How to scale up labour migration from Uzbekistan to Germany?
Labour migration from Uzbekistan to Germany promises a genuine win-win-win: migrants gain income and career prospects, Uzbekistan benefits from remittances and stronger economic ties, and Germany fills gaps in an ageing workforce. The policy foundations are in place. Uzbekistan is actively reforming its vocational training (VET) system, while Germany has widened access for non-EU workers through the Skilled Immigration Act. Yet flows remain small so far. From our point of view, scaling up requires coordinated action on six priorities: continuing VET reform, better marketing of vocational pathways to secondary school students, expanding German language training, improving employer-migrant matching, strengthening retention, and speeding up visa processing. Progress will take time, but the outlook is promising. One should now be open to different approaches in order to identify which migration formats prove to be sustainable.
Why the moment is favourable
Labour migration from Uzbekistan to Germany offers important opportunities for all parties involved. Migrants benefit from higher incomes and professional development. Uzbekistan benefits from remittances and deeper international economic ties. Germany can mitigate labour shortages.
The policy environment for expanding bilateral migration is also favourable. For several years, Uzbek authorities have sought to promote regular labour migration, especially by workers with vocational qualifications, and diversify destinations away from Russia. At the same time, Germany has facilitated access for non‑EU workers through the 2023/2024 Skilled Immigration Act and a bilateral migration framework.
Nevertheless, labour migration from Uzbekistan to Germany remains modest in scale. The resident Uzbek population in Germany is small. Existing initiatives in language training, vocational preparation, and job placement typically operate with annual cohorts in the low or medium three digits. These initiatives demonstrate that vocational migration is feasible under the current legal framework. However, scaling up requires systematic solutions for vocational training and recognition of qualifications, language acquisition, employer-migrant matching, and economic and social integration and retention.
Main pathways into the German labour market
Access to the German labour market for non‑EU nationals with VET has widened in recent years, but entry remains highly formalised. In brief, the requirements for experienced workers to obtain a German work permit revolve around (i) a recognised, minimum-two-year vocational training in Uzbekistan; (ii) a good command of German; (iii) an employment contract with a German employer, guaranteeing standard working conditions and an annual gross salary of app. EUR 45,000.
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Non-regulated professions are those that may be practiced without a state permit. Visa applicants from Uzbekistan must provide evidence of either relevant professional experience or the formal equivalence of their Uzbek qualifications. In regulated professions for which workers need a state permit (such as in healthcare), the equivalence of the Uzbek qualification must be certified by Germany authorities. There is a well-established, employer-financed mechanism for identifying gaps in the Uzbek qualification and taking compensatory courses and exams in Germany to achieve full equivalence.
Alternatively, young Uzbeks with German skills at least at B1 level may directly enter vocational training programs in Germany. Apprentices often need guidance counselling and support with social integration.
There are several initiatives to deliver VET according to German standards in Uzbekistan such that the vocational qualification obtained is equivalent to the corresponding German one. If successful, this approach would probably be costeffective and contribute to human capital formation in Uzbekistan because not all graduates would emigrate. However, the necessary transformation of VET in Uzbekistan faces numerous challenges and cannot happen overnight.
Recommendations for scaling up labour migration
Continue pragmatic VET reform in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is currently transforming its VET system from book‑based instruction towards task‑based learning with enterprise involvement. At the same time, foreign language training is expanded in vocational colleges. For some graduates, these reformed VET programs may be a good starting point for an apprenticeship in Germany. As a result, German employers may find an improving candidate pool for apprenticeships in Germany.
Actively market VET programs to secondary school students with a broader range of academic skills
Like in Germany, many secondary school students in Uzbekistan are reluctant to opt for vocational training if they can attend university instead. This applies particularly to academically oriented PASCH school where many students achieve at least B1 level German skills. This attitude may cause students to ignore the diverse opportunities offered by today’s VET system in Germany, including the excellent earnings prospects of many graduates from universities of applied sciences with a solid VET background.
Expand German language training capacity
German language skills are a binding constraint across most migration pathways. The infrastructure for teaching German, particularly in vocational colleges, should be strengthened through investment in teacher training, incentives for skills upgrading by teachers, and easy access to decentralised, reliable language testing.
Improve job matching and information transparency
Effective matching between migrants and employers before departure is essential. Clear information on wages, working and living conditions, training content, and career prospects helps align expectations and reduces early exits. Private agencies can play a significant role in scaling migration, but they require oversight. Enforcing the “employer‑pays” principle and monitoring agency practices protects migrants and reduces reputational risks for employers.
Promote employee retention through integration and incentives
Dropouts and poaching discourage employer engagement. Better candidate selection, thorough pre‑departure orientation, ongoing counselling, and remuneration structures that reward seniority can improve retention.
Speed up visa processing
A key obstacle to scaling up labour migration is the response time of German government institutions in administrative processes. In order to increase labour migration from Uzbekistan, it is necessary to significantly speed up the processing of visa applications at the German embassy, as well as the approval of applications by the Federal Employment Agency.
Conclusion
The sustainable scaling of labour migration is not a simple task. It requires coordinated efforts from both the private sector as well as the Uzbek and German governments. Even with strong commitment from all sides, progress will take time. Nevertheless, the outlook is very positive. At this early stage, it is important to maintain a spirit of experimentation in order to identify what works best for developing sustainable labour migration from Uzbekistan to Germany.
This newsletter is based on the Policy Study “Expanding migration opportunities from Uzbekistan to Germany for workers with a vocational qualification” (forthcoming).
Sources
- IHK Region Stuttgart (2026). Fachkräfte aus Drittstaaten – Wer darf kommen? Retrieved April 29, 2026, from https://www.ihk.de/stuttgart/fuer-unternehmen/fachkraefte-und-ausbildung/personalgewinnung-und-entwicklung/fachkraefteeinwanderung/feg-wer-darf-kommen-6020222
