Coming to Berlin as a tradesperson

Electrical, plumbing and heating, automotive, construction: recognition at the Berlin Chamber of Crafts, § 18a, adaptation training, § 6 BeschV and the master craftsman rule.

Craft businesses in Berlin look for skilled workers, for example electronics technicians, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning (SHK) installers, automotive mechatronics technicians and people for construction (bricklayers, tilers, painters, roofers). The usual route: you have your foreign training recognised by the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) and then work as a skilled worker under § 18a AufenthG.

We have not checked reliable figures on Berlin's demand for craft workers, so we give none.

Which residence permits fit?

Route	Key requirements	Federal Employment Agency (BA) approval
Skilled worker with vocational training (§ 18a AufenthG)	Foreign training (at least 2 years) recognised as equivalent, job offer for qualified work (§ 18). No fixed minimum salary; conditions like comparable German employees. Permit for up to 4 years.	yes, as a rule
Adaptation training (§ 16d (1) and (2))	Recognition found substantial differences (partial recognition). You complete training in Germany to close the gaps. German usually A2. Up to 24 months, plus 12 (max. 3 years). Side job up to 20 hours; under (2) also work in your trade without an hour limit.	yes
Recognition partnership (§ 16d (3))	Training abroad (at least 2 years, state-recognised), job offer, agreement with the employer, German A2. Recognition starts only after entry. First up to 1 year, max. 3 years.	yes
Work experience (§ 19c (2) + § 6 BeschV)	Training of at least 2 years state-recognised abroad, 2 years of experience in the last 5 years, salary in 2026 at least €45,630 gross a year or pay under a collective agreement with a bound employer. No German recognition needed; for regulated professions a professional licence (Berufsausübungserlaubnis) is then needed in addition.	yes
Western Balkans rule (§ 19c (1) + § 26 (2) BeschV)	Only Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia. Any job; for regulated professions a professional licence (Berufsausübungserlaubnis) in addition. No qualification needed. Quota of 50,000 approvals a year – often used up before the end of the year; a draft (Oct 2026) plans only 25,000 from 2027, not yet adopted (BA, 16 Oct 2026 (German)). Apply at a German mission in one of the six Western Balkan states. See Western Balkans rule (German).	yes, with labour-market test
Opportunity Card (§ 20a)	Job search for up to 1 year, trial work allowed. Either full recognition as a skilled worker – or without it: state-recognised training of at least 2 years, enough points and German A1 (basic) or English B2 (§ 20a (3) and (4)). See Opportunity Card (German).	no (for the search)

Aged 45 or over at the first permit: salary at least €55,770 gross a year or proof of adequate pension provision. This applies only to §§ 18a/18b (§ 18 (2) no. 5 AufenthG) and to §§ 6, 22a, 24a, 26 (2) BeschV (§ 1 (2) BeschV) – here, to § 18a, § 6 BeschV and the Western Balkans rule, not to § 16d or the Opportunity Card (§ 20a).

Recognition and the master craftsman rule

Recognition at the Berlin Chamber of Crafts

For craft trades, the Handwerkskammer Berlin is responsible: Blücherstraße 68, 10961 Berlin, [email protected], hwk-berlin.de. The first consultation is free.
It checks whether your training is equivalent to the German reference occupation (e.g. electronics technician). Result: full, partial or no equivalence. With complete documents, the chamber should usually decide within 3 months (§ 6 BQFG).
Costs: fees apply; generally €100 to €600. We did not find the exact fee of the Berlin Chamber of Crafts – check before relying on it.
Free advice also from the IQ Network Berlin. More: Recognition (German), Chambers and regulated professions (German).

Employed or self-employed?

As an employee you do not need a master craftsman title. Self-employed, you may run a licensed craft only if you are entered in the craft register (Handwerksrolle) (§ 1 HwO). Licensed crafts are the 53 trades in Annex A to the Crafts Code, for example bricklayer, roofer, painter, motor vehicle technician, plumber and heating installer, electrician, carpenter, tiler, baker, hairdresser. Entry usually requires a master craftsman (Meister) or equivalent qualification. Exception: the experienced journeyman rule (§ 7b HwO) – journeyman exam plus 6 years of work, 4 of them in a leading position (not for every trade). Self-employment as a residence purpose: Self-employment (German).

German

For § 18a the law sets no fixed level. Adaptation training and the recognition partnership usually need A2, vocational training B1 (§ 16a (3), exceptions see apprentice page). On building sites and with customers you need German for safety and coordination. See Language at work (German).

Steps

Find your reference occupation and apply for recognition at the Chamber of Crafts (possible from abroad).
Partial recognition: find an employer or training provider for adaptation training.
Employment contract; the employer fills in the "Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis" (declaration on the employment).
Optional, only for § 18a, § 16d or § 16a: fast-track procedure (§ 81a (1)) through Berlin's Business Immigration Service, €411. Not for § 6 BeschV or the Western Balkans rule.
Visa at the German mission abroad; after entry, register your address and apply for the residence permit at the State Office for Immigration (LEA). See Entry and first steps (German).

No training yet? Vocational training in a Berlin craft business is a route (§ 16a): Coming to Berlin as an apprentice.

Staying and family

As a skilled worker, a settlement permit under § 18c is possible after 3 years with 36 months of pension contributions (2 years after training in Germany). Family: Family reunification (German).

Watch out

Minimum wage 2026: €13.90 an hour (MiLoV5), from 2027 €14.60. Construction often has extra sector minimum wages. We have not checked the current amounts for Berlin – check before relying on it.
In construction, bogus self-employment and chains of subcontractors are common. Being listed as "self-employed" while you follow instructions avoids social insurance and the minimum wage.
Your permit covers the approved job. Ask the LEA before changing jobs.
Free advice: Faire Integration (faire-integration.de, § 45b AufenthG) and in Berlin BEMA (Berlin Advice Centre for Migration and Good Work).
Be careful with agents who "guarantee" a visa or recognition for money.

Sources

A question this page does not answer? Contact us. Free orientation only, no legal advice for individual cases.