Germany's construction sector is short of skilled tradespeople. Housing targets are being missed, infrastructure projects are delayed, and labor costs are rising. International recruitment is no longer optional for many firms. Here's how companies are filling critical roles through immigration and what visa routes are available.
The scale of the shortage
Germany's construction industry (Baugewerbe) has struggled for years to fill skilled trade positions, from electricians, plumbing and HVAC installers and carpenters to site managers.
The root cause is demographic: the generation of German-trained tradespeople (Handwerker) is retiring faster than new apprentices are entering the system. And with fewer young Germans choosing vocational paths, the domestic pipeline cannot fill the gap alone.
Most affected roles
| Role | Shortage severity | Typical visa route |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians (Elektriker) | Critical | §18a Skilled Worker Visa |
| Plumbers & HVAC (Sanitär-Heizung-Klima) | Critical | §18a Skilled Worker Visa |
| Carpenters (Zimmerer) | High | §18a Skilled Worker Visa |
| Civil engineers | High | EU Blue Card |
| Construction managers / Bauleiter | High | EU Blue Card |
| Welders (Schweißer) | Critical | §18a / §19c(2) Experience |
| Concrete workers (Betonbauer) | Moderate | §18a Skilled Worker Visa |
| Mechatronics technicians (KFZ-Mechatroniker) | High | §18a Skilled Worker Visa |
The international talent solution
Germany's revised Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz specifically targets the trades shortage. Key provisions for construction employers:
- Experience-based hiring (§19c Abs. 2 with §6 BeschV) — workers with at least two years' experience in the last five years and a vocational qualification (at least two years' training) or degree recognised by their home state can be hired without German recognition, at a salary of at least €45,630 in 2026 unless the employer is bound by a collective agreement (for a first approval at 45 or older, €55,770 or adequate pension provision)
- Western Balkans Regulation — citizens of Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia can work in almost any occupation (including trades) with a job offer and the Federal Employment Agency's approval, which includes a priority check
- Recognition partnerships (§16d Abs. 3) — workers can start working while their qualifications are being formally recognised in Germany, if they have a home-state-recognised qualification, German at A2, an agreement with the employer and the Federal Employment Agency's approval
Visa routes for construction workers
§18a — Skilled Worker with Vocational Training
For workers with a vocational qualification that is equivalent to a German one. The competent body (for example IHK FOSA or the Handwerkskammer) has to confirm the equivalence; anabin and the ZAB only cover university degrees. This is the standard route for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and similar trades.
EU Blue Card — for engineers and managers
Civil engineers, construction project managers, and other degree-holding professionals qualify for the Blue Card if they meet the salary threshold (€45,934.20 as a shortage occupation in 2026, with Federal Employment Agency approval). Fastest path to permanent residence (21–27 months).
§19c(2) — Experience-based, without German recognition
Under §6 BeschV: at least two years' relevant experience in the last five years, plus a vocational qualification state-recognised in the home country (at least two years' training) or a degree. No German recognition procedure is needed. Useful for welders, heavy equipment operators, and specialised tradespeople whose German recognition would take long.
§19c(1) with §3 No. 3 BeschV — Specialists, qualification not recognised
For a qualified job that needs special, especially company-specific knowledge. No recognition, no ZAB confirmation and no fixed salary threshold; the Federal Employment Agency checks that pay and conditions match comparable German staff. In one of relokate's cases (October 2026) this route worked for an aircraft painter at an aviation company in Hamburg whose vocational qualification from abroad is not recognised in Germany.
Western Balkans Regulation
Citizens of 6 Western Balkan countries can work in almost any occupation with a job offer. No qualification recognition needed (except for regulated professions). The Federal Employment Agency must approve, including a priority check, and an annual quota of 50,000 approvals applies. Popular for construction roles.
An illustrative example
Illustrative example, not a client case
A mid-sized construction firm needs 15 electricians and 8 HVAC technicians for a multi-year infrastructure project, and domestic recruitment brings in only a few hires. Working with a relocation partner, it recruits qualified tradespeople from Serbia (Western Balkans route) and the Philippines (§18a after the equivalence of their qualification is confirmed).
What to expect: the Western Balkans hires depend on the monthly quota and embassy appointments; the §18a hires depend on the recognition decision first. The relocation costs per worker (visa, flights, temporary housing) are usually far lower than the cost of delaying the project.
Getting started
If your construction company is considering international recruitment for the first time:
Identify the right visa route
Match each role to the appropriate permit type. Engineers → Blue Card. Tradespeople → §18a. Experienced workers with a home-country qualification → §19c(2) with §6 BeschV. Balkan countries → Western Balkans route.
Start qualification recognition early
For §18a, the recognition body decides within three months of receiving complete documents (§6(3) BQFG; two months in the fast-track procedure, §14a BQFG). Collecting and translating documents comes on top, so begin before recruiting.
Partner with a recruitment agency in the source country
Agencies in the Philippines, Serbia, and India specialise in pre-screening construction workers for German companies.
Arrange housing and onboarding
Workers relocating from abroad need temporary accommodation, Anmeldung support, and basic orientation. This is where most employers underestimate the effort.
Use a relocation partner for the visa process
Immigration paperwork for 10+ workers simultaneously is complex. A specialised partner handles embassy coordination, document preparation, and digital submissions to the Ausländerbehörde at scale.
Frequently asked questions
How many construction workers does Germany need?
There is no single official figure. Skilled construction trades such as electrical work, plumbing and HVAC, and carpentry have been hard to fill for years, as trained tradespeople retire and fewer young people start vocational training, while demand for housing and infrastructure stays high. International recruitment is one of the main levers employers have.
Which visa routes exist for hiring construction workers from abroad to Germany?
The main routes are: the §18a skilled worker visa for workers with a recognised German-equivalent qualification; the Western Balkans Regulation (Westbalkanregelung) for workers from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia — no qualification recognition required; the Anerkennungspartnerschaft (recognition partnership) allowing workers to begin work while recognition is still in progress; the experience route (§19c(2) AufenthG with §6 BeschV); and, for a qualified job that needs special, especially company-specific knowledge, the specialist route (§19c(1) AufenthG with §3 No. 3 BeschV), which needs Federal Employment Agency approval but no recognition.
What is the Westbalkanregelung and how does it help construction companies?
The Western Balkans Regulation allows German employers to hire workers from six Western Balkan countries for virtually any job, without requiring formal qualification recognition. The Federal Employment Agency (BA) must approve each job: it runs a priority check (are suitable German, EU or other preferred jobseekers available?) and checks that pay and conditions are comparable. Up to 50,000 approvals a year are available, which the BA allocates by month and nationality.
Do construction workers from abroad need their qualifications recognised before starting in Germany?
Not always. Workers using the Western Balkans Regulation can start without recognition. Under the Anerkennungspartnerschaft route (§16d(3) AufenthG), a worker can take up employment while the recognition process is still ongoing, provided they hold a qualification recognised by their home state, speak German at A2, the BA approves, and employer and employee sign an agreement committing to the recognition procedure. Workers on the experience route (§6 BeschV) need no German recognition either.
How long does it take to recruit a construction worker from abroad to Germany?
With the fast-track procedure (Beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren, §81a AufenthG), the Federal Employment Agency (BA) decides within 1 week and the embassy offers a visa appointment within 3 weeks; the local Ausländerbehörde's review before that — and any recognition of the qualification — depends on the city and the case. Without fast-track, the recognition body alone has up to three months after receiving complete documents (§6(3) BQFG), and visa appointments depend on the embassy.
How does relokate help with hiring construction workers from abroad?
relokate takes over the visa and relocation steps for construction hires, from one worker to a whole group: relokate matches each role to the right route (§18a, §19c, EU Blue Card or Western Balkans Regulation), prepares the documents and the Federal Employment Agency paperwork, coordinates the embassy appointments and handles the residence permits at any of Germany's more than 500 immigration offices, following up with authorities directly. In relokate's cases, Western Balkans embassy appointments often take many months, so plan early. Anmeldung, health insurance and a bank account can be added to each case, and HR follows every case in the relokate dashboard. Next step: book a 30-minute demo.
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Check visa eligibility →About the author
Hanna Kovacs
Product Manager, Global Mobility
Professional experience across the US, Hungary, and Germany in product management and operations. Deep expertise in German immigration law and the regulatory landscape for skilled worker migration. At relokate, Hanna owns the product roadmap, drives platform automation, and develops the compliance frameworks and immigration content that HR teams rely on.
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