# German work Visa if already in Schengen



## robdh0811 (Dec 5, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I am a US citizen that moved to Europe 3 months ago to look for a job. I have found one in Berlin but I have been in the EU for 3 months and am leaving so I do not overstay my time in the Schengen. 

My question is, will my work visa in Germany be affected because I have been in the EU for 3 months already? Can I obtain my work visa from outside of the EU, receive it, and enter back into the EU immediately and go to Germany to begin my job? Or would I have to wait 90 days to re-enter the Schengen? Thanks!

Couldn't find any concrete info about this anywhere really.

Thanks!


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

If you're still in Berlin and the 90 days hasn't elapsed yet, I would hustle down to the Ausländerbehörde and see what you can work out. Go immediately, at 6 AM or whatever for the horrid line, without an appointment. As a US citizen you can apply for work and residence permits from within the country, so if you sneak in under the limit (or contact them and see if you can come just over the limit - they're known to be flexible on this as long as the effort is made before 90 days) you might save yourself a trip.

Otherwise, I don't see why you'd have to stay out 90 days to get your work visa. The Schengen visa is for tourists. If you do your 90, leave, then apply for a work visa, that's a different matter. It might take time to get the work visa, of course, but I don't think you'd be barred for 90 days.


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## robdh0811 (Dec 5, 2013)

Nononymous said:


> If you're still in Berlin and the 90 days hasn't elapsed yet, I would hustle down to the Ausländerbehörde and see what you can work out. Go immediately, at 6 AM or whatever for the horrid line, without an appointment. As a US citizen you can apply for work and residence permits from within the country, so if you sneak in under the limit (or contact them and see if you can come just over the limit - they're known to be flexible on this as long as the effort is made before 90 days) you might save yourself a trip.
> 
> Otherwise, I don't see why you'd have to stay out 90 days to get your work visa. The Schengen visa is for tourists. If you do your 90, leave, then apply for a work visa, that's a different matter. It might take time to get the work visa, of course, but I don't think you'd be barred for 90 days.


I was going to go to Bangkok. If I visit the German embassy in Thailand is it possible, as a US citizen, to get my visa from there? What I'm asking is, can I get a German work visa from any German embassy in the world or does it have to be an embassy that is in my country of citizenship (USA) or the country in which I am trying to obtain the visa (Germany)?

Thanks again!


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

robdh0811 said:


> I was going to go to Bangkok. If I visit the German embassy in Thailand is it possible, as a US citizen, to get my visa from there? What I'm asking is, can I get a German work visa from any German embassy in the world or does it have to be an embassy that is in my country of citizenship (USA) or the country in which I am trying to obtain the visa (Germany)?


The short answer - I don't know. You'd have to contact the embassy in Bangkok directly. It may not be possible, or it may not be desireable. 

You might find that showing up at the Ausländerbehörde with all your documents and a job offer gets you a very quick response, whereas an American appearing at the embassy in Thailand asking for a work visa would be so weird, they'd likely send all the paperwork to the Arbeitsamt and god knows how long that would take. 

(I cite myself as example, though it's a bit of a special case, as we're only here five months due to my wife's research sabbatical. I went to the Ausländerbehörde with a letter showing intent to hire me for a freelance project and twenty minutes later I had an unrestricted work permit for the entire stay. Whereas twenty years ago we had to duck out to Denmark to get a visa for my wife - long story - and the consular staff were incredibly unhelpful and uncooperative.)

If I were in your shoes, I'd get my ass down to the Ausländerbehörde, pronto. Try that first.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

robdh0811 said:


> I was going to go to Bangkok. If I visit the German embassy in Thailand is it possible, as a US citizen, to get my visa from there? What I'm asking is, can I get a German work visa from any German embassy in the world or does it have to be an embassy that is in my country of citizenship (USA) or the country in which I am trying to obtain the visa (Germany)?
> 
> Thanks again!


You can only apply for a German visa in a country where you are ordinarily resident.

Going to Bangkok on vacation will not work in this regard, you would have to show a residence permit for Thailand to be able to apply for a visa at the German Embassy.

If you usually live in the USA, you can either apply from the nearest Embassy/Consulate to your permanent address there or - as a US citizen - you can come to Germany and apply in-country for a work/residence permit within 90 days as long as you have a job offer.

I also think that just joining the queue at the Ausländerbehörde will be well worth it, if not to directly apply for a permit then to get your stay extended beyond the 90 days (they usually do that for Americans who have a good reason) and to make an appointment for submitting an application.


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## robdh0811 (Dec 5, 2013)

ALKB said:


> You can only apply for a German visa in a country where you are ordinarily resident.
> 
> Going to Bangkok on vacation will not work in this regard, you would have to show a residence permit for Thailand to be able to apply for a visa at the German Embassy.
> 
> ...


Okay thanks this info really helps! Thanks a ton. I'm canceling my trip to Bangkok and will either get my ass to Berlin or go back to the states for a bit.


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