Finding a German job from abroad

Where to look safely

Start with official sources rather than private job boards alone. The Federal Employment Agency's portal at arbeitsagentur.de/jobsuche is, by the agency's own account, Germany's largest job portal. Make it in Germany, the federal government's portal for international skilled workers, runs an English-language job board focused on shortage occupations — exactly the roles where employers are actively looking abroad. Both are free to use and run by public bodies, which removes the most common scam vector at the start of the search.

• Check arbeitsagentur.de/jobsuche for the broad German labour market.
• Use make-it-in-germany.com for English-language listings in shortage occupations.
• Treat private agencies with caution until you have verified their fee model.

Application language and interviews

In IT, tech and many startups, English-language applications are commonly accepted. In nursing, the skilled trades and the public sector, German is usually expected. If the posting is written in German, reply in German unless it explicitly invites English applications. Interviews for candidates abroad normally run by video call, so a reliable connection and a quiet slot that works across time zones are practical priorities.

Which residence title fits a job offer

Once you hold a concrete offer, three titles cover most cases. The EU Blue Card requires a recognised university degree and a salary of at least 50,700 euros in 2026, or 45,934.20 euros in shortage occupations. Below those thresholds — or with vocational rather than academic training — the ordinary skilled-worker permits apply: § 18a for a recognised vocational qualification, § 18b for a degree comparable to a German one, both normally issued for four years.

One rule helps almost everyone: skilled workers may now generally take up any qualified employment — the job no longer has to match the exact field of your original qualification.

No job offer yet: the Chancenkarte

If applications from abroad stall, the Chancenkarte lets you move the search to Germany for up to twelve months. You qualify either with at least six points under the points system — or entirely without points if your qualification is already fully recognised in Germany. You must show means of support of roughly 1,091 euros net per month (2026), and you may work a side job of up to twenty hours per week while searching.

How employers can speed things up

An employer who wants you can shorten the paperwork considerably with the accelerated skilled-worker procedure under § 81a AufenthG: the company applies at the immigration authority responsible for its location and pays a fee of 411 euros. In this procedure the recognition body must decide within two months, and a visa appointment must be offered within three weeks of the preliminary approval. Employers willing to do this exist — finding them is the part we take on, free for you; the employer pays our fee.