Working in Germany: Job Search, Qualification Recognition & Employment Contracts

The German labour market is actively looking for skilled workers in many sectors — but there are a few formal hurdles worth knowing about early.

Where to look

• The Federal Employment Agency's job board and the EU-wide EURES portal
• Professional networks like LinkedIn and Xing
• Company career pages directly
• Recruitment and temp-staffing agencies as a possible way in

Work permission

Whether — and how much — you're allowed to work is usually stated on your residence permit itself (under "Nebenbestimmungen" / additional conditions). A residence permit for employment or an EU Blue Card usually already includes permission to work in the relevant job; student or family-reunification permits can carry time restrictions.

Recognition of foreign qualifications

For many professions — especially regulated ones like doctor, engineer, teacher, or nurse — formally recognising your foreign qualification is required or at least very useful. The "Anerkennung in Deutschland" portal is the usual starting point; depending on the profession, the responsible body is the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB), the medical association (Ärztekammer), the chamber of commerce (IHK) or the chamber of trades (HWK).

The employment contract

• Probation period (Probezeit): often up to six months, with shorter notice periods
• Minimum wage: set by law and reviewed periodically by the Minimum Wage Commission
• Paid leave: the legal minimum is 20 working days on a five-day week; many employers offer more
• Tax class: affects your monthly income-tax withholding, particularly relevant for married couples (combinations like III/V or IV/IV)

See the article on taxes & social security for what's actually deducted from your gross salary.