Route: vocational training (Ausbildung)

Requirements, pay, German level and why this route attracts the most scams.

Legal basis: § 16a AufenthG (company-based training). The Federal Employment Agency must approve it. A side job of up to 20 hours a week is allowed. In Berlin the training itself combines work at a company with school at an OSZ (Oberstufenzentrum).

What you need

• A training contract with a real German company. You can look the company up and call it.
• German: the law only requires "sufficient" German. In practice embassies ask for a B1 certificate, or confirmation from the training company or vocational school, or enrolment in a preparatory German course. This is based on other embassies' leaflets; the Jakarta leaflet for § 16a was not available, so confirm with Embassy Jakarta.
• Living costs: at least €1,048 gross (or €822 net) a month for company-based training; school-based training €959 net. If your training pay is below that, you cover the difference with a blocked account, opened before you apply.
• Indonesian documents with apostille and translation: Documents from Indonesia. There is no separate school-certificate recognition step for § 16a; the training company decides what it needs.

What you earn

• Minimum training pay 2026 (BIBB): €724 / €854 / €977 / €1,014 a month in training years 1 to 4. Collective agreements are often higher.
• Nursing training pays considerably more than the minimum. A secondary source names about €1,490 in year one; not confirmed.
• If your training ends through no fault of your own, you have up to 6 months to find a new place.
• There is no age limit in the law, though employers may prefer younger applicants (practice, not confirmed).

Visa to look for a training place (§ 17)

Under 35 years old, German at B1, a school-leaving certificate that qualifies for university, and money for up to 9 months. Whether the missions in Indonesia issue this in practice is not confirmed.