Residence permit - Job search

In the following cases, foreigners can have their residence permit extended for up to 18 months in order to find a job appropriate to their degree, provided it can be filled by foreigners:

• after successful completion of a degree course in Germany
• after successfully completing qualified vocational training in Germany
• after determination of the equivalence of the professional qualification or the granting of the professional practice permit
• after completion of research activities

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

After successfully completing an assistant or helper training course in a state-recognized or comparably regulated training occupation in a healthcare and nursing profession in Germany, foreign nationals may have their residence permit extended for up to 12 months in order to look for a job appropriate to their qualification, provided that it may be filled by foreign nationals. It can be extended once for up to six months. The residence permit entitles the holder to pursue gainful employment during this period.

All incoming applications will be reviewed without a personal visit.

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

We will contact you directly if we have any queries. Therefore, please make sure that you can be contacted by post or, if necessary, by e-mail or telephone if you have any queries.

If a personal appointment is necessary after final examination of your application, you will receive an appointment from us at short notice.

• completed application form
• passport
• Proof of residence (tenancy agreement, in the case of a sub-tenancy agreement also a declaration of consent from the owner, in the case of use of own living space [property] extract from the land register)
• Proof of health insurance
• Proof of financing (e.g. bank statement [account balance notification is not sufficient], employment contract with payslips, blocked account, declaration of commitment)
• Proof of successful graduation in the form of a degree certificate/notification/permit to practice (except in the case of job search after research)
• Signed instruction sheet
• If applicable, declaration of consent to the storage and use of your e-mail address and telephone number

• Law on the residence, employment and integration of foreigners in Germany (Residence Act - AufenthG)
• Residence Ordinance (AufenthV)