If you have enough time to waste and the resources to travel, how about wasting it productively? German immigration has a special internship program for individuals of other countries.
Before you apply, here are a few tips for a good internship.
Stimulation: Your internship should be stimulating. Do not opt for an internship that has drab tasks. There are those that make you run errands, which are even worse. Find out all you can about the internship program before applying.
Autonomy: You need both the freedom to work and the ability to function independently. If your internship doesn’t give you both, you are wasting time... not so productively.
Short and sweet: Long internships with complex tasks are not viable in the long run. Unpaid internships usually last for two to three months. If they are more than six months, run the other direction.
Single contact: One boss to handle your internship is more than enough. You need not go through multiple channels when you are there for a short time.
Preferably paid internship: You spend so much traveling to Germany for an internship. The least you should get is a small salary to support yourself. But if you are going only to satisfy your personal interest, it should be fine as long as you have enough funds.
For a
German Training/Internship Visa, you require a valid passport, an A4 size copy of your passport’s data page, health insurance coverage of 30,000 Euros, to and fro tickets, proof of accommodation, no objection/deputation letter of your local employer, approval letter from the German company offering you the internship confirming your accommodation and payment, proof of qualification, and if needed, letter of consent from “Bundesagentur fur Arbeit” (Federal Employment Agency / ZAV).
