How to Apply for a Germany Work Visa From Pakistan

Pakistanis apply for a German work visa online, through the Federal Foreign Office's Consular Services Portal at digital.diplo.de. The portal now covers both German missions in Pakistan: the Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Karachi. The fee for a long term work visa is €75, paid in rupees in cash at the counter on your appointment day. Processing time is not fixed and depends on your visa type and your documents.

We read the German missions' own pages at pakistan.diplo.de on 22 September 2026. The categories, fees and rules below are from those pages. The portal was once open only to Islamabad applicants. The missions now say it is active for Karachi too.

Which German mission handles your application

Where you live decides the mission, not where you want to go in Germany.

The missions say research, self employment and voluntary service applications cannot go through the portal yet "for technical reasons". For those you book an appointment in the usual way and bring every document in order.

Work visa types you can apply for from Pakistan

The missions list these categories on the Consular Services Portal:

• EU Blue Card, including family members applying with you.
• Skilled worker with a university degree.
• Skilled worker with vocational education.
• Skilled worker with practical experience. This needs at least two years of experience in the last five years, plus vocational training from your home country.
• Vocational training in Germany.
• Opportunity Card, the job seeker visa.
• Recognition measures, for example for medical staff and physiotherapists. Use the "Qualification Analysis" category.

Au pairs use the skilled worker categories. Speciality cooks with at least six years as a chef use the practical experience category.

The Karachi checklists set out the main conditions for some of these:

• EU Blue Card: a job contract in Germany, a degree recognised in Germany, and a gross salary of at least €48,300 a year (2025 figure). The floor is €43,759.80 if you graduated in the last three years or work in a shortage job such as IT.
• Opportunity Card: a university degree recognised in Germany, €1,027 a month for living costs, and €500 for a return ticket to Pakistan.
• Vocational training: German at level B1.
• Au pair: German at level A1.
• Recognition measure: German at level A2.

Your degree must be recognised in Germany, either in the anabin database or by a Statement of Comparability. Before that, get it attested by HEC. Some documents may also need an apostille or MOFA attestation.

How to apply on the Consular Services Portal

1. Read Make it in Germany first. The missions tell every applicant to study make-it-in-germany.com, the German government's site for skilled workers, before starting. It explains each visa and how to get a Pakistani qualification recognised.
2. Open the portal at digital.diplo.de/visa-ewt and create an account.
3. Pick the right category. An application in the wrong category is not served.
4. Upload your documents as clear scans. The mission reviews them before you get an appointment.
5. Book the appointment when the mission sends you a link. Bring your originals, give your fingerprints, and pay the fee.
6. Sign your passport. The missions say they cannot print a visa in an unsigned Pakistani passport. A child must sign or give a thumb print, not a parent.

If your German employer has a pre-approval under section 81a of the Residence Act, register on the mission's priority list and on the portal. A pre-approval letter not older than three months qualifies for faster processing.

German visa fee and processing time

The fees below are from the missions' visa information page on 22 September 2026. They are charged in euros and paid in rupees at the current exchange rate, in cash, at the counter in Islamabad or Karachi.

• Long term visa (type D), which covers work: €75
• Family reunion for a child aged 0 to 17: €37.50
• Schengen short stay visa: €90

The missions do not give a fixed time for work visas. They say national visa processing times "highly vary" with the reason for the stay and the quality of the documents. Only for Schengen visas do they give a usual figure, 14 calendar days.

If you are refused, there is no longer a free objection. The missions say the remonstration procedure ended on 1 July 2025.

Warning: agents cannot speed up a German visa

The German missions in Pakistan warn about this on their own pages. They say so-called agents have offered to check applications for "horrendous prices", and that the missions have nothing to do with them. They also warn that fake agents pretend to be the embassy and promise faster appointments. Registering on a waiting list is free.

• Nobody outside the mission can promise you an appointment date or a visa.
• Your job offer should come from a real German employer. You can check a job on the Make it in Germany job listings.
• A Pakistani agency that charges for a German job must hold a Bureau of Emigration licence.
• If you are leaving on a work visa, register with the Protector of Emigrants before you fly.

Visiting the German Embassy or Consulate

In Islamabad, every visitor takes the Diplomatic Shuttle from 3rd Avenue, Quaid-e-Azam University Road, to the Diplomatic Enclave. The Karachi consulate is in Clifton, near the SZABIST campus. Mobile phones and bags are not allowed inside either building. Late arrivals are asked to rebook, and an incomplete file loses its appointment.

Common questions

How much is the German work visa fee in Pakistan?

€75 for a long term visa, paid in rupees in cash at the mission on the day of your appointment.

Can applicants from Karachi use the online portal?

Yes. The missions say the Consular Services Portal is active for Karachi, for applicants from Sindh and Balochistan.

How long does a German work visa take from Pakistan?

There is no fixed time. The missions say it depends on the visa type and how complete your documents are.

What do I need for the Opportunity Card?

The Karachi consulate lists a university degree recognised in Germany, €1,027 a month for living costs and €500 for a return ticket. The Opportunity Card also has a points route, which we could not read at source, so check it on Make it in Germany.

Do I need to speak German for a work visa?

It depends on the category. The missions list B1 for vocational training, A2 for recognition measures and A1 for au pairs. The Blue Card checklist does not list a language level.

Can I appeal a German visa refusal?

The free objection process, called remonstration, ended on 1 July 2025. The missions do not describe a replacement process on the page we read.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 22 September 2026. Categories, jurisdiction, the portal status in Karachi, the section 81a priority route and the exceptions for research, self employment and voluntary service are from the page "Employment, Training or Jobseeker" on pakistan.diplo.de. Blue Card, Opportunity Card and language requirements are from the Karachi checklists on the same site. Fees, processing times, the signed passport rule and the end of remonstration are from "Visa: General Information". The agent warnings are from "Important note to our visitors" and the Schengen visa page. The Make it in Germany site blocked our automated reader, so we did not read its Opportunity Card points rules and do not quote them here. Visa rules change; check the portal on the day you apply.