The Driver Training Plan
Updated on 8 October 2026.
From ride-hailing driver in Nigeria to paid, insured driver training in Germany: the visa rule, the money in naira, and the twelve-month calendar.
Which of these is you
- You drove for a living, hold a Nigerian licence, no degree. Read everything; the calendar is yours.
- You have a degree and drove part-time. This route still works for you; Germany's opportunity card (the Germany pack) may also be open through your degree.
- You already speak some German. Jump to "Where the training places are" and start applying this month.
- You have no savings yet. Start at "German, from zero".
The route in plain words
Germany trains people for skilled jobs through Ausbildung: a company hires you as a trainee, pays you monthly from month one, and sends you to a training school part of the week. After three years you hold the German certificate for that trade. This pack covers Berufskraftfahrer, the professional driver: trucks, coaches, logistics.
The visa is the visa for vocational training under Section 16a of the German Residence Act. Its requirements: a confirmed training place, German at B1 (or your training company confirming your German is sufficient), and at least EUR 959 net a month to live on (2026), which for paid training is mostly the training salary itself: a training allowance of at least EUR 1,048 gross or EUR 822 net a month counts as secure livelihood on its own (make-it-in-germany.com, read 7 October 2026). With this permit you may also take a second job of up to 20 hours a week, and once training ends you get up to 18 months to find qualified work in Germany. Where your training allowance is below that, you show the gap up to EUR 959 net a month, usually with a blocked account.
Official: Visa for vocational training.
The money, in naira
| What | Figure | In naira |
|---|---|---|
| Livelihood line for the training visa, 2026 | EUR 959 net a month | about ₦1.43m |
| Training allowance that counts as secure livelihood on its own, 2026 | EUR 1,048 gross or EUR 822 net a month | about ₦1.56m or ₦1.22m |
A training allowance of at least EUR 1,048 gross or EUR 822 net a month counts as secure livelihood on its own; below that, you show the gap up to EUR 959 net a month, usually with a blocked account. Sources: the training visa page above, and the German Missions in Nigeria, financial means.
The visa fee is paid at the embassy, on the embassy's own page, never to an agent. The mission's own checklist governs which documents you bring.
The twelve-month calendar
| Month | Do this |
|---|---|
| 1 | Register for German A1 at a recognised examiner (Goethe-Institut Lagos or Abuja) or a community class; buy one textbook |
| 2 to 4 | Move from A1 to A2. Gather your international passport, WAEC or SSCE certificate, driving licence, and a one-page German-style CV |
| 4 to 6 | Apply to training companies for next August's intake; say plainly that you are at A2 heading to B1 |
| 7 to 9 | Video interviews; a signed contract follows |
| 9 to 11 | Sit B1, arrange health insurance, book your visa appointment on the consular portal, and lodge the visa with your contract, certificate, insurance and documents |
| 12 | Decision, then fly; training starts in August |
Where the training places are
The government's own find a training position page links to the Federal Employment Agency search. Type the job: Berufskraftfahrer, and leave the town blank the first time; smaller towns pay the same rate and rent for far less. No company charges a fee to apply; a "fee to secure your slot" is the sign to close the chat.
German, from zero
Goethe-Institut Nigeria, in Lagos and Abuja, runs courses through all six levels with dates and fees on their own page. B1 is the third level; from zero, steady classes typically reach it in nine to twelve months.
Tonight
Message to a training company, ready to send (add a German opening line once you have one):
Subject: Application for Berufskraftfahrer Ausbildung, start August 2027
Dear [Company name] team,
My name is [Full name], I am [age] and I live in [City], Nigeria. I have driven professionally for [number] years with a valid Nigerian driving licence, including [ride-hailing / delivery / long-distance] work. I am studying German and expect to reach B1 by [month, year]. I would like to apply for your Berufskraftfahrer Ausbildung starting August 2027. My CV is attached, and I can attend a video interview at any time.
Kind regards, [Full name], [phone], [email]
CV, German style, one page, in this order: photo (optional), name, date of birth, nationality, address, phone, email. Work: years as a professional driver, platform or company, city, key duties in three lines. Education: WAEC or SSCE and year, school. Driving licence: Nigerian, class, year held since. Languages: English (fluent), German (level, studying), and any others. Skills: route planning, customer service, vehicle care.
Worked example
Tunde, 31, Ojota, has ₦900,000 saved. He books German A1 for September, A2 for January, and B1 for June, checking course dates and fees on the Goethe-Institut Nigeria page each time. He applies to eleven training companies in February, gets three interviews in April, signs one contract in May, passes B1 in July, lodges his visa in August, and starts training the following month. His shared room in a mid-sized town costs roughly a third of his take-home. Tight, paid, insured, and moving.
The lines that protect your money
No company asks you for money to secure a training place; the company issues a contract to the person it interviewed, not to an agent. The visa fee goes to the embassy only. Nobody can guarantee a visa, including us.
Naira figures on this page use the Central Bank of Nigeria central rate of 7 October 2026 (EUR 1 = ₦1,488), rounded.