Study-related internship
An internship related to the field of study, done after the 4th semester. Consent from the Employment Agency is required alongside the invitation letter or a Learning Agreement signed by both sides.
GERMANY · INTERNSHIP VISA
Germany internship visa: identify the internship type correctly.
An application for an internship in Germany depends on the type of internship: a study-related mandatory internship, an EU-funded Erasmus traineeship, or an unfunded exchange internship. This guide explains the internship types, the Learning Agreement/invitation-letter relationship, and when consent from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) is required, based on official sources.
Prepared for students and graduates doing an internship in Germany from Türkiye. Conditions vary with the type, duration and funding of the internship.
GERMANY / DEUTSCHLAND
The internship type determines the invitation, consent and document set.
Short answer
A Germany internship application is not one-size-fits-all. For a study-related internship (after the 4th semester) and for an unfunded exchange internship, consent from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) is required alongside the invitation letter/Learning Agreement. For an EU-funded Erasmus traineeship the Erasmus certificate is central and Employment Agency consent is not required. A 'Hospitation', which involves no active work, is a separate long-stay (national) route requiring different documents. Depending on the duration, the application may be short-stay (Schengen) or long-stay (national).
- Internship types
- Study-related / exchange / Erasmus
- Document
- Invitation letter or Learning Agreement
- Employment Agency consent
- Usually required except Erasmus
- Erasmus traineeship
- Erasmus certificate; no Employment Agency consent
- Hospitation
- Separate national route (no active work)
- Duration
- ≤90 days Schengen, >90 days national
Internship types
Each internship type has a different document and consent set.
EU-funded Erasmus traineeship
The Erasmus certificate (original + copy, stamped/signed) is central; Employment Agency consent is not required. See the Erasmus page for the programme framework.
Hospitation (separate route)
A 'Hospitation' for observation, involving no active work, is a separate long-stay (national) route; it requires different documents such as the VIDEX long-stay form, a Hospitationsvertrag and private health insurance valid for 365 days.
Determine the right internship route
Which type is your internship?
Is it study-related, Erasmus, or an unfunded exchange? The type determines the invitation/consent and the document set.
Is Employment Agency consent required?
For study-related and unfunded exchange internships, consent from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) is required; for an EU-funded Erasmus traineeship it is not.
Is the duration over 90 days?
An internship of up to 90 days is short-stay (Schengen); longer stays or cases such as Hospitation may fall under the national (D) visa route.
Documents by internship type
The following are specific to the internship type; for the common documents see the required-documents page.
study-related
- Invitation letter / Learning AgreementThe placement's invitation letter or a Learning Agreement signed by both sides (address, contacts, period, internship type, applicant details). Employment Agency consent is required.
exchangenoteu-funded
- Invitation + student certificateAn organiser invitation letter, placement details, a student certificate (Öğrenci Belgesi) or diploma. Employment Agency consent is required.
erasmuseu-funded
- Erasmus certificateAn invitation letter/Erasmus certificate (original + 1 copy, stamped and signed). Employment Agency consent is not required.
hospitation
- National-route documentsThe VIDEX long-stay form, a Hospitationsvertrag, university certificates (sworn translation), private health insurance valid for 365 days, and proof of subsistence at the maximum monthly BAföG rate.
common
- Passport, insurance, photoPassport; travel health insurance (private health insurance for Hospitation); biometric photo and the general documents in § 3.
The Hospitation fee is usually EUR 75 (ages 0–17: EUR 40) and differs from the short-stay visa fee. Document lists can be updated by the official sources.
Points to watch in an internship application
- Duration alone is not conclusiveDo not draw an automatic visa or work-right conclusion from the duration alone; the type, consent and document set are assessed together.
- Hospitation is a separate routeA Hospitation involves no active work and is a separate long-stay (national) process; do not confuse it with an internship (Praktikum).
- Not a personal legal decisionFor the individual legal suitability of your internship contract you may need qualified advice; this page is informational.
Internship visa questions
Is Employment Agency consent needed for a Germany internship visa?
For a study-related internship and an unfunded exchange internship, consent from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) is required. For an EU-funded Erasmus traineeship this consent is not required.
Is a Learning Agreement mandatory?
For a study-related internship, the invitation letter or a Learning Agreement signed by both sides is central; for an Erasmus traineeship the Erasmus certificate comes into play.
Is a Hospitation the same as an internship?
No. A Hospitation is a separate national route for observation, involving no active work, and requires different documents (VIDEX long-stay form, Hospitationsvertrag, 365-day health insurance).
Which duration is Schengen and which is national?
An internship of up to 90 days goes through short-stay Schengen (C); stays over 90 days or cases such as Hospitation may go through a national (D) visa. Verify the exact route by duration and type.
Sources and verification
The official pages below were checked on 3 November 2026.
- Internship / event visa — German missions in Türkiye Hospitation information leaflet (Merkblatt 30F) National visas for Turkish nationals (longer than 90 days)
Elite Leader Consultancy · last official check: November 3, 2026
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