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The guide · Germany

Work

Contract, salary, unemployment, recognition of qualifications.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Working as an employee in Germany: contract, minimum wage, Minijob, working hours, leave and dismissal

In Germany, the statutory minimum wage (Mindestlohn) is €13.90 gross per hour in 2026 and rises to €14.60 on 1 January 2027. Your employer must give you the essential terms of your contract in writing, part of them from your first working day (§ 2 NachwG). You are entitled to at least 24 working days of leave a year for a six-day week, i.e. by the usual calculation 20 days for a five-day week (§ 3 BUrlG), and the working day is in principle limited to 8 hours (§ 3 ArbZG).

Costs
Statutory minimum wage: €13.90 gross per hour in 2026, €14.60 on 1 January 2027; Minijob up to €603 per month in 2026 (€633 in 2027)
Timeframes
Essential terms of the contract provided in writing: from the first working day for the main ones, at the latest one month after hiring for the others (§ 2 NachwG)

Steps

  1. Before signing, read the contract (Arbeitsvertrag): gross salary, working time, probationary period (Probezeit), leave, notice, applicable collective agreement (Tarifvertrag).
  2. Demand the essential terms in writing. The law requires a list: parties, start date (and end date for a fixed-term contract), place of work, job description, probationary period, composition and amount of pay, hours and breaks, overtime, leave, dismissal procedure and notice periods, applicable collective agreements (§ 2 para. 1 NachwG).
    • Parties, pay and working time: at the latest on the first working day.
    • Start date, duration, place, job, probationary period, and a few others: at the latest on the 7th calendar day after the planned start.
    • The rest: at the latest one month after the start. Electronic delivery (Textform) is possible if the document is accessible, can be saved and printed, and if the employer asks you for an acknowledgement of receipt (§ 2 NachwG). You can still demand the signed paper version. Exception: in construction, hotels and catering, passenger transport, transport and logistics (platform delivery workers included), travelling showpeople, cleaning, setting up and dismantling fairs and exhibitions, the meat industry, prostitution, security, hairdressing and beauty, the document must be on paper and signed (§ 2 para. 1 NachwG, referring to § 2a para. 1 SchwarzArbG).
  3. Do your administrative registration: Anmeldung (DE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001), Steuer-ID for the payslip (DE-NIF-TOUS-001), health insurance fund (DE-SANTE-TOUS-001). The employer asks for your social security number for the pension (see DE-ADMINISTRATIONS-TOUS-001).
  4. During the probationary period (six months at most), either party can terminate with two weeks' notice (§ 622 para. 3 BGB).
  5. If you leave or are dismissed, termination must respect the statutory notice periods or those of the collective agreement (see costs and timelines), and you must register straight away with the Agentur für Arbeit (see DE-TRAVAIL-TOUS-002).

Documents

  • Employment contract or written document of the essential terms (Nachweis).
  • Identity document, Steuer-ID, bank details (IBAN), certificate from the health insurance fund, social security number (Sozialversicherungsnummer).
  • Qualifications and, for a regulated profession, the recognition decision (see DE-TRAVAIL-TOUS-002).

Costs and timelines

  • Statutory minimum wage: €13.90 gross per hour since 1 January 2026; €14.60 from 1 January 2027 (MiLoV5 regulation, BMAS). Collective agreements often provide more.
  • Minijob (low-paid job, geringfügige Beschäftigung): up to €603 per month in 2026, €633 in 2027 (Bundesregierung). The limit follows the minimum wage (basis of 10 hours per week). The employer pays flat-rate contributions: 15% for the pension, and 13% for health insurance if you are insured in the statutory scheme; you pay 3.6% for the pension, unless you ask your employer in writing to be exempted from it. Tax may be withheld at a flat rate of 2% (DRV, 1/2026 brochure).
  • Midijob (transition zone, Übergangsbereich): between €603.01 and €2,000 per month in 2026, with reduced employee contributions (Bundesregierung).
  • Working time: 8 hours per working day, up to 10 hours if the average remains 8 hours over six months or 24 weeks (§ 3 ArbZG).
  • Leave: at least 24 working days per year; working days are all days except Sundays and public holidays (§ 3 BUrlG). Contracts and collective agreements often give more.
  • Employee's notice: four weeks, to the 15th or the end of a month (§ 622 para. 1 BGB).
  • Employer's notice: four weeks to the 15th or the end of a month at the start (§ 622 para. 1 BGB), then one month after 2 years' service, 2 months after 5 years, 3 months after 8 years, 4 months after 10 years, 5 months after 12 years, 6 months after 15 years, 7 months after 20 years, these longer notice periods applying to the end of a month (§ 622 para. 2 BGB).
  • Probationary period: six months at most, two weeks' notice (§ 622 para. 3 BGB).

Common pitfalls

  • Believing a Minijob insures you for health. The 13% paid by the employer does not give you any health cover of your own (DRV). You need your own insurance (see DE-SANTE-TOUS-001).
  • Opting out of the Minijob pension contribution without thinking. With the exemption, you lose part of your rights (periods counted for the pension, right to an invalidity pension). Since 1 July 2026, the exemption can be revoked only once, for the future, by a request to the employer; after that, no new exemption is possible (DRV, 05/06/2026).
  • Accepting oral termination. In Germany, termination of an employment contract, like termination by mutual agreement, is valid only in writing on signed paper: an email or a text message is not enough (§ 623 BGB). Keep the letter and note the date of receipt.
  • Thinking every dismissal has to be justified. Protection against dismissal (Kündigungsschutz) applies only after six months' service (§ 1 KSchG) and in establishments with more than ten employees (more than five for employees hired before 2004); apprentices do not count and part-timers count as 0.5 up to 20 hours per week and 0.75 up to 30 hours (§ 23 KSchG). The dismissal must then be based on the person, conduct or a pressing economic reason. To challenge it, you have only three weeks after receiving the dismissal letter to apply to the labour court (Arbeitsgericht) (§ 4 KSchG). Go quickly to see a lawyer or your trade union.
  • Forgetting the collective agreement. It can set other notice periods, other leave and higher pay (§ 622 para. 4 BGB): ask your employer which one applies.
  • Unpaid overtime. Check in your contract whether it is paid, taken back as time off, or "included" in the salary, and note your hours.

What changes by country of origin

  • EU and EEA citizens: free access to the labour market, without a work permit.
  • Swiss citizens: free access under the EU-Switzerland agreement on the free movement of persons.
  • British citizens (Scots included): since Brexit, a residence permit authorising work is needed, except for those covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (settled before 2021). See DE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001.
  • All: if you remain affiliated to your country's social security (posting, work in several countries), your employer must prove it with form A1. Otherwise, you pay contributions in Germany from the first day.
Official sources (14) ›
  • Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS), "Fünfte Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung (MiLoV5)"
  • Bundesregierung, "Mindestlohn 2026 auf 13,90 Euro erhöht" (21/09/2026; Minijob €603 and €633, Midijob)
  • Deutsche Rentenversicherung, brochure "Minijobs und Midijobs: Bausteine für die Rente" (21st edition, 1/2026)
  • § 2 Nachweisgesetz (NachwG) - Nachweispflicht (essential terms of the contract)
  • § 622 BGB - Kündigungsfristen bei Arbeitsverhältnissen (notice periods, probationary period)
  • § 3 Arbeitszeitgesetz (ArbZG) - Arbeitszeit der Arbeitnehmer
  • § 3 Bundesurlaubsgesetz (BUrlG) - Dauer des Urlaubs
  • § 1 Kündigungsschutzgesetz (KSchG) - Sozial ungerechtfertigte Kündigungen
  • § 4 Kündigungsschutzgesetz (KSchG) - Anrufung des Arbeitsgerichtes (three-week deadline)
  • § 623 BGB - Schriftform der Kündigung
  • Deutsche Rentenversicherung, press release of 05/06/2026 on the revocation of the Minijob exemption from pension contributions
  • § 23 Kündigungsschutzgesetz (KSchG) - Geltungsbereich (size of the business)
  • EURES, "Living and working conditions: Germany" (updated on 03/07/2026)
  • § 2a SchwarzArbG, list of sectors excluded from the electronic form
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Checked on 23 October 2026

Looking for a job, getting your qualifications recognised and claiming unemployment benefit in Germany

To look for a job in Germany, start with the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency), its international service ZAV and the EURES portal. If your profession is regulated (doctor, nurse, teacher, architect…), you must have your qualification recognised before practising; otherwise, recognition is optional but useful. If you lose your job, register with the Agentur für Arbeit at the latest three months before the end of the contract (or within three days if you learn of it later): the Arbeitslosengeld is 60% of your former net reference pay, 67% with a child.

Costs
Registration with the Agentur für Arbeit is free; recognition of a qualification: often several hundred euros; ZAB statement of comparability: €208 (June 2024 fee schedule)
Timeframes
Register as a jobseeker 3 months before the end of the contract, or within 3 days if you learn of it later (§ 38 SGB III); recognition: 3 to 4 months in general

Steps

  1. Search on the public portals. The Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) runs the largest job-listing portal in Germany; its international service, the ZAV, helps candidates coming from abroad. The EURES portal also publishes vacancies aimed at Europeans and offers EURES advisers (EURES, 03/07/2026).
  2. Adapt your application to German customs: a letter of one page at most, a CV in table form of two pages at most, dated and signed, copies of qualifications, employment references (Arbeitszeugnisse) and certificates, translated into German if needed. A photo is still common. By email, a single PDF of 2 MB at most (EURES).
  3. Check whether your profession is regulated. The Anerkennungs-Finder tool of the Anerkennung in Deutschland portal tells you your reference profession and the competent authority according to your occupation and place of work. The application can be made from abroad.
  4. Apply for recognition if necessary. For a regulated profession, the authority compares your training: full recognition, or partial recognition with a compensation measure (adaptation period or aptitude test). For a university degree in a non-regulated occupation, you can request a statement of comparability (Zeugnisbewertung) from the ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education). The KMK's anabin database lets you see how your qualification and your institution are classified.
  5. If your contract is going to end, register as a jobseeker (arbeitsuchend melden) at the latest three months before the end, or within three days if you learn of the end less than three months beforehand (§ 38 SGB III). This is compulsory even if you are challenging your dismissal in court.
  6. On the first day without a job at the latest, register as unemployed (arbeitslos melden), then submit your Arbeitslosengeld claim (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Both procedures exist online.
  7. If you have worked in another EU country, report those periods: they count towards your entitlement. Request form U1 (or the portable document PD U1) from the unemployment body of the country where you worked; it is not always required, but it speeds up the file (Your Europe).

Documents

  • Job search: CV, letter, qualifications, employment references, translations if the employer asks for them.
  • Recognition: qualifications and transcripts showing the content and duration of the training, proof of experience, identity document, translations; the exact list depends on the profession (Anerkennungs-Finder).
  • Unemployment: dismissal letter or contract, employer's certificate, identity document, Steuer-ID, IBAN, and form U1 / PD U1 for periods worked in another EU country.

Costs and timelines

  • Arbeitslosengeld: you must have been insured for at least 12 months in the last 30 months (§ 142 and § 143 SGB III). Amount: 60% of the net reference pay, 67% if you or your spouse have a child within the meaning of income tax law; for the spouse's child, you must both be fully taxable in Germany and not living permanently apart (§ 149 SGB III).
  • Duration: 6 months after 12 months of insurance, 8 months after 16, 10 months after 20, 12 months after 24; from age 50, 15 months (30 months of insurance); from age 55, 18 months (36 months); from age 58, 24 months (48 months) (§ 147 SGB III).
  • Suspension (Sperrzeit): 12 weeks as a general rule if you resign without good reason or cause your own dismissal; one week if you register too late as a jobseeker (§ 159 SGB III).
  • Recognition: in general 3 to 4 months, at a cost that can reach several hundred euros depending on the profession, plus translations (Anerkennung in Deutschland portal). Help exists (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, federal Anerkennungszuschuss, Länder programmes).
  • ZAB statement of comparability: €208 (fee schedule changed in June 2024); usual timeline of three months after receipt of payment and of the complete file (ZAB pages; the German version of the site still showed €200).

Common pitfalls

  • Waiting until the last day to register. Late registration as a jobseeker leads to one week of suspension (§ 159 SGB III).
  • Resigning without good reason. You risk 12 weeks without benefit.
  • Practising a regulated profession without authorisation. For a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or architect coming from the EU, recognition is often automatic (European directive), but it still has to be applied for; knowledge of German may be required.
  • Confusing anabin and recognition. Anabin is an information database; it does not replace a recognition decision.
  • Going home during unemployment without telling anyone. You can have your benefit transferred to another EU country to look for a job (in general 3 months, up to 6), but only under the prescribed procedure (Your Europe): ask your Agentur für Arbeit first.

What changes by country of origin

  • EU and EEA citizens: free access to employment; your unemployment insurance periods in another EU country are taken into account (form U1 / PD U1). Recognition made easier by the European directive on professional qualifications.
  • Swiss citizens: the simplified European recognition rules also cover Swiss qualifications (Anerkennung in Deutschland portal); unemployment coordinated by the free movement agreement: before leaving, ask your Swiss unemployment fund (Arbeitslosenkasse) for form PD U1, which certifies your insurance periods for calculating your rights in an EU or EFTA country (SECO, arbeit.swiss).
  • British citizens (Scots included): you first need a residence permit authorising work (DE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). Recognition follows the third-country rules, with a possible accelerated procedure by the employer (two months). Unemployment: since 2021, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement takes over the European rules on aggregation of periods. Your insurance periods in the United Kingdom count towards the German Arbeitslosengeld, provided you paid contributions in Germany after them, before your unemployment; on the other hand, for a situation arising after 2020, the German benefit cannot in principle be transferred to the United Kingdom to look for a job there. British citizens who were living in Germany with a right of residence on 31 December 2020 (Withdrawal Agreement) keep all of the European rules, as long as their situation has remained continuous, without detrimental interruption, until their rights open (Federal Employment Agency, instructions of 23/06/2026).
  • Cross-border workers: if you live in another country and work in Germany, you generally claim unemployment benefit in your country of residence; if, during your last period of work, you went home less than once a week, you can choose between your country of residence and Germany (Your Europe).
Official sources (13) ›
  • EURES, "Living and working conditions: Germany" (updated on 03/07/2026)
  • Bundesagentur für Arbeit, "Arbeitslosengeld"
  • § 38 SGB III - Rechte und Pflichten der Ausbildung- und Arbeitsuchenden (early registration)
  • § 142 SGB III - Anwartschaftszeit (12 months of insurance)
  • § 143 SGB III - Rahmenfrist (30 months)
  • § 147 SGB III - Grundsatz (duration of the Arbeitslosengeld)
  • § 149 SGB III - Grundsatz (amount: 60% or 67%)
  • § 159 SGB III - Ruhen bei Sperrzeit (suspension)
  • Your Europe, "Unemployment benefits" (last checked on 19/08/2026)
  • Anerkennung in Deutschland (official portal of the federal government, BIBB), "Anerkennungsverfahren"
  • Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB, KMK), "Fees" (Statement of Comparability)
  • SECO, arbeit.swiss, "Returning to Switzerland, EU/EFTA or third countries" (form PD U1)
  • Bundesagentur für Arbeit, "Fachliche Weisungen Internationales Recht der Arbeitslosenversicherung – Großbritannien und Briten nach dem Brexit" (valid since 23/06/2026)

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