The German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz) provides specific residence permits for vocational training-related purposes.

Section 16a of the Residence Act governs residence permits for the purpose of state‑recognised vocational training, which must generally last at least two years and may be completed either in the dual system or as school‑based training.

Separate rules apply under Section 17 of the Residence Act, which regulates residence permits for the purpose of seeking a vocational training place. As part of the Skilled Immigration Act reforms effective from March 2024, the maximum age for this permit was raised to 35, the required German language level was lowered to B1, the maximum duration was extended to nine months, and holders are now permitted to work up to 20 hours per week and undertake trial employment periods of up to two weeks. Exceptions apply if the duration of the inter-company training will not exceed 90 days within a 12-month period, and if the foreign employee only takes part in in-house training and does not perform any work.

There may also be some privileges for specific occupational groups, such as highly qualified information technology specialists or in the case of employees taking part in an international exchange program of personnel (for more details, see the above chapter on personnel exchange).

In most cases, the consent of the Federal Employment Agency is also needed. Exceptions exist especially if the training is promoted by special programs of the EU, such as Erasmus +.

With the new Skilled Immigration Act, expanded employment opportunities for foreign students have also been in effect since March 2024.