Ausbildung in Germany from Cameroon: the complete 2026 guide

Everyone seems to be talking about Ausbildung in Germany: friends in Bamenda, cousins in Buea, WhatsApp groups that never sleep. Some call it an easy road to Europe, others call it a scam. The truth is simpler and more demanding. An Ausbildung is official, paid vocational training that leads to a recognised trade in Germany. Doing it from Cameroon is possible, but you need German, a clean file, money to get started and a lot of patience. This guide walks you through all of it, from the basic idea to the day you board the plane.

What an Ausbildung is

The German word Ausbildung simply means “training”. In practice it refers to vocational training for one specific occupation: cook, mechatronics technician, retail salesperson, warehouse specialist, nurse, bricklayer and hundreds more. Germany has 324 recognised training occupations according to the official 2026 directory published by BIBB, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training.

At the end you sit a final exam (Abschlussprüfung). Pass it and you hold a German qualification. That certificate is valued across the whole German job market, and it later opens the door to a residence permit for work.

So this is not a side hustle or an unpaid internship. You sign a training contract with a company or a school, and you get rights, working hours, paid leave and a monthly allowance.

The dual system: company plus Berufsschule

The most common form is called dual training. “Dual” because you learn in two places:

• at the company, where you work in a team and learn the job hands-on;
• at the Berufsschule (the public vocational school), where you take theory classes linked to your trade, plus German and a few other subjects.

Depending on the trade, school days are fixed each week or grouped into blocks of several weeks. The company pays you for the whole training, school days included.

There is also school-based training (schulische Ausbildung), which takes place mostly in a school with work placements. Both forms qualify for the same training visa, the § 16a visa. Be careful: school-based training is often unpaid, and the money rules for the visa are different (more on that below).

Nursing has its own law. Training as a Pflegefachmann or Pflegefachfrau (registered nurse) takes 3 years full time, with most of the time spent on practical work in hospitals or care homes.

How long an Ausbildung takes

The German Vocational Training Act (BBiG) sets a duration of 2 to 3 years. Some technical trades take three and a half years (42 months), such as Mechatroniker (mechatronics technician), Industriemechaniker (industrial mechanic) and Kfz-Mechatroniker (automotive mechatronics technician).

Also count the preparation time in Cameroon. Between learning German, building the file, finding a company and waiting for the visa, it often takes more than a year before you leave. Better to know that from day one.

What you earn during an Ausbildung

In dual training you receive a monthly allowance (Ausbildungsvergütung). The law sets a minimum. For training that starts in 2026:

The year you start fixes these amounts for your whole training. Many companies pay more than the minimum, especially those bound by a collective agreement. In 2025 the average collectively agreed allowance was 1,209 EUR gross per month across all training years.

Do not convert to FCFA and start dreaming. Life in Germany is expensive: rent, insurance, transport, food. The breakdown by trade and a realistic budget are in our article on Ausbildung salary in Germany.

Requirements for an Ausbildung from Cameroon

To get the training visa (section 16a of the German Residence Act), you need, in short:

1. A concrete training place: a signed contract with a company or school in Germany.
2. German, normally at B1: the embassy wants all four modules (Lesen, Hören, Schreiben, Sprechen) passed with a recognised certificate (Goethe, telc, ÖSD, TestDaF or ECL), and the oldest module should not be more than one year old.
3. Your living costs covered: for company-based training your allowance must reach 1,048 EUR gross or 822 EUR net per month. If it is lower, the gap must be covered by a blocked account or a Verpflichtungserklärung (a formal commitment by someone in Germany to cover your costs). For school-based training you need at least 959 EUR net per month.

Notice the catch: the legal minimum of 724 EUR is below 1,048 EUR. A trainee on minimum pay will need a top-up. Most positions paid under a collective agreement clear that threshold.

The law sets no age limit for the § 16a visa. If you are under 18, all your parents or legal guardians must sign and appear (or give notarised consent).

For standard dual training, the training law sets no minimum school certificate, but companies do look at your results. Your GCE O-Level and A-Level grades matter in a competitive application. Nursing is the exception: the law requires the equivalent of the German mittlerer Schulabschluss, so your certificates will be assessed. All the details are in our guide to Ausbildung requirements in 2026 and on the requirements page.

The route from Cameroon, step by step

Step 1: pick a realistic trade

Start from your profile: your schooling, your work experience, what you enjoy doing with your hands. Then look at the fields where Germany is short of people, such as care, cooking, construction and truck driving. Our article on Ausbildung jobs in demand in Germany helps you choose.

Step 2: learn German up to B1

This is the longest step. B1 takes steady, serious work, often several months of intensive classes. If you are starting from zero, plan for it. Be honest with yourself: without solid B1, job interviews fail even if the certificate is in your bag. At ILC we prepare candidates for all four modules. See our German courses in Cameroon.

Step 3: pass the exam and prepare your documents

With B1 done, you build your file: Lebenslauf (German-style CV), Anschreiben (cover letter), certificates, transcripts and sworn translations. The full list is on the documents page.

Step 4: applications and interviews

Applications go out to German companies, followed by interviews, usually by video and in German. At ILC our team prepares and sends the applications with you and coaches you for the interviews. A positive answer leads to a training contract.

Step 5: approval from the employment agency

For company-based training, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) must approve the job. This happens internally between the authorities: you do not file anything yourself.

Step 6: the visa application in Yaoundé

Since May 2026, registration for work and training visas goes through the Auslandsportal (digital.diplo.de), the online portal of the German Foreign Office. You submit in Yaoundé, either at the embassy or at VFS Global (except school-based training, which goes through the embassy). There is no German visa centre in Douala, Bamenda or Bafoussam, so plan the trip.

The visa fee is 75 EUR, charged as 50,000 FCFA, or 25,000 FCFA if you are under 18. You pay only at the counter against an official receipt. Details are in our Ausbildung visa guide for Cameroon and on the § 16a visa page.

Step 7: the wait

In 2025 the embassy announced waiting times of more than a year for the “Training, Work” category. There is a fast-track procedure (section 81a) that the employer starts with the authorities in Germany, for a fee of 411 EUR. After the advance approval, the embassy appointment follows within about three weeks. Not every company uses it.

Step 8: arriving in Germany

You register your address at the town hall, open a bank account and apply for your residence permit locally (fees up to 100 EUR). Then the training really begins.

What it costs before you leave

The Ausbildung pays, but getting there does not. Budget for German classes and the exam, translations, trips to Yaoundé, the visa fee, the flight, a possible blocked account and your first weeks in Germany before the first payslip. Our costs page breaks down each item. Be wary of anyone who promises a visa for a big sum: the embassy does not sell appointments. Read our anti-scam charter before paying anyone.

And after the Ausbildung?

With your German qualification you can look for a job for up to 18 months on a dedicated residence permit, and work in the meantime. Once hired as a skilled worker, you can apply for permanent residence faster than many other foreigners. It is all in after the Ausbildung: work and residence. Still torn between training and university? Read Ausbildung or university in Germany.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do an Ausbildung with GCE A-Level, or only O-Level?

For most dual trades the law does not require a specific certificate, so both can work. Companies compare candidates, and good A-Level results help. For nursing you need the equivalent of the German mittlerer Schulabschluss, which must be assessed.

What level of German do I need?

Normally B1 in all four modules. Many candidates aim higher to do well in interviews and at the Berufsschule.

How much does a first-year trainee earn?

At least 724 EUR gross per month for training starting in 2026, often more depending on the trade and the company.

How long does the whole process take?

Often more than a year from your first German class to departure, depending on your starting level and the embassy waiting time.

Where do I apply for the visa?

Only in Yaoundé, at the German embassy or at VFS Global, after registering on the Auslandsportal.

For anything else, check our FAQ or create your account to start your file.

Sources

• Make it in Germany: visa for vocational training
• Section 5 BBiG: training duration
• Section 16a AufenthG: vocational training
• BIBB: minimum training allowance 2026
• BIBB: collectively agreed allowances 2025
• BIBB: directory of recognised training occupations
• Section 6 PflBG: nursing training duration
• German Embassy Yaoundé: work and training visas
• German Embassy Yaoundé: appointment FAQ
• Section 20 AufenthG: job search after training

Last checked: 19 October 2026.