Ausbildung visa for Germany from Morocco in 2026: requirements, full document list and German level

The Ausbildung is Germany's dual vocational training system: you work in a company and study at a vocational school (Berufsschule), while being paid from the very first month. To do it from Morocco you need a national type D visa, the "Ausbildungsvisum", applied for at the German embassy in Rabat. The three non-negotiable requirements are: a signed training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag), a certified German level of at least B1, and a secondary-school diploma. This guide sets out the full document list, the timelines and the mistakes that get applications refused.

What exactly is an Ausbildung?

Ausbildung translates as "vocational training", but the German word refers to a very specific system: dual training (duale Ausbildung). It lasts two to three and a half years and alternates between two places — the company, where you usually spend three to four days a week, and the Berufsschule, the vocational school, where you cover the theory the rest of the time. At the end you sit an exam before the chamber of commerce or crafts (IHK or HWK) and obtain a vocational qualification recognised throughout Germany.

The key difference from a Moroccan training course or an internship: you are an employee for the whole duration, with an employment contract, a salary, social security cover and paid leave. It is not a student programme, it is a job that trains you — and that is precisely what makes the visa possible.

• Duration: 2 to 3.5 years depending on the trade, with the option to shorten it for very strong results
• Rhythm: company / Berufsschule alternation throughout the contract
• Status: employee in training (Auszubildender, "Azubi"), not a student
• Qualification: an IHK or HWK certificate recognised across Germany and the EU
• After the Ausbildung: permanent hiring is very common, then access to a skilled-worker residence permit

What are the requirements for the Ausbildung visa?

The German embassy in Rabat checks three blocks of requirements. If one of them is missing, the application is refused without the rest being examined — there is no point filing before you have gathered them all.

An important clarification about language: "Ausbildung without German" does not exist. Some agencies promise departure with an A2, or even with no certificate at all. In practice the embassy requires certified proof of level, and the Berufsschule teaches entirely in German — a candidate below B1 drops out within the first months. B1 is the legal floor; B2 is the level that actually lets you succeed.

The full application file to submit at the Rabat embassy

The file is submitted by appointment, in two sets (the original and a complete copy), arranged in the order required by the form. A disordered or incomplete file is rejected at the counter without being processed.

1. 1National visa application form (type D), completed and signed, with the declaration under § 54 of the Residence Act.
2. 2A passport valid for at least one year, with two blank pages, plus copies of every used page.
3. 3Two recent biometric passport photos in the German format.
4. 4The Ausbildung contract (Ausbildungsvertrag) signed by the company, original and copy.
5. 5The German certificate (Goethe, telc or ÖSD), at least B1, original and copy.
6. 6The baccalaureate diploma and transcripts, translated into German by a sworn translator and legalised.
7. 7A German CV (Lebenslauf) in tabular format and a motivation letter in German.
8. 8Proof of means of subsistence: the pay stated in the contract, or a blocked account (Sperrkonto) if the salary is deemed insufficient.
9. 9Proof of health insurance covering the period between arrival and enrolment in the German health fund.
10. 10Proof of accommodation in Germany, where the employer or school provides one.
11. 11Proof of payment of the visa fee (around €75, in dirhams at the day's rate).

All Moroccan documents (diploma, transcripts, birth certificate) must be translated into German by a sworn translator and legalised. This is the step that takes longest: start the translations as soon as you have your contract, not after you get your appointment.

How much do you earn during an Ausbildung?

Apprentice pay (Ausbildungsvergütung) is set by collective agreements and rises with each year of the contract, within a legal minimum that is revised annually. The figures below are gross orders of magnitude, before social contributions and tax.

This salary is generally enough to satisfy the means-of-subsistence requirement without a blocked account. It remains modest against German rents, though: ask about the accommodation offered by the employer — very common in care work and hospitality — before signing.

Timelines, costs and the mistakes that get applications refused

Between filing and the decision, allow two to four months in a normal period, and up to six months between June and September, when applications pile up ahead of the August intake. The appointment itself can take several weeks to obtain: book it as soon as your contract is signed, even if your translations are not ready yet.

• Filing without a signed contract, hoping to "sort it out later": automatic refusal.
• Submitting a language-school attestation instead of a Goethe, telc or ÖSD certificate: it is not admissible proof of level.
• Providing translations that are not sworn or not legalised: the file is sent back.
• A passport valid for less than a year or with no blank pages: blocked at the counter.
• Inconsistencies between the CV, the contract and the diploma (dates, job title): a request for clarification and weeks of delay.
• Using an agency that promises a "guaranteed" visa for a fee: no agency decides in place of the embassy.

Reaching B1 or B2 for free with Devoxa

Of the three visa requirements, language is the only one you fully control, and you can start today, before you even have an employer. A candidate who is already certified at B1 or B2 answers Ausbildung offers months ahead of everyone else — and that is often what makes the difference.

• A complete A1 → B2 pathway in French and Arabic, free and with no time limit
• Targeted preparation for the telc and Goethe exams the embassy requires
• Vocabulary by trade: care work (Pflege), technical, construction, logistics, hospitality
• German job-interview simulations with an AI tutor available 24/7
• Help writing your Lebenslauf and motivation letter in German
• Progress tracking so you know when you are ready to book your exam