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BREXIT

Post-Brexit visa rules: How can Brits move to Germany in 2021 and beyond?

With the end of free movement, British citizens who are still in the UK now face greater hurdles when moving to Germany. Nevertheless, there are still a number of routes to take for those who want to emigrate after Brexit.

Published: 16 February 2021 10:06 CET
Updated: 14 April 2021 16:16 CEST
Post-Brexit visa rules: How can Brits move to Germany in 2021 and beyond?
A British flag in Berlin by the 'Ampelmann'. Photo: DPA

On January 1st 2021, Britain officially left the EU Single Market and Customs Union, completing the country’s long and laboured exit of the European Union. 

Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, Brits already in German at the date of exit are entitled to live and work in the country indefinitely. For those still in Britain, however, moving to Germany has become a more complicated process. 

READ ALSO: Brexit: What changes in Germany from January 2021

So what are the new rules for Brits moving to Germany, and is it still possible to take the leap?

Brits are now third-country nationals 

From now on, anyone with a UK passport looking to move to Germany will be treated much like anyone from any other so-called third-country – or non-EU – nation. That essentially means that if they want to stay in the country for an extended period of time, they’ll need to apply for a visa, much like someone from the US, Australia or Japan might have to. 

The good news is that there are still a number of immigration routes to choose from, including studying for free at a German university or technical college, securing a job offer from a German employer or setting up a business in the country. 

A British and German passport. Photo: DPA

Additionally, UK nationals are allowed to enter the Schengen Area for up to 90 days at a time in any 180-day period, meaning that you don’t necessarily have to secure your residence permit before you travel.

If you’re considering swapping life in the UK for life in vibrant Berlin, bustling Frankfurt or the soaring Bavarian Alps, here are few possible ways you can go about it.

Popular German visa categories

  • Employment

For most people planning to work in Germany in a skilled profession, an employment visa is likely to be a good option – especially if you work in a field where there are shortages of skilled labour, such as medicine, engineering or programming. 

Once you’ve found a suitable job, however, there are a number of conditions that have to be met by you and your employer, including proving that the position couldn’t be filled by an EU or German worker and guaranteeing you the same employment conditions as someone from the EU.

It’s by no means impossible to meet these standards, particularly if your work is highly skilled or in short supply in the German market, but fulfilling these conditions may make your job hunt a slightly more drawn-out process. 

  • Freelancer 

Another option is to opt for self-employment and apply for a freelance visa instead. To secure one of these, you’ll need to prove that your freelance work will have “positive economic or cultural effects” – which generally means working for German clients – and that you can support yourself financially. Artists and journalists who plan to live in Berlin can also apply for an Artist’s Visa – a unique visa category that isn’t available in other parts of Germany.

READ ALSO: What NOT to do when you’re freelancing in Germany

  • Student 

If you’re coming to Germany to study in higher education, you can get a student visa for the duration of your stay, which also gives you the option to stay on for up to a year and a half after your course to look for a job. If you’d like to take this route, the first step is to find a suitable course for you and apply to the university or technical college as an international student. 

Be aware: some courses may require a very high level of German (C1 or above) for entry, while others aimed at international students may require none at all. If you don’t speak German fluently, look for programmes taught in English on portals like DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service, that allow you to search for courses by language, subject and level. 

  • Training / Internship 

In order to move to Germany to intern at a company or undertake a traineeship, you’ll need to get a training or internship visa. Once again, you’ll need to be accepted as an intern before applying for your visa, and the company hiring you will need to supply information about the duration and terms of your internship with them. 

  • Jobseeker 

If you’re a skilled worker with a degree or vocational training and some experience in your profession, you may be able to get hold of a jobseeker’s visa that will allow you to stay in Germany for up to six months while you look for employment.

READ ALSO: How non-EU nationals can apply for a job seeker visa in Germany

For this visa, you’ll have to prove that you have enough money to cover your stay and stand a good chance of finding employment while in the country – and if you can’t find a job by the end of the six months, you may be heading back to the UK sooner than planned. 

Another option: the EU Blue Card 

Compared to most German visas, the EU Blue Card comes with a huge number of benefits: your immediate family can work in Germany without delay or limitations; you can secure permanent residency in just 2-3 years (depending on your level of German), and you have the opportunity to move freely within the EU after living for 18 months in Germany. 

Two German Blue Card holders proudly displaying them. Photo: DPA

That said, EU Blue Cards are granted based on your salary and occupation  – with the salary requirements rising every year – meaning you have to be a relatively high earner to obtain one.

READ ALSO: Here’s how much salary requirements for a Blue Card to Germany rose in 2021

As of 2021, this means a gross annual income of €56,800, although this can be reduced to €44,304 for people in “shortage occupations”, such as scientists, mathematicians, software developers and doctors. 

The visa application process

Applications for German visas can be completed at any German consulate or embassy, either in Germany or in the UK. You’ll need to book an appointment at least 2-3 weeks in advance of your planned trip (or 2-3 weeks in advance of the end of your 90-day Schengen trip), and bring a number of documents with you to the appointment, which might include: 

  • A signed residency permit application form.

  • Proof of accommodation in Germany 

  • Bank statements or a statement of future earnings to prove you have sufficient funds to cover the duration of your stay.

  • Health insurance coverage in Germany, either from a private vendor or a state insurance company such as TK or AOK.

  • A passport that’s still valid for at least six months. 

  • Evidence of a clean criminal record. 

  • Evidence of your previous education, such as an MA, BA or vocational training certificate, if applicable. 

  • Evidence of your level of German, if applicable. 

  • A job offer / employment contract or confirmation of your traineeship or university place, if applicable. 

You’ll also have to pay a visa application fee of €75. 

Do I need an immigration attorney?   

Generally speaking, most people applying for a residence permit shouldn’t need the assistance of an immigration attorney. Nevertheless, if your situation is especially complicated, it could be worth seeking professional advice before embarking on the application process. 

For more detailed guidance on visas and residence permits, check out the German government’s advice portal for foreign professionals, Make it in Germany.

READ ALSO: ‘A big worry’: Why Britons living in Germany still face bureaucratic headaches over Brexit

Member comments

  2. Is it possible for a pensioner to move to Germany?. I am a retired teacher with fluent German, which I used to teach, amongst other subjects. My income from pensionscis enough to support myself .

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BREXIT

OPINION: Pre-Brexit Brits in Europe should be given EU long-term residency

The EU has drawn up plans to make it easier for non-EU citizens to gain longterm EU residency so they can move more easily around the bloc, but Italy-based citizens' rights campaigner Clarissa Killwick says Brits who moved to the EU before Brexit are already losing out.

Published: 8 December 2023 14:34 CET
OPINION: Pre-Brexit Brits in Europe should be given EU long-term residency

With all the talk about the EU long-term residency permit and the proposed improvements there is no mention that UK citizens who are Withdrawal Agreement “beneficiaries” are currently being left out in the cold.

The European Commission has stated that we can hold multiple statuses including the EU long-term permit (Under a little-known EU law, third-country nationals can in theory acquire EU-wide long-term resident status if they have lived ‘legally’ in an EU country for at least five years) but in reality it is just not happening.

This effectively leaves Brits locked into their host countries while other third country nationals can enjoy some mobility rights. As yet, in Italy, it is literally a question of the computer saying no if someone tries to apply.

The lack of access to the EU long-term permit to pre-Brexit Brits is an EU-wide issue and has been flagged up to the European Commission but progress is very slow.

READ ALSO: EU government settle on rules for how non-EU citizens could move around Europe

My guess is that few UK nationals who already have permanent residency status under the Withdrawal Agreement are even aware of the extra mobility rights they could have with the EU long-term residency permit – or do not even realise they are two different things.

Perhaps there won’t be very large numbers clamouring for it but it is nothing short of discrimination not to make it accessible to British people who’ve built their lives in the EU.

They may have lost their status as EU citizens but nothing has changed concerning the contributions they make, both economically and socially.

An example of how Withdrawal Agreement Brits in Italy are losing out

My son, who has lived almost his whole life here, wanted to study in the Netherlands to improve his employment prospects.

Dutch universities grant home fees rather than international fees to holders of an EU long-term permit. The difference in fees for a Master’s, for example, is an eye-watering €18,000. He went through the application process, collecting the requisite documents, making the payments and waited many months for an appointment at the “questura”, (local immigration office).

On the day, it took some persuading before they agreed he should be able to apply but then the whole thing was stymied because the national computer system would not accept a UK national. I am in no doubt, incidentally, that had he been successful he would have had to hand in his WA  “carta di soggiorno”.

This was back in February 2022 and nothing has budged since then. In the meantime, it is a question of pay up or give up for any students in the same boat as my son. There is, in fact, a very high take up of the EU long-term permit in Italy so my son’s non-EU contemporaries do not face this barrier.

Long-term permit: The EU’s plan to make freedom of movement easier for non- EU nationals 

Completing his studies was stalled by a year until finally his Italian citizenship came through after waiting over 5 years.  I also meet working adults in Italy with the EU long-term permit who use it for work purposes, such as in Belgium and Germany, and for family reunification.  

Withdrawal agreement card should double up as EU long-term residency permit

A statement that Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries should be able to hold multiple statuses is not that easy to find. You have to scroll quite far down the page on the European Commission’s website to find a link to an explanatory document. It has been languishing there since March 2022 but so far not proved very useful.

It has been pointed out to the Commission that the document needs to be multilingual not just in English and “branded” as an official communication from the Commission so it can be used as a stand-alone. But having an official document you can wave at the immigration authorities is going to get you nowhere if Member State governments haven’t acknowledged that WA beneficiaries can hold multiple statuses and issue clear guidance and make sure systems are modified accordingly.

I can appreciate this is no mean feat in countries where they do not usually allow multiple statuses or, even if they do, issue more than one residency card. Of course, other statuses we should be able to hold are not confined to EU long-term residency, they should include the EU Blue Card, dual nationality, family member of an EU citizen…

Personally, I do think people should be up in arms about this. The UK and EU negotiated an agreement which not only removed our freedom of movement as EU citizens, it also failed to automatically give us equal mobility rights to other third country nationals. We are now neither one thing nor the other.

It would seem the only favour the Withdrawal Agreement did us was we didn’t have to go out and come back in again! Brits who follow us, fortunate enough to get a visa, may well pip us at the post being able to apply for EU long-term residency as clearly defined non-EU citizens.

I have been bringing this issue to the attention of the embassy in Rome, FCDO and the European Commission for three years now. I hope we will see some movement soon.

Finally, there should be no dragging of heels assuming we will all take citizenship of our host countries. Actually, we shouldn’t have to, my son was fortunate, even though it took a long time. Others may not meet the requirements or wish to give up their UK citizenship in countries which do not permit dual nationality.  

Bureaucratic challenges may seem almost insurmountable but why not simply allow our Withdrawal Agreement permanent card to double up as the EU long-term residency permit.

Clarissa Killwick,

Since 2016, Clarissa has been a citizens’ rights campaigner and advocate with the pan-European group, Brexpats – Hear Our Voice.
She is co-founder and co-admin of the FB group in Italy, Beyond Brexit – UK citizens in Italy.

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