Do I need a visa for an apprenticeship or internship in Germany?

EU/EEA citizens do not need a visa. Most other nationals need a visa or residence permit for vocational training, an internship or studies — apply at the German embassy in your country as early as possible, since processing regularly takes several months. Your training company or university will usually help with the paperwork.

What is the Anmeldung and why does it matter?

The Anmeldung is registering your German address at the local registry office within 14 days of moving in. Your landlord provides the required confirmation. It is the key to almost everything else: bank account, phone contract, health insurance card and official mail.

Can I rent a room in Germany before I arrive?

Yes — reputable landlords offer video viewings and send the rental contract in advance, so you arrive with a signed contract and a registered address from day one. Never pay anything before a contract is signed; a deposit is paid by bank transfer, not cash.

What does living in the region cost?

A furnished room with an all-in rent at A23 costs €395–650 per month including electricity, heating, water and Wi-Fi. Add the Deutschland-Ticket for unlimited local public transport across Germany at a flat monthly price, plus groceries and leisure — noticeably cheaper than living in Stuttgart itself.

Moving to Germany for an Apprenticeship, Internship or Studies

Q: How much German do I need for an Ausbildung?

Most training companies expect roughly B1 level, because vocational school is taught in German. For internships and English-taught degree programmes, less can be enough — ask your company or university. Day-to-day life gets much easier with every bit of German, and living in a German-speaking shared flat is free practice.

Who this guide is for

Apprentices

Starting a dual Ausbildung at a company around Nürtingen, Metzingen or Kirchheim — often for three years, often your first home away from family.

Interns

Internship or practical semester at companies in the region — e.g. Neura Robotics in Metzingen or the machine builders around Nürtingen. Two to six months, furnished, one all-in price.

Students

HfWU Nürtingen-Geislingen is about 5 km away (bus 185 direct), Reutlingen University about 14 km, Esslingen University in reach — quieter and cheaper than a big-city dorm.

Before you arrive

✓Visa / residence permit (non-EU): apply at the German embassy as early as possible — vocational-training and student visas regularly take several months. EU/EEA citizens skip this entirely. Your company or university usually helps with the required confirmations.
✓Signed contract as PDF: training, internship or enrolment — you will need it for the visa, the room application and later for BAB.
✓Book your room from home: ask for a video viewing, read the contract in advance, sign digitally — and arrive with an address on day one. Never transfer money before a contract is signed.
✓Health insurance: as an apprentice you are insured through your employment from day one — clarify with your company which fund (Krankenkasse) to choose. Interns and students: check whether your home policy or a student tariff applies.
✓Some German, some savings: B1 German is the usual expectation for an Ausbildung (vocational school is in German); budget roughly two to three months of costs as starting capital for deposit and first rent.

Your first 14 days

1Anmeldung — register your address at the town hall within 14 days; the landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) is required and any good landlord hands it over at move-in. This unlocks everything else.
2Bank account — a German account makes salary, rent and BAB payments easy; many banks open accounts fully online with your registration certificate.
3Health insurance card & SIM — confirm your Krankenkasse choice with your employer; get a German SIM or eSIM for reachable numbers on forms.
4Deutschland-Ticket — one flat-price monthly subscription for all local public transport in the whole country: your commute, vocational school and weekend trips.
5Apply for BAB (apprentices) — the housing grant from the employment agency; international apprentices are often eligible too. The BAB guide →

Your home base: a furnished room, one price, people around you

The A23 in Großbettlingen is a small shared house with three furnished rooms — apprentices, interns and students living together, 7 minutes from Nürtingen. One all-in rent covers everything including Wi-Fi, the contract works for visa and BAB paperwork, and there is a named contact person who answers in English and French.

Furnished room with bed and desk at StudentCampus A23 Großbettlingen

Shared kitchen at the A23 apprentice flat share near Nürtingen

Room with balcony view at A23 Großbettlingen

The region: between Stuttgart and the Swabian Alb

Großbettlingen sits in the Neckar valley south of Stuttgart, at the foot of the Swabian Alb — one of Germany's strongest industrial regions on one side, a UNESCO-listed landscape on the other. What that means after work and at weekends:

Hohenneuffen castle ruin on the Swabian Alb escarpment near Neuffen

Hohenneuffen castle ruin. One ridge over: hike up from Neuffen to one of the largest castle ruins in southern Germany — beer garden at the top, half the Alb at your feet.

View from Breitenstein rock over the Albtrauf escarpment, Swabian Alb

Swabian Alb trails. The Albtrauf escarpment starts a few villages away: marked hiking trails, lookout points, caves and the UNESCO biosphere area around Beuren and Neuffen.

Aileswasensee swimming lake on the Neckar valley cycle path near Neckartailfingen

Neckar valley by bike. Flat riverside cycling from Nürtingen towards Tübingen or Esslingen — and swimming lakes like the Aileswasensee in Neckartailfingen for summer evenings.

Outletcity Metzingen designer outlet stores

Europe's best-known outlet city is about 6 km away — 100+ designer stores in Hugo Boss's home town. Practical too: many of the region's internships are here.

Schlossplatz square with New Palace and fountain in Stuttgart

Stuttgart in ~30 minutes. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums, concerts, the Wasen festivals in spring and autumn, Christmas markets — big-city weekends without big-city rent.

Neckarfront old town riverfront with punting boats in Tübingen

Tübingen & the university towns. Punting on the Neckar below Tübingen's old town, student nightlife in Reutlingen and Esslingen's half-timbered lanes — all within day-trip distance by regional train.

Region photos: Hohenneuffen (Ustill, CC BY-SA 2.0 DE) · Breitenstein · Aileswasensee · Outletcity Metzingen · Schlossplatz Stuttgart · Neckarfront Tübingen (CC BY-SA 3.0) — all via Wikimedia Commons; authors and licences on the linked file pages.

What does it cost to live here?

A furnished room at A23 costs €395–650 per month all-in — rent, electricity, heating, water and Wi-Fi in one figure, no back-payments. Add the Deutschland-Ticket at a flat monthly price for unlimited local transport across Germany, plus groceries and leisure. Compared with Stuttgart city rents, living here typically saves one to two hundred euros a month — money that goes into weekends instead of walls. Apprentices can additionally apply for BAB, the housing grant.

FAQ: moving to Germany

Do I need a visa?

EU/EEA citizens: no. Most other nationals need a visa or residence permit for vocational training, an internship or studies — apply at the German embassy as early as possible; processing regularly takes months. Company or university usually help with the paperwork.

What is the Anmeldung?

Registering your address at the town hall within 14 days of moving in; the landlord provides the required confirmation. It is the key to bank account, contracts and official mail.

Can I rent a room before I arrive?

Yes — video viewing, contract in advance, digital signature: you land with an address from day one. Never pay before a contract is signed; deposits go by bank transfer, never cash.

How much German do I need?

For an Ausbildung usually around B1 — vocational school is in German. For internships and English-taught programmes, less can do. A German-speaking flat share is the cheapest language course there is.

Can international apprentices get BAB?

Often yes — eligibility depends on your residence status, not your passport. Details in the BAB guide →

Read on

Rent financing: the BAB guide · For your parents: the parents' checklist · En français : S'installer en Allemagne

Currently 1 of 3 rooms available · video viewing possible from anywhere

Land with a home, not a hostel booking — the A23 near Nürtingen.

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