Termination of Employment – What happens to my residence permit?
This article is intended to provide you with information on your residence status if you have terminated your employment or vocational training contract or it was terminated.
EU citizens
Nationals of any member state of the European Union can take up an employment in another member state on the same conditions as the nationals of that particular member state (free movement of workers).Your freedom of movement will continue for at least another six months if you are looking for a new job in Germany.
Persons with a residence permit for employment
(§§ 18a to 19d AufenthG)
If your employment contract ends prematurely, you must notify your local immigration office within two weeks of finding out.
You can send your notification to the Hamburg Welcome Center via the service portal "Address my concerns about my residence permit". There, first select “make a notification (e. g.for example a termination)” and then choose the option “The employment relationship for which the residence permit was granted has been terminated prematurely”.
Your residence permit will remain valid at least until the end of your employment. Furthermore, once your employment has ended, you have at least six months to find new work.
If you do not find new work during this period, you can apply for an ‘opportunity card’ via the online service ‘Aufenthaltserlaubnis Hamburg’. This allows you to spend up to twelve months looking for work. To do this, select in the online service „Ich habe eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis und möchte eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis zu einem anderen Zweck beantragen (Zweckwechsel)“. Then select “20a – Chancenkarte”.
If your residence permit includes the additional provision “Beschäftigung erlaubt”, you may start the new job without requiring further authorisation from the immigration office. If your current residence permit is tied to your previous employer, the immigration office must first amend your existing permit. The quickest way to apply for an amendment to your residence permit is via the service portal. There, first select “change or add a provision to the residence permit” and then choose the option “New job with a new employer”.
Persons with an EU Blue Card
(§ 18g AufenthG)
If your employment contract ends prematurely, you must notify your local immigration office within two weeks of finding out.
You can send your notification to the Hamburg Welcome Center via the service portal "Address my concerns about my residence permit". There, first select “make a notification (e. g.for example a termination)” and then choose the option “The employment relationship for which the residence permit was granted has been terminated prematurely”.
Your EU Blue Card will remain valid at least until the end of your employment. Furthermore, once your employment has ended, you have at least six months to find new work.
If you do not find new work during this period, you can apply for an ‘opportunity card’ via the online service ‘Aufenthaltserlaubnis Hamburg’. This allows you to spend up to twelve months looking for work. To do this, select in the online service „Ich habe eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis und möchte eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis zu einem anderen Zweck beantragen (Zweckwechsel)“. Then select “20a – Chancenkarte”.
As a holder of an EU Blue Card, you are permitted to take up any other employment provided it meets the requirements for the EU Blue Card (in particular the minimum wages). You do not require any additional permission from the immigration office to do so.
If you have already been employed under the EU Blue Card for at least twelve months, you are permitted to take up any other employment without needing the immigration office consent.
Persons with a residence permit for vocational training
(§§ 16a or 16g AufenthG)
You must notify your immigration office of the premature termination of your training contract within two weeks of becoming aware of it! If you are not responsible for the termination of your current training contract, the immigration office will give you six months to look for a new training place.
Persons with other residence permits
If you are in possession of another residence permit (e.g. for family reunification), a settlement permit or EU permanent residence and the additional provision ‘Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt’ is noted on your residence permit, you may take up any other job. It is not necessary to inform the foreigners office.
Services at the Hamburg Welcome Center
If you need support in finding a new job, you are welcome to contact the Labour Market Service at the Hamburg Welcome Center free of charge (awo-aqtivus@welcome.hamburg.de).
For skilled workers with a residence permit according to §§ 18a to 18g AufenthG and residence in Hamburg, the Hamburg Welcome Centre is the responsible immigration office. Please understand that due to the high volume of enquiries, we are unable to answer general questions that have already been discussed in this article. If you require a new permit or a fictitious certificate in very urgent cases, please use our service portal (ask a general question > the fictitious certificate).
If you have any individual questions about residence law, please contact the Legal Counseling and Clearing Office for Foreign Nationals at the Hamburg Welcome Center (auslaenderrecht@welcome.hamburg.de).
If you have any questions about labour law, contact the “Faire Integration” project at the Hamburg Welcome Center free of charge (faire-integration@welcome.hamburg.de).