How to find a job in Germany as a foreigner

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens have the right to live and work in Germany. After arriving they only need to register at the local registration office (Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt). Everyone else needs a residence title that allows work. As a rule, you apply for a visa at a German mission before you travel. Nationals of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States may apply for their permit after arriving, according to the Federal Foreign Office.

Non-EU candidates have four main routes: the EU Blue Card for graduates with a qualifying salary, the skilled-worker permit for recognised qualifications, the experience route for people whose qualification is recognised at home, and the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) for a year of job-seeking without an offer. Our German work visa guide compares them. The German mission and the immigration office decide every case, so check yours before you resign or book flights.

It depends on your level, your field and where you look, and the official data is blunt about it. According to the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), over half of unemployed people in 2024 were looking for helper-level work, while more than 80% of registered vacancies were aimed at qualified workers. At helper level there were more than 10 unemployed people per vacancy; for qualified workers, about 2 to 1.

Region matters just as much. Bavaria had roughly one unemployed skilled worker per registered vacancy in 2024, Hamburg 2.7 and Berlin 4.8. Berlin’s international scene is real, but it is also one of the most crowded markets for skilled workers. If you are open to Bavaria or other regions with tighter labour markets, your odds improve.

Once a year the Federal Employment Agency publishes a shortage analysis (Engpassanalyse). Its 2024 results listed 163 shortage occupations, mainly in care, health and social work, in construction and skilled trades, and in IT. At expert level, software development, pharmacy and construction planning stood out. For skilled workers, it was nursing, hospitality, technical service and maintenance, and truck driving. Office jobs, by contrast, had many unemployed people chasing few vacancies.

Use the interactive shortage table to check your own occupation and region. Separately, the Blue Card has its own list of shortage occupation groups, including IT, engineering, medicine, nursing and teaching. A job in one of them qualifies for the lower salary threshold and adds a point to an Opportunity Card application.

• The Federal Employment Agency’s Jobsuche (arbeitsagentur.de/jobsuche): Germany’s biggest job portal, with over one million offers and information in English. Registering gives you a personal dashboard and a profile employers can find.
• Make it in Germany: the federal government’s portal for skilled workers from abroad, with job listings and advisers you can contact.
• EURES: the European job mobility portal, useful for EU citizens and for employers recruiting across Europe.
• Private boards: StepStone, Indeed and Monster for volume; LinkedIn and XING (the German-speaking professional network) for recruiter contact. Keep your XING profile in German if your target employers are mid-sized German companies.
• Company career pages and speculative applications: EURES notes that unsolicited applications are common in Germany, so approach employers in your field directly as well.

Private placement agencies are another channel. EURES advises asking about charges before you use one, and for training placements German law allows the fee to be charged only to the employer.

Applications are formal. The standard package is a cover letter of one page, a tabular CV of up to two pages in reverse chronological order, and copies of your degree and job references. EURES recommends sending everything as a single PDF of no more than 2 MB when you apply by email. Many employers now use their own online portals instead. Larger organisations may add an assessment centre; in small firms the interview carries most of the weight.

German employers expect written job references (Arbeitszeugnisse) with your application, ideally one from each previous employer. Every employee has a legal right to one when they leave, and a qualified reference assesses your performance and conduct. Most permanent contracts start with a probation period of up to six months, with two weeks’ notice on either side. After that, the basic statutory notice period is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a month. If you are changing jobs, factor your notice into the start date you give.

Registering your address (Anmeldung) comes first, because much else depends on it. You must register within two weeks of moving into a flat, and EURES notes that many municipalities let you book the appointment online before you arrive. Your 11-digit tax identification number is sent by post, and your employer uses it to retrieve your wage-tax data.

Health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Germany, so arrange cover from your first day; as an employee, contributions for health, long-term care, pension and unemployment insurance come out of your salary. EURES says a bank account can only be opened once you have a permanent address. Non-EU citizens then apply for their residence permit at the local immigration office in good time.

German missions state plainly that visa appointment registration is free, that they do not sell earlier appointments, and that agencies and travel offices have no privileged access to the booking system. Their forms and information sheets are free as well. Anyone who charges you for a “guaranteed” appointment or visa is not working with the embassy.

• Never pay for a job offer. Legitimate employers do not charge candidates.
• Be wary of any offer that arrives without an interview, or that pays well above the going rate for vague duties.
• Check the employer independently: company website, commercial register (Handelsregister), and whether the vacancy also appears on the Federal Employment Agency portal.
• Only use recognised language certificates. The German Embassy in Rabat warns that it knows of certificates issued or obtained improperly.

• Hotline “Working and Living in Germany”, run by BAMF and the Federal Employment Agency: +49 30 1815 1111, Monday to Thursday 9:00–16:00 and Friday 9:00–12:00 (German time), in German and English. It answers questions on recognition, job search, entry and residence, and learning German.
• The Federal Employment Agency’s international service (ZAV): free support with job search, application documents and choosing a visa, plus its Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA).
• Migration counselling for adult immigrants (MBE): free advice on work, language courses and recognition from welfare organisations across Germany.
• Welcome centres: some cities and districts run their own welcome centres for international professionals that you can contact before moving.

For the deep dives, go to English-speaking jobs in Germany, working in Germany after graduation and finding a job in Germany as a refugee.