Working in Germany after graduation: the 18-month job-seeking permit explained

A student residence permit allows work of up to 140 working days a year, which the Residence Act calls a working-day account (Arbeitstagekonto). Part-time work is counted in whichever way is better for you, week by week. A day of up to four hours can count as half a day, and a week of up to 20 hours during the lecture period can count as two and a half days. Jobs as a student assistant at your university are not counted at all. A compulsory internship that is part of your programme is covered by the study purpose itself.

The DAAD warns that the rules for international students are strict and that people who break them can be expelled. So keep a simple record of the days you work. These limits apply to non-EU students; EU/EEA and Swiss students follow different rules. On money, DAAD notes that work of no more than three months in a row or 70 days a year is free of social security contributions.

Once you have successfully completed your studies in Germany, the Residence Act entitles you to a residence permit to look for work (Aufenthaltserlaubnis zur Arbeitsplatzsuche) for up to 18 months. The permit is for finding qualified work, but BAMF confirms you may take up any form of work while you search, so a bar job or part-time work can keep you afloat. The same 18 months apply after a qualified vocational training in Germany.

The conditions are short. You need a successfully completed degree and proof that you can support yourself for the period. The permit cannot be extended beyond 18 months, so treat it as a deadline, not a cushion.

Apply to the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for your place of residence, not the embassy. Do it as soon as your university confirms you have passed, and in any case before your student permit expires; book the appointment as early as your office allows. Bring the confirmation of your final results, your passport and proof of how you will support yourself, such as savings or a formal declaration of commitment from a sponsor. Your office will list anything else it needs.

The Residence Ordinance sets the fees: €100 to issue a residence permit and €98 to amend one because your purpose of stay changes. Your office decides which applies. If you already have a job offer when you graduate, you can skip this permit and apply straight for a work permit.

Once you sign a contract, you change your permit in Germany, without leaving the country. There are two main options.

• EU Blue Card: for recent graduates the 2026 salary threshold is €45,934.20 a year instead of €50,700, as long as your degree is no more than three years old, and the Federal Employment Agency must approve the job. The job must match your qualification and last at least six months.
• Skilled-worker permit (Section 18b): for qualified work that matches your German degree, with no fixed salary threshold unless you are 45 or over. As a university graduate you can in principle take any qualified job, per BAMF.

For more on the routes, including the Opportunity Card for anyone whose later job ends without a new one lined up, see our German work visa guide.

A German degree shortens the path to a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis). Skilled workers with a German degree can apply after two years in qualified work, with 24 months of pension contributions and German at B1, instead of the usual three years. BAMF sums it up: a German degree plus two years in a matching job can lead to an open-ended residence title. On a Blue Card the path is 21 months with B1, or 27 months with basic German.

If you studied in English, this is the strongest reason to get your German to B1 before you graduate. It widens your job market and your residence options at once.

The CV German recruiters want from a graduate shows German workplace experience, not just grades. Build it deliberately:

• Working student roles (Werkstudent): part-time work in your field alongside your studies. Count the days against your 140.
• Research assistant jobs (HiWi): the DAAD describes these as university jobs supporting professors in research and teaching, often related to your studies. Student assistant jobs at the university do not count towards the 140 days.
• Compulsory internships and a thesis written with a company: both give you a German employer, a project and a reference (Praktikumszeugnis).
• Graduate programmes and trainee schemes at larger employers: check their application windows at the start of your final year, not after your exams.

The DAAD recommends the university careers service for personal advice sessions, help with applications and job fairs. Use it for a CV check in the German format before your first application. Our German CV guide covers the tabular Lebenslauf and the cover letter.

• Tunnel vision: a careers adviser quoted by the DAAD warns that many graduates only look at jobs that exactly match their degree. Look at neighbouring fields where your knowledge transfers.
• Ignoring German: the same adviser says that without German the selection of jobs is very limited. See English-speaking jobs in Germany for where English does work.
• Starting after the exams: begin applying in your final two semesters, so the 18 months are a safety net rather than your whole search.
• Letting the permit lapse: diarise the expiry date of every permit and apply before it.