You can work in Germany if you meet all the requirements. This page will help you orient yourself. Before you start looking for a job, you should still seek individual advice. On this page you will find advice options. Whether you are allowed to work in Germany usually depends on your residence permit.
Do I have the right to work?
Whether you are allowed to work depends on your residence title (Aufenthaltstitel). If you are not sure which type of residence title (Aufenthaltstitel) you have, our webpage on “Asyl” may be helpful: /portal/en/asylum/.
Residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis): If your residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) or your temporary residence permit (Fiktionsbescheinigung) says“Employment permitted” (“Beschäftigung erlaubt”), you may start working or begin an apprenticeship (Ausbildung). If your residence permit states “Gainful activity permitted” (“Erwerbstätigkeit gestattet”), you may also work independently, such as starting your own business.
Temporary suspension of deportation (Duldung), proof of arrival (Ankunftsnachweis), permission to remain while your asylum decision is pending (Aufenthaltsgestattung): After three months in Germany, you may apply for a work permit at the Immigration Office.
If you have been issued a temporary suspension of deportation (Duldung) and are required to live in an initial reception centre (Erstaufnameeinrichtung), you may apply for a work permit after living in Germany for six months.
If you come from a country that the German government labelled a “safe country of origin” (sicherer Herkunftsstaat) and have applied for asylum after 31 August 2015, it is unlikely that you will get a work permit. The countries of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ghana, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Senegal and Serbia are considered safe countries (sichere Herkunftsstaaten) of origin under German asylum law.
You can get advice about work permits from the following organizations:
The Flüchtlingszentrum (refugee center) provides comprehensive advice on the subject of work: Adenauerallee 10, please make an appointment: info@fz-hh.de, +49 40 2840790 (Monday and Friday: 10 am – 1 pm and 2 pm – 5 pm, Wednesday: 2 pm – 5 pm), www.fz-hh.de.
The ÖRA (“Öffentliche Rechtsauskunft” (public legal information)) gives legal advice. Dammtorstraße 14, please make an appointment: +49 40 428433072 (Monday to Friday 7 am – 7 pm), www.hamburg.de/oera.
Welcome Center Hamburg, Süderstraße 32 b, please make an appointment: info@welcome.hamburg.de, +49 40 428395555 (Monday to Wednesday 9 am – 3 pm, Thursday 10 am – 8 pm, Friday 9 am – 12 pm (noon)), https://welcome.hamburg.de/newcomer/. The Welcome Center has also set up a Ukrainian/German information page with information on advice for Ukrainian refugees: https://welcome.hamburg.de/ukraine/. Advice can be given in German, English or Russian.
A consultation in person is currently only possible if you wear a mask covering your mouth and nose and have no symptoms of COVID-19.
Additional information for Ukrainian refugees:
General information on the subject of work, work authorization and social benefits in Germany can be found in Ukrainian on the following information website: https://handbookgermany.de/uk/ukraine-info?temu=robota
There is also a free hotline from the Federal Employment Agency (Federal Employment Agency) in Ukrainian or Russian. Questions about work, training (training) and further education are answered here:
+49 911 178 7915 (Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
Further information can be found here: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/ukraine/ukraine-ua .
What do I need to find work?
In order to find work, you usually need to be qualified for that work and have the necessary language skills.
Qualifications:
For the recognition, further education in Germany might be necessary. You can find more information about this here: /portal/en/education/.
You can find information on which certificates and qualifications you need in order to do a certain job in Germany here: https://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/de/. You can also learn who is able to recognise your certificates and how the process works.
Training and education:
Many jobs require a completed apprenticeship (Ausbildung) or a university degree. You can do both regardless of gender or age.
You have the right to take part in training or to study regardless of your gender or age.
You can find more information about studying in Germany here: /portal/en/education/.
An apprenticeship (Ausbildung) is an alternative to studying at a university. In this case you learn a profession or trade. A high school diploma (Abitur) is not required. An apprenticeship (Ausbildung) takes two or three years. During this time, you work in a company and learn important information for the job in a vocational school as well. You usually earn between € 500 to € 1000 per month. In 2020, a minimum wage for apprentices was introduced.
You can do an apprenticeship (Ausbildung) if you have a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis). If you have a temporary suspension of deportation (Duldung) or permission to remain while your asylum decision is pending (Aufenhaltsgestattung), you will need a permit from the Ausländerbehörde (foreign nationals authority) (Hammer Str. 30-34, please make an appointment: +49 40 428992288 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 am – 1 pm)). You may request a permit when you have lived in Germany for three months or longer.
If your asylum application is denied while you are doing an apprenticeship (Ausbildung), you may request a temporary suspension of deportation due to an apprenticeship (Ausbildungsduldung) so you can complete your apprenticeship (Ausbildung). After successfully completing your apprenticeship (Ausbildung) your temporary suspension of deportation (Duldung) can be extended for another 6 months.
If you end your training prematurely, you may request to extend your temporary suspension of deportation (Duldung) for another six months in order to find a new training place. You may do this only once.
A temporary suspension of deportation due to an apprenticeship (Ausbildungsduldung) can be denied if your deportation has already been ordered or if you are subject to measures terminating your stay.
After you have successfully concluded your apprenticeship (Ausbildung), it is usually possible to apply for a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) that allows you to stay for two years. Seek advice from the Flüchtlingszentrum or the Hamburg Welcome Center.
You can find information and application forms for a temporary suspension of deportation due to an apprenticeship (Ausbildungsduldung) or residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) here https://www.unternehmen-integrieren-fluechtlinge.de/die-ausbildungsduldung/.
More information on apprenticeships (Ausbildungen) is available here: www.hamburg.de/yourchance
Additional information for Ukrainian refugees:
You can find a free application guide for Ukrainian refugees here: