What is a National Visa or Category D visa?

A National Visa (or Category D visa) lets you move to Germany and start working or studying. It’s valid for 3 to 12 months.1

You apply for a National Visa at the German embassy or consulate in your home country. When you arrive in Germany, you must convert it into a residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde.

How to apply for a National Visa

If you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom or the United States, you do not need a National Visa. You can visit Germany without a visa. You still need a residence permit to live, work or study in Germany.

The Schengen visa is not a National Visa.

Sources and footnotes
  1. Berlin.de, Berlin.de