Traveling with an internship visa

Internship visa - What is it?

Are you planning to gain your first professional experience abroad? An internship visa is one of the requirements for working as an intern or trainee in a country that requires a visa. In many countries, however, there is no explicit internship visa as a special form of business or work visa. Instead, interns are usually obliged to apply for a higher-level visa. For China, for example, the embassy has two options: If the traveler completes the internship following their studies or takes up a trainee position with a company, they require a business visa (M visa). If, on the other hand, they are still a student or pupil and are planning to complete an internship in China in addition to a semester or school year abroad, they will need a student visa. With the right permit in your pocket, nothing stands in the way of an unforgettable experience abroad.

What documents do I need for an internship visa?

For a stay as an intern, the requirements stipulated by the destination country for the respective visa required, for example a business or student visa, apply. In all cases, an official invitation from the host country is usually required to apply for an internship visa. The invitation letter, also known as the Visa Support Letter or Invitation Letter, is usually issued by the company that employs the intern in the destination country. Pupils and students receive the invitation letter from the school or university for which they have been admitted. Alternatively, local visa agencies are able to organize the central document for the visa application. In addition to the Visa Support Letter, several or all of the following documents are usually required, depending on the destination country:

• Application form
• Passport
• Passport photo
• Insurance
• Proof of willingness to return

You can find out which documents you need for your stay abroad when you select your destination country in the application mask on Buch-Dein-Visum.

How long is the visa valid for interns and trainees?

The length of stay always depends on the information in the invitation. For example, if your employer has invited you for a 4-week internship, you are generally not permitted to exceed this period. There is also a fixed maximum number of days in each destination country. In China, for example, interns receive an entry permit for a maximum of 180 days. It may be possible to extend the visa on site.

Plan your internship abroad in advance

It is advisable to plan a trip for internship purposes in good time and to find out about the entry requirements from the embassy of the country in question. Our visa service will be happy to help you find the right visa and take care of the application and administrative procedures. If you plan to leave and re-enter the country during your internship, for example to fly home for the holidays, you should take this into account when applying for your internship visa.