Germany urgently needs IT specialists. That is why Section 19c(2) AufenthG in conjunction with Section 6 of the Employment Ordinance (BeschV) allows experienced IT practitioners to obtain a work visa even without a university degree.

The key requirements

You must prove at least three years of professional experience in information and communication technology within the last seven years. The experience must have been gained at the level of a qualified professional and be documented in detailed employer references.

Requirements for the contract and salary

You need a specific employment contract with an employer in Germany. The gross salary must be at least 45.3% of the pension insurance contribution ceiling, which in 2026 is €45,934.20 per year, and must match the conditions for comparable domestic employees. The Federal Employment Agency checks the terms of employment.

Language skills

The law does not require German for this visa. If English is the working language of the team, the employer should state this in the “Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis”. Employers may set their own language requirements, and you will need German anyway for everyday life and later for permanent residence.

How to put together strong employment references

A single entry in an employment record book is usually not enough to show your level of qualification. Prepare detailed letters from previous employers on company letterhead: period of employment, position, specific technologies, projects, area of responsibility and results.

What to check

  • Collect detailed references from previous employers covering at least three years.
  • Get an employment contract with a salary above the current minimum threshold.
  • Ask the employer to confirm in writing that English is the working language.
  • Check with the German mission which languages are accepted and have documents translated if they are neither in German nor in English.

Example situation

A senior front-end developer without a university degree submits references from two IT companies listing his React and Node.js projects, signs a €65,000 contract in Munich and receives the visa within four weeks.

Next step

In IT, practical experience counts almost as much as a degree; the quality and detail of your references decide the application.

Official information on this topic

Checklists and examples are organisational recommendations. Requirements depend on the procedure, the city and your situation; check them with the relevant office before you act. Please discuss legal and tax questions with an authorised professional.

This article was prepared with the help of AI. The example illustrates the approach and does not describe a client case.