A German visa is not the only paper a Filipino needs to leave for Germany. The Philippine government has its own requirements, and which ones apply depends on why you are going: workers need an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from the DMW, people joining family or going as au pairs register with the CFO, and minors traveling without a parent need a DSWD clearance.
Skipping these steps can get you denied departure at the airport even with a valid German visa. This page explains each one in plain words, using official Philippine sources. Each point links to its source so you can check it yourself. Rules change, so confirm with the agency before you go.
Which paper is for you?
- Going to work (skilled-worker visa, EU Blue Card, experienced-worker route, Opportunity Card, recognition partnership): OEC from the DMW, and PEOS first if it is your first time working abroad.
- Going for an Ausbildung: most likely the OEC as well, see below.
- Joining a spouse, partner, parent or child: CFO registration. A child traveling without the parent may also need a DSWD clearance.
- Going as an au pair: CFO registration.
- Going to study: the CFO checklist for Germany does not list a student category.
OEC: Overseas Employment Certificate
Filipino workers leaving for overseas employment, including in Germany, must get an OEC from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). The Philippine Embassy in Berlin confirms this, and its labor office MWO-Berlin helps with OEC and employment-contract verification for Germany. The OEC is your exit clearance at Philippine immigration, and it exempts you from the travel tax and the airport terminal fee.
PEOS: Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar
PEOS is a free online seminar run by the DMW. If you are working abroad for the first time, you must complete it before you can get your OEC. Workers who have worked abroad before, called Balik-Manggagawa, do not need it. You register on the official PEOS website.
Ausbildung and the OEC
Philippine law (Republic Act 11641, section 3) defines an Overseas Filipino Worker as a Filipino doing paid work abroad, with an exception only for government-recognized exchange programs. An Ausbildung trainee has a paid training contract, so the law’s wording points to an OEC. No DMW or labor office page names Ausbildung specifically, so this is our reading of the law. Confirm with the DMW or the nearest Philippine Overseas Labor Office before you rely on it.
CFO registration: family and au pair visas
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) requires registration before departure for certain categories. According to its checklist for Germany:
- A spouse or registered partner joining a German citizen, or a foreign national with German permanent residence, attends the Guidance and Counseling Program.
- A child or stepchild joining a German citizen or Filipino permanent resident, a parent joining a German citizen, and a spouse joining a Filipino permanent resident attend the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar.
- Au pair visa holders bound for Europe must complete CFO registration and the Guidance and Counseling Program.
You receive a certificate and an Emigrant Registration Sticker, and without them you can be denied departure. For relatives the checklist does not list, call the CFO at (02) 8552-4700 local 787. Filipino spouses and partners of foreigners who hold tourist visas have been exempt from the Guidance and Counseling Program since 3 September 2023; a family visa is not a tourist visa, so the requirement still applies to joining family.
DSWD travel clearance for minors
A Filipino minor traveling abroad without a parent needs a travel clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Per the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, a minor joining a parent already in Germany needs it if traveling unaccompanied. It is not needed if the minor travels together with the parent, and children under 13 cannot travel alone regardless of clearance. It also matters for Ausbildung, since German training can begin at 16.
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Guides for each route: overview of German visa types, work, Ausbildung, family and au pair.
Official sources
- Philippine Embassy Berlin: Overseas Employment Certificate
- DMW: Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS)
- Republic Act 11641, Department of Migrant Workers Act
- Commission on Filipinos Overseas: visa class checklist
- Bureau of Immigration: CFO requirements
- Philippine Embassy Berlin: DSWD travel clearance for minors
Last checked: September 20, 2026. This is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change, so confirm them with the agencies.