Access to the labour market for refugees
Having access to the labour market for refugees depends on your personal status or the length of stay.
For asylum seekers (the application for asylum has been submitted) and people with an exceptional leave to remain, (the application for asylum has been denied) during the first three months,it is prohibited to work.
From the fourth month onwards, the Foreigners Authority can issue a work permit for a specified occupation (prior check of the working conditions).
Asylum seekers from safe countries of origin (Albany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Senegal, Serbia) are not allowed to work if their application for asylum was submitted after 31.08.2015.
Internships in companies are possible. However, they need the approval of the Federal Labour Agency and also from the Foreigners Office.
As far as internships for vocational orientation and training relevant internships are concerned, consultation with the foreigners office is needed.
The Central Agency of Foreign and Professional Affairs (ZAV) is a part of the Federal Labour Agency and informs about conditions, how to start either a job or an internship in Germany. Furthermore this department issues an approval or disapproval. Further information can be found on the website of the www.zav.de.
If you, as being recognised as a refugee, a recognised asylum seeker or are eligible for subsidiary protection, you will get the unlimited access to the labour market. As such you have the same rights as any other German citizen.
Down below you will find the application for the work permit. You may submit this at your competent foreign office. Further information about the access to the labour market by the „Network Companies Integrate Refugees“ can be found in the second graphic.
- PDF-Datei: (PDF, 124 kB)
- PDF-Datei: (PDF, 91 kB)