German Consulate Sydney: How to Apply for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany
On this page, we look at how Australian citizens can apply for the German Working Holiday Visa at the German Consulate in Sydney, including the visa application process and requirements.
If you are an Australian citizen looking to move to Germany, one of your first priorities will be securing a visa that permits you to live and travel in Germany. For this, applying for a Working Holiday Visa is a fantastic option as it allows you to live in Germany for up to 1 year while earning some money to support your life in Deutschland!
❗ Note: We endeavour to keep our visa information up to date. However, before applying, we recommend always cross-referencing our information with the official application information from the German Consulate in Sydney.
Who can apply for the Working Holiday Visa at the German Consulate in Sydney?
In order to be eligible for the German Working Holiday Visa, you must fulfil a number of criteria:
✔️ You must be an Australian citizen with a valid Australian passport
✔️ You must be between 18 and 30 years old. The visa must be issued before your 31st birthday.
✔️ You cannot be accompanied by minors or dependents
If you tick these three simple requirements, then you are eligible for the German Working Holiday Visa and can start preparing for your application at the German Consulate in Sydney.
How to apply for the Working Holiday Visa at the German Consulate in Sydney?
1️⃣ Prepare your application documents, book a visa appointment and apply for the German Working Holiday Visa at the German Consulate in Sydney
2️⃣ Move to Germany. Register at an address, set up a bank account, find a job.
1️⃣ Prepare your application documents, book a visa appointment and apply for the German Working Holiday Visa at the German Consulate in Sydney
How to book a Working Holiday Visa appointment at the German Consulate in Sydney
📅 First up, you need to secure an appointment at the German Consulate in Sydney. This can be secured via the booking platform on their website.
Once you have booked your appointment, you then need to go to the German Consulate in Sydney at the time and date listed on your appointment confirmation. The consulate is located at:
Level 17, 100 William St,
Sydney (Woolloomooloo),
NSW 2011
Essential documents for the German Working Holiday Visa application in Sydney
At your visa appointment, you will be required to submit a number of documents:
✅ A valid passport
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the intended stay, have at least 2 free pages, and not be older than 10 years old.
✅ A current biometric passport photo
Guidelines recommend a 35 mm x 45 mm frontal shot with neutral facial expression, closed mouth, looking straight into the camera, with a light background.
✅ Completed visa application form
✅ Travel insurance
In order to obtain the Working Holiday Visa for Germany, you need a travel insurance policy that covers you for the full duration of your visa. In short, you need travel insurance that covers you for a full year from the date you will enter Germany and that provides a minimum of €30,000 medical coverage with repatriation included.
When applying at the German Consulate in Sydney, our favourite travel insurance option is World Nomads. We like World Nomads because:
It is widely accepted by German embassies and consulates worldwide.
It meets the insurance regulations for the German Working Holiday Visa.
It is a well-regarded travel insurance policy trusted by travellers all around the globe.
At your appointment, you will need to show your World Nomads policy documents detailing the dates of your policy as well as the inclusions.
✅ Flight booking
You can book a return or a one-way flight. If you book a one-way flight, you must show an additional AUD 1500 in proof of funds for the return flight back.
If you have not booked a flight before your appointment, you can show an additional AUD 2100 in proof of funds. This is in addition to the proof of funds requirement below.
✅ Proof of funds
You must show that you have savings of at least AUD 7100. This must be shown on a formal bank statement from your bank with your name clearly displayed on it. You are required to present the last three months of statements. Your bank statement should show that you have had at least AUD 7100 in your account for the previous three months.
If you have free accommodation for the first three months in Germany, the proof of funds amount is just AUD 1800, although this must be proven by an invitation letter from your friend or relative that you will be staying with along with a copy of their passport.
How much does the Working Holiday Visa cost at the German Consulate in Sydney?
💰 The cost of the Working Holiday Visa for Germany is EUR 75 payable in local currency by cash or credit card.
Processing of the German Working Holiday Visa at the German Consulate in Sydney
🕓 On average, the processing time for your Working Holiday Visa is 1–2 weeks
Once your visa and passport are ready for collection, you can either collect them in person or provide a prepaid registered envelope if you would like your passport returned by post.
🎉 Congratulations! Once you have made it this far, you have successfully applied for the German Working Holiday Visa at the German Consulate in Sydney. You are now ready to move to Germany – for tips on what to do after your arrival, see step 2 below.
2️⃣ Move to Germany. Register at an address, set up a bank account, find a job.
Once you have successfully applied for the Working Holiday Visa in step 1 above, you are ready to make the move to Germany. On arrival in Germany, there are a number of key things you should do to ensure you have a smooth relocation.
🏠 Officially register at an address (Anmeldung)
Once you arrive in Germany, it is essential that you officially register at an address in Germany, a process that is known as Anmeldung. Without Anmeldung, you cannot receive your German tax ID (which you need when starting work in Germany) or perform most administrative tasks, such as signing up with an internet or energy supplier.
If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
We have also put together a guide on securing longer-term accommodation in Berlin, which may come in handy.
💰 Set up a German bank account
When starting out on your working holiday, it is important to have easy and (preferably) free access to your funds in Germany. To ensure this, we highly recommend that you set up a German bank account shortly after your arrival.
For Australian working holidaymakers in Germany, a Vivid bank account is a great option. The account is 100% free to set up and maintain. When you factor in a free Debit Mastercard and free ATM withdrawals, it is definitely a good choice for your working holiday. For further details about why Vivid might be a good option for you, check out our Vivid review.
If you are also interested in doing lots of travel around the rest of Europe during your working holiday in Germany, then you may also benefit from getting a free borderless account with Wise, formerly TransferWise. Wise’s borderless account allows you to spend money in any currency at a market-leading exchange rate.
🧑💼 Find a job in Germany
One of the great benefits of the Working Holiday Visa is that it permits you to pick up jobs in Germany to help fund your stay. But you will still need to land a job – to get you started, we have put together some free job-hunting resources:
👍 Best board job boards in Germany
👍 Startup jobs, hospitality jobs and teaching jobs in Berlin