Germany’s first-ever “Invest in Germany Summit”, held in Berlin on 19-20 October 2026, was conceived as a high-profile welcome mat for global capital. Chancellor Friedrich Merz told more than 200 CEOs and fund managers that Germany is “open for business – and for the talent that comes with it.” Behind the photo-ops with Nvidia founder Jensen Huang, the Summit featured closed-door “deep-dive” sessions where cabinet ministers presented a new package of mobility measures designed to dovetail with the country’s aggressive investment push. According to officials from the economy and interior ministries, the government will in early 2027 launch a Fast-Track Investor Service that bundles site-selection support with immigration processing. Companies committing at least €20 million and 20 new local jobs will gain access to a concierge desk able to pre-approve key managers’ residence permits within 10 working days. The service builds on Germany’s 2026 Skilled Immigration Act by allowing intra-corporate transferees and start-up founders connected to qualifying green-tech and AI projects to convert their temporary assignment visas into long-term EU Blue Cards once an investment has broken ground. Dedicated processing lanes will also be opened in the new digital “Work & Stay Agency”, reducing paperwork for accompanying family members and permitting parents-in-law to join more quickly. Business groups welcomed the announcements. Martin Wansleben, Director of the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), said predictable permit timelines “finally bring Germany in line with the Netherlands and Ireland, where investors already get priority immigration channels.” Industrial manufacturers were equally upbeat: Siemens Mobility’s head of HR noted that the ten-day pledge “could shave months off rolling-stock projects that hinge on flying in software engineers.” For global-mobility managers, the immediate takeaway is that immigration will be knitted into Germany’s wider competitiveness agenda. Companies planning expansions – especially in AI chips, renewable hydrogen and advanced manufacturing – should engage early with the Investor Service to secure quota-free work permits, reserve appointments at understaffed foreign missions and lock in housing for transferees before demand spikes in 2027.
Source: Bundesregierung
