By Gülay Tasli, specialist lawyer for migration law and social law (Fachanwältin für Migrationsrecht und Sozialrecht) (Rechtsanwaltskammer Düsseldorf)
The residence permit for economic activity (Aufenthaltserlaubnis wegen Erwerbstätigkeit) allows skilled workers with a recognized qualification to take up qualified employment in Germany. No German language skills are required for this residence title.
At a glance
A residence title for economic activity is issued if you have received a specific job offer and the further requirements of the law are met.
The reform of skilled worker immigration law has brought a significant change here. What matters is that the position to be filled requires a qualified occupation. It is no longer necessary for this occupation to correspond to your own professional qualification. The opposite assumption is a widespread misconception. In principle, the residence title nevertheless remains tied to the employment for which it was issued.
We will be glad to advise you on this.
If the residence permit for economic activity is issued for the first time after you have reached the age of 45, the salary must amount to at least 55 percent of the annual contribution assessment ceiling in the general pension insurance scheme (§ 18 Abs. 2 Satz 1 Nr. 5 AufenthG). A different rule applies if you can furnish proof of adequate provision for old age. The relevant amount is not stated in the law. The minimum salary is announced anew for each calendar year in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger).
In practice, applications from older skilled workers fail at this threshold, even though the position requires a qualified occupation and the qualification is recognized. The authority may refrain from applying the salary threshold if there is a public interest in the employment, in particular where the salary falls only slightly below it. You should not count on the authority exercising this discretion. We will be glad to advise you before you file the application.
In many cases, the procedure begins with a visa application to the competent German mission abroad. Where necessary, the approval of the Federal Employment Agency is obtained in the course of the procedure. Depending on the country of origin and on the competent mission abroad, the procedure can take a considerable amount of time. After receiving a job offer, however, you will often not have much time. It is therefore advisable to obtain legal advice before the planned move to Germany.
If your qualification is not recognized in Germany or is not equivalent, there is the possibility of completing a vocational qualification measure. We will be glad to advise you in this context as well.
If you have held a residence permit as a skilled worker with vocational training or with academic training for three years, a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) is to be issued to you if the further requirements of § 18c Abs. 1 AufenthG are met. If you have successfully completed vocational training or university studies in Germany, the three-year period is reduced to two years. It is often overlooked that sufficient knowledge of the German language is required for the settlement permit, although no language skills are required for the residence permit for economic activity itself. We will be glad to examine in your individual case whether the remaining requirements are met.
If you lose your job, the immigration authority may subsequently issue you a residence permit to seek employment or the opportunity card (Chancenkarte), provided you meet the requirements for this.
With a residence permit for economic activity, the residence title is in principle tied to the specific job, and the immigration authority issues a supplementary sheet (Zusatzblatt). This does not mean that you may not change your job. Before the change, the approval of the Federal Employment Agency must be obtained through the immigration authority.
The residence permit for economic activity is issued for a period of four years (§ 18 Abs. 4 AufenthG). If the employment relationship or the approval of the Federal Employment Agency is limited to a shorter period, the residence permit is issued for that shorter period plus six months, but not for longer than four years.
Last updated: September 8, 2026. Professionally responsible: Gülay Tasli, lawyer and, specialist lawyer for migration law and social law (Fachanwältin für Migrationsrecht und Sozialrecht).
