Spotify’s IPO finished around the €25 billion mark. Stockholm’s start-up and tech scene is flourishing with all indications showing no sign of the growth slowing. The future is bright for this northerly city, despite the 20 hours of darkness in winter! Looking for a job in Stockholm? Check out our full list of vancancies here.

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Visas in Germany

There are several different types of visas in Germany, below is a list of the most applicable. Tourist & Visitor visa Family Reunion visa to join a relative or a partner Job Seeker visa Working visa Business visa Training/Internship visa A full list of German visas can be found at https://www.germany-visa.org/ Who Needs A Visa German law requires anyone who wishes to take up employment or pursue self-employment in Germany, to obtain a national visa if you are not from an EU member state. Exceptions to this: Nationals of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea (South Korea) or the United States of America. Holders of an EU Blue Card which was issued by another EU member state, that has been valid for at least 18 months. Holders of the unlimited residence title EU Permanent Residence issued by an EU member state (except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland or Romania). Working Visa This is most likely the visa that you will need. A working visa or German employment visa is an opportunity for qualified foreigners to settle in Germany and work in their field. It gives its holder the chance to enter and work in Germany for up to two years, with the possibility of extending the visa, and later applying for an EU Blue Card, or other types of residence permits. Criteria for Obtaining a Visa According to the “Act on Residence”, the act that regulates the residence issue for foreigners in Germany, the following categories are eligible: Highly qualified foreigners, in particular: People with special technical knowledge. Teaching personnel in prominent positions or scientific personnel in prominent positions. Intra-corporate transferees, in particular: Managers. Specialists. Furthermore, third-world country nationals with a university degree or a non-academic vocational qualification that fulfil the conditions listed below: There is a shortage of skilled workers in the profession you want to practice in Germany. You have a concrete job offer. Your education must be recognized as equivalent with a German degree. How to Apply for a Germany Work Visa? Get a job offer in Germany. Check if you need a visa to Germany for long-stays. Find out where you need to submit your visa application. Collect all of the required documents according to the instructions. Make an appointment for a visa interview. Pay the German Employment Work visa fee. Attend the interview. Wait for a response on your visa application. What Documents Will You Need? Two fully completed application forms printed and signed. Two passport photos. National passport. Proof of residence (from the area of the consulate where you want to apply). Health insurance (This certificate is compulsory in Germany and will be given to you by your employer). An employment contract/binding job offer. CV. Proof of qualification (Diplomas/certificates). Personal covering letter (explaining the purpose and duration of your stay). Proof of clean criminal record. Proof of paid visa fee (€75). Declaration of accuracy of information (https://www.germany-visa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Declaration-of-Accuracy%EF%BB%BF_Information.pdf) Where To Apply You should apply for your visa at the representative body of Germany in your country that is responsible for visa admission: German Embassy. A German Consulate. A Visa Application Centre. How Long Will It Take? The processing time for a ling-stay visa is between one and three months depending on how many visa applications have been received and your personal situation.