DE · 4 min · 12 Nov 2026
Changing Employers in Germany? Find the Official Guidance First
Before changing jobs in Germany, check whether your residence permission allows you to work for a different employer. Here is how to find the right official guidance, contact your local immigration authority and prepare useful questions before agreeing on a start date.
1. Start with your residence documents—not your job title
Two people doing the same warehouse, factory or care job may have different conditions on their permission to work. Your nationality, residence status and any restrictions attached to it matter more than your job title. Find your passport, residence card and any supplementary sheet called a Zusatzblatt. If you are waiting for a residence decision, also find your temporary certificate, known as a Fiktionsbescheinigung. Look for: • The legal section identifying your residence status, such as § 18a, § 18b, § 18g or § 24. • Wording about employment, including Beschäftigung or Erwerbstätigkeit. • A named employer, occupation or other restriction. • Expiry dates on all relevant documents. Wording such as Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt generally indicates broad permission to work, while a named employer may signal a restriction. Do not rely on a translation alone if the conditions are unclear. Ask the authority to explain what they mean for your proposed job change.
2. Use federal guidance that matches your status
Start with Make it in Germany, the German federal government's portal for skilled workers. Its official pages explain residence routes and link to further guidance. Use the pages listed below if you hold a skilled-worker residence permit or an EU Blue Card. Useful search terms include Arbeitgeberwechsel, meaning change of employer, and your residence section—for example, Arbeitgeberwechsel § 18a. Check that any result is on an official government or local-authority website, rather than a recruitment agency's blog. Do not apply one route's rules to another. EU Blue Cards have specific job-change rules, including rules relevant during the first year of employment. Temporary protection, family residence, study and other statuses can have different conditions. A residence permit from another EU country does not, by itself, generally authorise you to start a job in Germany. If that is your situation, ask specifically about permission to work in Germany, not just permission to change employers.
3. Find the authority responsible for your address
For an individual residence-permit question, contact the Ausländerbehörde responsible for where you live. Some cities use another name, such as Ausländeramt or Landesamt für Einwanderung. Use the official BAMF-NAvI directory, or visit your city or district's official website and search for Ausländerbehörde Arbeitgeberwechsel. Follow links from the authority's homepage to its application form, contact form or appointment system. Check whether the website describes an employer-change procedure and lists the required documents. Procedures and submission methods can differ between locations. Your new employer's HR team can help prepare job documents, but its assurance is not a substitute for immigration approval where approval is required. Keep copies of your enquiry, attachments and submission confirmation. Sending an application does not itself mean you may start the new job.
4. Send a specific question with the right information
Prepare your residence documents, current employment details and the proposed job offer or contract. The authority may also request an employer-completed Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis, a form describing the employment conditions. Include the new job title, main duties, salary, weekly hours, workplace and proposed start date. These details help the authority assess the actual role rather than a vague plan to change jobs. You can adapt this message: “Subject: Employer change—residence permit under § [section] I live in [city/district] and hold a residence permit under § [section], valid until [date]. My supplementary sheet states: [exact wording]. I currently work for [employer] and have an offer from [new employer] as a [job title], starting on [date]. Do I need prior approval, an amendment to my permit or a notification? Which documents must I submit, and from what date may I legally begin the new employment?” Send personal documents only through the authority's stated submission channel. If you cannot find your residence section, describe the document you hold rather than guessing.
5. Coordinate permission, notice and the start date
Before resigning, check both the immigration steps and your contractual notice period. Approval to work for a new employer does not cancel obligations under your current employment contract. Ask the new employer for a realistic start date that allows time for any required procedure. If prior approval is required, wait for it before starting work—including productive trial shifts. If your status allows a change without prior approval, check whether you still have notification duties. If your current job will end before the new one begins, promptly ask the authority about reporting duties and the effect on your residence status. Do not assume the expiry date printed on your card settles those questions. This article is a practical starting point, not individual legal advice. Use the official sources below and obtain guidance for your own documents and circumstances.