Avoiding scams

What the German missions say about agencies, paid appointments and job promises, and how to check an offer before you pay.

Typical patterns

• Sold appointments. Appointments are booked at ulusalrandevu.idata.com.tr or in the Federal Foreign Office portal. iDATA charges its own published service fees; anyone selling a "guaranteed slot" on top is not part of the official procedure.
• "Guaranteed" admission or visa, admission letters sold by an agent, and private universities that recruit through agencies and charge high fees. Berlin's public universities charge no tuition.
• Fake job and training offers – especially "Ausbildung", nursing or driver packages that cost thousands of euros. A real place comes with a contract from a named German employer.
• Fake funding papers: someone offers to "lend" the blocked-account sum or to provide a declaration of commitment for a fee. False documents can lead to refusal and a ban on entry.
• Unlicensed placement agencies in Türkiye. Under Turkish law only İŞKUR and private employment agencies licensed by İŞKUR may place workers abroad. İŞKUR publishes a list of open and closed agencies; we have not checked how complete it is.

How to check before you pay anything

• A real offer is a signed contract with a named German employer or training company. Look it up in the German commercial register, call its published number and check its website.
• Book appointments only through the links on tuerkei.diplo.de.
• Job placement by the ZAV of the German Federal Employment Agency is free; so is the public job board.
• Recognition questions: the official portal anerkennung-in-deutschland.de is free. See Recognition.

Already in Berlin and being exploited? See Already in Berlin? for free counselling that is independent of your residence status.