From June 1, Germany plans to increase the annual quota of work visas for the Western Balkans to 50,000, doubling the current figure.
Here are the main points:
- Starting June 1, workers from the Western Balkans will have special access to Germany's job market.
- Germany plans to increase the number of visas issued under the Western Balkans Regulation to 50,000, doubling the current quota.
- The next round of visa appointment registrations will be open from May 7 to May 14.
Citizens from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia will benefit from this privileged access to Germany's labor market starting June 1, 2024, under the Western Balkans Regulation.
Germany has chosen to increase twofold the annual allocation of visas for employment purposes to 50,000 for citizens of these six nations.
Starting from June 2024, the annual quota for issued approvals from the Federal Labor Agency will be increased to 50,000.
The regulation for the Western Balkan countries had a time limit until the conclusion of 2023. However, with the development of the new Skilled Immigration Act, Germany has opted to modify the regulations for these nationalities.
As explained by the German Embassy, the specifics of the new rules will be communicated in due time, and until then, all appointments will continue to be assigned through a lottery system.
Following the decision to augment the number of visas allocated to workers from the Western Balkans under the Western Balkans Regulation, SchengenVisaInfo has reached out to German authorities to gain insights into the new rules that will come into effect. Nevertheless, an official statement on the matter is still awaited.
The next registration for an appointment list opens on May 7. Nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia are eligible to enter Germany for employment under the Western Balkans Regulation.
However, given the substantial interest among individuals from these nations in securing work visas to Germany since the inception of the regulation, Germany has decided to allocate visa appointments through a lottery-based system.
The German embassies in these six Western Balkan countries have established a monthly lottery drawing system to randomly select individuals who will be allowed to schedule appointments to submit their visa applications.
The upcoming registration period for work visa appointments to Germany under the Western Balkans Regulation will commence this Wednesday, May 7, 2024, and will conclude after one week, on May 14, 2024.
During this seven-day window, individuals from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia are eligible to register directly, without the need for intermediaries or other agencies, as the process is straightforward.
Applicants should note that they are allowed to register only once, and subsequent changes to the data or transfer of appointments to others are not permitted.
Those selected through the lottery system will be notified by German authorities and can proceed with the visa application process.
As of the end of 2023, statistics based on the Western Balkans Regulation indicate that approximately 76,000 nationals from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia were employed under permits in Germany. This marked a 22% increase compared to 2022, when Germany had around 62,000 workers holding permits from these countries.
As reported by the German Federal Statistical Office, Destatis, Kosovo nationals constituted the largest contingent of workers in Germany under this regulation by the end of 2023, comprising a total of 20,000 individuals.
The German Federal Statistical Office, Destatis
Germany is anticipated to record a significant number of workers from Western Balkan countries under the same regulation by the end of this year, following the permanent establishment of the regulation through the new Skilled Immigration Act.