Residence permit for the purposes of job search for skilled workers
General information
You can apply for a residence permit to look for a job if you have a recognised vocational qualification or academic degree and you would like to look for employment in Germany.
People who are not yet living in Germany need to apply for the corresponding visa at the relevant German diplomatic mission before entering Germany. There is an exception for nationals of:
- Australia
- Israel
- Japan
- Canada
- South Korea
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- United States of America
When you have found a job which you are qualified to do, you can apply for a residence permit for the purposes of employment or for carrying out a self-employed activity.
Looking for a job after successfully completing a qualifying vocational training course or a study course in Germany
If you have successfully completed a qualifying vocational training course in Germany or a study course at a German higher education institution and were formerly in possession of a relevant residence permit for job training according to § 16a Residence Act or for studying according to § 16b or § 16c Residence Act, you can receive a residence permit which is valid up to 12 months (after an apprenticeship) or 18 months (after a study course) to look for a job. During this time you are allowed to take up any kind of employment. The residence permit cannot be extended beyond the aforementioned periods!
Looking for work after completing a research activity
If you have been pursuing a research activity with a corresponding residence permit according to § 18d or § 18f Residence Act, and have completed this activity, you are allowed, following this period, to look for a job for which you are qualified for up to nine months. The residence permit cannot be extended beyond the aforementioned periods!
Looking for a job after successfully completing a qualifying training course
If you have successfully completed a German qualification course according to § 16 Residence Act you can, under certain circumstances and after establishment of the equivalence of your vocational qualification or the issue of the permit entitling you to pursue your profession, apply for a residence permit valid for a maximum of 12 months to look for a suitable job. During this time you are allowed to take up any kind of employment. The residence permit cannot be extended beyond the aforementioned periods!
Job search for skilled workers with recognised vocational training
If you already have a German vocational training qualification or a foreign qualification that is equivalent to a German job qualification, you can apply for a residence permit in order to look for a job equivalent to your vocational training and your level of German language knowledge (usually at least sufficient language knowledge at B1 level). The residence permit can be issued for a maximum duration of six months and entitles you to carry out a trial period of work of up to ten hours per week. Self-employed activity is not permitted, however. The residence permit cannot be extended beyond the aforementioned periods!
Job search for skilled workers with academic qualifications
A third-country national with an academic qualification (accredited diploma or one comparable to a German higher education qualification), who has travelled to Germany or who previously
- had a residence permit for the purpose of employment or
- has completed a study-related internship according to § 16e Residence Act
can apply for a residence permit in order to look for a job equivalent to the academic qualification obtained. The residence permit can be issued for a maximum duration of six months and entitles you to carry out a trial period of work of up to ten hours per week. Self-employed activity is not permitted, however. The residence permit cannot be extended beyond the aforementioned periods!
Legal basis
§ 20 Residence Act
Documents/ forms to be submitted
You can submit this application completely online. If you are not able to use the online application, please use the "Residence permit application/Application for renewal of a temporary residence permit" (PDF 227 KB) and submit the documents by mail.
- Valid passport (copy)
- Entry visa to look for work, if available (copy)
- Exmatriculation certificate (only if a German study course has been completed) (copy)
- Certificate/reference/official record of your vocational training course or higher education qualification including individual grade overview (copy)
- Proof of the recognition/equivalence of your degree - the proof is only necessary for foreign degrees (see explanations in "Special requirements") (copy)
- Permit to pursue a profession, if necessary (copy)
- Proof of ability to secure living costs - blocked account, letter of obligation, scholarship; at least 1.025 euros per month (copy)
- Proof from the health insurance company about current health insurance coverage
- in the case of statutory health insurance: informal letter from the health insurance company
- in the case of private health insurance: Certificate of insurance (see below)
- Current (sub-)rental contract (copy)
Deadlines/ processing time
After the documents have been submitted in full, the processing is usually complete within four weeks. Deviations from this are possible in individual cases.
Process and procedure
Please submit your application and related documents via online application. You will be invited to collect your biometric data after a decision has been made on your application. After the decision about your application, you will be invited to have your biometric data recorded.
Costs and fees
93 euros to 113 euros
Payment possibilities:
- Paying by cash
- Paying by EC card
Paying by credit card is possible.
Special requirements
Proof of the recognition/equivalence of your degree - the proof is only necessary for foreign vocational training certificates or higher education degrees.
If you are in possession of a foreign higher education qualification, this must be recognised or be equivalent to a German higher education qualification. You can find out the comparability of your foreign higher education qualification with the help of the internet database "anabin". Please use the research instructions for this. If your higher education qualification is not listed in the "anabin" database, you need to apply for a qualification assessment from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
If you have completed vocational training abroad, this must be recognised by the relevant authority.