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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.

Table Of Contents

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)

You must notify your immigration office of the premature termination of your employment relationship within two weeks of becoming aware of it! Your residence permit will remain valid at least until the end of your employment relationship. In addition, the immigration office will give you at least three months to look for a new job. If you do not find a new job during this time, the immigration office will check if an opportunity card (‘Chancenkarte’) may be issued which allows you to search for a job for up to twelve months. If your residence permit contains the additional provision ‘Beschäftigung erlaubt’, you may start the new job without additional permission from the immigration authority. If your current residence permit is tied to your previous employer, the foreigners office must first approve your new job. To do this, send the documents (in particular the ‘Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis’) to the immigration office immediately to initiate the process.


Persons with an EU Blue Card

(§ 18g AufenthG)

You must notify your immigration office of the premature termination of your employment relationship within two weeks of becoming aware of this! Your EU Blue Card will remain valid at least until the end of your employment relationship. In addition, the immigration office will give you at least three months to look for a new job. If you do not find a new job during this time, the immigration office will check if an opportunity card (‘Chancenkarte’) may be issued, which you can use to look for a job for up to twelve months. As the holder of an EU Blue Card, you may take up any other employment that fulfils the requirements of the EU Blue Card (in particular the minimum salary) without additional permission from the immigration authority. If you have already been employed for at least twelve months with an EU Blue Card, you may take up any other employment without the approval of the immigration office.


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 a residence in Hamburg, the Hamburg Welcome Center for Professionals (HWCP) is the responsible immigration office.

Please understand that due to the high volume of enquiries, the HWCP is 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 contact the HWCP (professionals@welcome.hamburg.de) or call 040 / 428 39-5500).

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).