Ausbildung in Germany for Tunisians: visa, documents and pay for 2027

Ausbildung in Germany for Tunisians: what it is

If you searched for "ausbildung germany for tunisians", you probably want to know how a young person from Tunisia can learn a trade in Germany while being paid. Ausbildung is Germany's vocational training system. In its most common dual form, you sign a contract with a company that trains you on the job, and you attend a vocational school (Berufsschule) at the same time. Dual training usually lasts 2 to 3.5 years. There is also fully school-based training at a full-time vocational school: according to the Federal Employment Agency, most of it pays no allowance and some of it even costs money, with care professions (Pflege) as the main exception.

It is neither a scholarship nor a university degree. You are an apprentice bound by a training contract, and you receive the pay set in that contract. At the end, you sit an exam that leads to a qualification recognised in Germany.

This guide is based on the document lists published by the German Embassy in Tunis, the official announcement of the minimum apprentice pay for 2027 and pages of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), all consulted on 23 October 2026. Opporiva is free, never applies on your behalf and cannot guarantee a training place or a visa.

Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit – les voies de formation (Ausbildungswege : duale, scolaire) · checked 23 Oct 2026

The two visas available from Tunisia

The German Embassy in Tunis publishes two separate lists that relate to Ausbildung:

• the visa to start vocational training (Aufnahme einer Berufsausbildung): you already have a training contract signed with a German company;
• the visa to look for a training place (Ausbildungsplatzsuche): you travel to Germany to find a company, without a contract at the start.

Both are national visas (D visas) for stays longer than 90 days. According to the embassy's page on national visas, applications for a training (Ausbildung) visa can now be submitted online through the Consular Services Portal (Auslandsportal, digital.diplo.de). The document list dated 16 June 2025 still describes an in-person application at the visa section, so follow the procedure shown on the day you apply. The embassy says a decision can take up to three months, depending on the purpose of the stay. Once in Germany, you generally need to apply for a residence permit locally.

The embassy also stresses that it does not give out appointments through resellers, "advisers" or service providers. Book yourself, using your own email address. Waiting times depend on the purpose of the stay and can be long: on 23 October 2026 the page showed more than twelve months for appointments related to employment (Erwerbstätigkeit) and gave no separate figure for training visas. Check the one that applies to you on the official page before you set a departure date.

Source: Ambassade d'Allemagne à Tunis – visas nationaux (visa D), Portail consulaire et rendez-vous · checked 23 Oct 2026

Finding an Ausbildung place and signing a contract

The first step is not the visa but the contract. Without a training contract signed by a company that is authorised to train, the training visa is not possible.

Where to look:

• the official board of the Federal Employment Agency (Ausbildungssuche), which lists dual and school-based training places across Germany;
• vacancies published by ANETI, Tunisia's employment agency, including those of mobility programmes such as THAMM Plus (see below);
• the career pages of German companies themselves.

Practical tips:

• apply in German, with a CV and cover letter tailored to the trade;
• check each vacancy for the start date, the length of training and the pay;
• ask the company whether you need a vocational school enrolment or registration with the chamber (IHK), because the embassy may ask for it.

Be wary of intermediaries who charge money to "find" you an Ausbildung. Official boards are free, and a serious company does not sell a contract.

Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Ausbildungssuche (bourse officielle des places de formation) · checked 23 Oct 2026

Documents the German Embassy in Tunis asks for

For the training visa, the embassy's list (updated 16 June 2025, consulted 23 October 2026) requires you to apply in person, with originals, a clear copy of each document and a German translation of every document. The main items are:

• the completed application form and a passport valid for at least six more months, with a copy of page 2;
• a biometric photo;
• a motivation letter explaining why you want to train in this trade, and a CV;
• the training contract signed by the employer, plus confirmation of enrolment at the vocational school (not required for IHK training) and, where needed, registration with the IHK;
• a German certificate at B1 level from a recognised provider (Goethe-Institut, ÖSD, telc gGmbH, TestDaF);
• your Tunisian school certificate, certified by the Ministry of Education and then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, plus any university degree, certified the same way; no legalisation by the German Embassy is needed;
• proof of financial means and health insurance covering the period between your arrival and the start of training.

If you plan a language course in Germany before the training, the embassy asks for at least A2, proof that the course fees are paid and, for the length of the course, means of EUR 992 a month (figure on the list of 16 June 2025, to be confirmed for 2027). It also notes that telc certificates from certain providers are no longer accepted, so check the current list before you book your exam.

Source: Ambassade d'Allemagne à Tunis – liste « Aufnahme einer Berufsausbildung » (visa de formation) · checked 23 Oct 2026

Apprentice pay and proof of financial means

In dual Ausbildung, the company pays you. For dual training governed by the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) or the Crafts Code, German law sets a minimum training allowance. According to the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB, press release of 7 October 2026), for training that starts in 2027 the monthly minimum is:

• EUR 764 in year 1;
• EUR 902 in year 2;
• EUR 1,031 in year 3;
• EUR 1,070 in year 4.

For comparison, the year-1 minimum was EUR 724 for training that started in 2026. A company covered by a collective agreement may apply the rate in that agreement, even if it is lower.

The embassy, for its part, asks you to prove you can support yourself in Germany. Its list states at least EUR 822 net or EUR 990 gross per month (figures shown on the list updated 16 June 2025, to be confirmed for 2027). Usually the pay in your contract serves as proof. If it is lower, you can cover the gap with a German blocked account (Sperrkonto) holding twelve times the monthly shortfall, or with a formal declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung). Since February 2023, the embassy only accepts German blocked accounts (national visa page).

Do the maths before you sign: a contract paying the 2027 legal minimum (EUR 764 a month in year 1) stays, on its own, below both thresholds on the June 2025 list (EUR 822 net and EUR 990 gross).

Source: Ambassade d'Allemagne à Tunis – liste « Aufnahme einer Berufsausbildung » (visa de formation) · checked 23 Oct 2026

Going to look for a place: the training-search visa

If you do not have a contract yet, the embassy offers a visa to look for a place in Germany. Its conditions are stricter than those of the training visa. According to the list consulted on 23 October 2026 (updated 7 October 2025):

• the maximum age is 25;
• you need the Tunisian baccalauréat or another qualification giving access to university, certified by the Ministry of Education and then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• the required German level is B2;
• financial means are proven with a German blocked account of EUR 947 per month (figure on the list of 7 October 2025, to be confirmed for 2027) or with a declaration of commitment;
• health insurance must cover the whole stay;
• the motivation letter must set out your search plan: target trades, companies you will apply to and where you will stay.

The embassy states that its list is not exhaustive and that a complete file does not guarantee a visa. For most Tunisian applicants, securing a contract from Tunisia and then applying directly for the training visa remains the simpler route.

Source: Ambassade d'Allemagne à Tunis – liste « Ausbildungsplatzsuche » (recherche d'une place) · checked 23 Oct 2026

THAMM Plus: the supported route through ANETI

THAMM Plus is a recruitment project run by GIZ and ZAV, the international placement service of the Federal Employment Agency. It covers Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt. According to the ZAV page, it recruits apprentices for dual training in Germany in the electrical sector, construction and automotive mechatronics.

For apprentices, the page asks for:

• a secondary-school leaving certificate such as the baccalauréat;
• genuine interest in dual training in Germany;
• first experience or basic training in the trade;
• willingness to learn German up to B1.

Selection takes place in several stages, with each country's public employment service. Selected candidates take a German course in their home country up to the B1 exam and intercultural preparation, then are matched with employers. They get help with paperwork and the visa, and the employer pays the travel. Tunisian eligibility: confirmed, since the page names Tunisia and points to ANETI. The page gives no deadline, so watch for calls published by ANETI.

Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (ZAV) – THAMM Plus, métiers techniques (FR) · checked 23 Oct 2026

A suggested timeline for a 2027 start

Here is a realistic order of steps if you are aiming for an Ausbildung that starts in 2027. These are planning tips, not official deadlines:

• now: pick two or three trades and start or continue German, because B1 takes months to prepare;
• in parallel: have your diploma certified by the relevant Tunisian ministries and get the translations ready;
• as soon as your level allows: send applications and prepare for interviews, which may take place by video call;
• once the contract is signed: apply for the visa without delay, checking the waiting time announced by the embassy;
• before you leave: arrange health insurance and, if needed, the blocked account.

Always check the latest version of the embassy's lists on the day you prepare your file, because amounts and rules can change.

Source: Opporiva editorial team · checked 23 Oct 2026