Vocational education in Germany

Germany offers a dual system of vocational education and training (VET).

You can acquire a profession either by attending a vocational school and working for a company, or you can only limit yourself to theoretical training.

The duration varies from 1 to 3.5 years.

If you have a residence permit, you can undergo training without any restrictions.

To enrol, you must:

- know the German language (the level depends on the profession); and

- apply to the company conducting the training.

If you do not have a certificate of complete general secondary education, you will need to complete a preparatory course. 

Training is not free, but you can receive a scholarship or grant. 

Please see the following links to apply for scholarships:

- stiftungen.org; and

- daad.de.

Also, you can contact the Federal Employment Agency or the Job Center for free consultations on learning a profession.

You can find vacancies on the following websites:

- ausbildung.de;

- azubi.de; and

- planet-beruf.de.