Work and live in Germany

On this page, we list the most frequently asked questions about the situation in Germany for people who want to live and work there.

Foreigners outside the European Economic Area may only work in Germany if their residence permit allows them to do so.

Access to the labor market for foreigners is limited by the Employment Ordinance. In principle, access to the labor market is restricted to certain occupational groups and usually requires the prior consent of the employment service. However, there are numerous exceptions to this principle. Access to the German labor market has also been further liberalized in recent years through various legal measures.

For non-skilled and low-skilled persons, there are still only limited possibilities of access to the labor market. For well-qualified foreigners, e. g. academically trained specialists, on the other hand, the legal hurdles for taking up employment in Germany have been lowered further.

For example, since 1 August 2012, there has been more accessible access to the labor market for academics with a recognized university degree via the ” EUBlue Card”. In addition to proof of qualification, all that is required for this is proof of a concrete job offer paying an annual gross salary of at least 56,400 euros (2022). The approval of the Federal Employment Agency is not required.

For specialists in the fields of mathematics, information technology, natural sciences and technology as well as doctors, the provisions regarding the ” EUBlue Card” also apply if they earn the same amount as comparable domestic employees, but at least 43,992 euros (2022). In this case, however, the Federal Employment Agency must approve the employment.

Simplified regulations on labor market access also apply, for example, to scientists, highly qualified persons, managers, executives and specialists.

The possibilities for recognizing professional qualifications acquired abroad have also been improved for professionally qualified foreigners, e.g., nursing professionals. In addition, access to the German labor market is also possible here in shortage occupations without a prior priority check, provided that the qualification of the skilled workers is equivalent to a German vocational qualification following the Recognition Act.

Get a work visa in Germany

As a rule, the visa must be applied for at the competent German mission abroad before entry.

In any case, meaningful documents on the qualification and the intended activity (e.g., concrete job offer, job description, sample employment contract) and documents on the planned accommodation in the Federal Republic of Germany (e.g., rental contract or similar) must be submitted. Details of the documents submitted for visa application can be found on the website of the relevant German mission abroad.

Applicants can also obtain the visa application form for a long-term stay (over 3 months) free of charge from the respective German mission abroad. Application forms for a long-term stay can also be downloaded via the following link (Visa regulations).

Citizens of Australia, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States of America can also obtain the required residence permit after entering Germany. The foreigner’s authority in the place where the foreigner will reside in Germany is responsible.