Residence permit

If you are a citizen of another EU member state, you can work without meeting any further requirements. But please remember to register at the registration office.

This is also the case if you come from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. These countries have an agreement with the European Union.

If you come from another country, such as Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo or Macedonia, you will only be allowed to work in Germany if you have a residence permit that allows you to work. A tourist visa, suspension of deportation (Duldung) or permission to remain pending an asylum decision are usually not sufficient. Reach out to us if you are unsure about anything, we will be happy to help.

This depends on whether your residence permit gives you the right to work as an employee only or also on a self-employed basis. We will be happy to clarify this with you. 

Any residence permit must state whether you are allowed to engage in gainful employment and whether this is subject to restrictions. It must also specify any restrictions on employment by the Federal Employment Agency.  Your electronic residence permit (eAT) and the supplementary sheet may say various things, for example: 

•  “Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt” (gainful employment permitted): You can be employed or work on a self-employed basis.
• “Selbstständige Erwerbstätigkeit nicht erlaubt” (self-employment prohibited): You can only work as an employee. 
• “Erwerbstätigkeit nicht erlaubt” (gainful employment not permitted): Any kind of work is prohibited. 
• “Beschäftigung für 120 Tage oder 240 halbe Tage erlaubt” (employment permitted for 120 days or 240 half days): Work as an employee is permitted for a limited period of time. 
   

No, not automatically. The details are a bit complicated. Just contact us, we will be happy to offer advice.