Residence Permit - Job Search

In the following cases, a foreign national’s residence permit may be extended for up to 18 months to allow them to seek employment commensurate with their degree, provided that the position is open to foreign nationals:

• upon successful completion of a degree program in Germany
• upon successful completion of a qualified vocational training program in Germany
• upon determination of the equivalence of the professional qualification or the granting of a license to practice the profession
• upon completion of research activities 

The residence permit entitles the holder to engage in gainful employment during this period.

After successfully completing training as an assistant or aide in a state-recognized or comparably regulated vocational field within the health and nursing care sector in Germany, foreign nationals may have their residence permit extended for up to 12 months to search for a job commensurate with their qualification, provided that the position may be filled by foreign nationals. It may be extended once for up to six months. The residence permit entitles the holder to engage in gainful employment during this period.

All incoming applications will be reviewed without the need for an in-person visit.

Please send us the appropriate application forms and all necessary documents either by mail or electronically via email to: antrag-abh@jena.de. Please do not send us any original documents.

If we have any questions, we will contact you directly. Therefore, please ensure that you can be reached by mail or, if necessary, by email or phone in case we need to follow up.

If, following a final review of your application, an in-person visit is necessary, we will contact you shortly to schedule an appointment.

• Completed application form
• Passport
• Proof of residence (rental agreement; if subletting, additionally a letter of consent from the property owner; if living in your own home [owned property], an extract from the land registry)
• Proof of health insurance
• Proof of financial resources (e.g., bank statement [a statement of account balance is not sufficient], employment contract with pay stubs, blocked account, letter of financial commitment)
• Proof of successful completion of studies in the form of a diploma, a certificate of completion, or a license to practice a profession (except when seeking employment in research)
• Signed information sheet
• If applicable, a consent form for the storage and use of your email address and phone number

• Act on the Residence, Employment, and Integration of Foreigners in the Federal Territory (Residence Act—AufenthG)
• Residence Ordinance (AufenthV)