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Switch Jobs After Ausbildung Visa: Rules, Permits & What You Must Do First

2024-06-14

Want to switch jobs after your Ausbildung visa? Learn the residence permit rules, Blue Card route, and when to notify the Ausländerbehörde.

You finished your Ausbildung, landed your first job in Germany, and now a better opportunity has come along — but nobody told you that switching employers could affect your residence permit. For Moroccans who came to Germany on an Ausbildung visa, changing jobs is absolutely possible, but there are real legal steps you cannot skip. Get it wrong and you risk a gap in your legal status; get it right and you could even upgrade to a Blue Card or an unrestricted work permit.

Understanding Your Residence Permit After Ausbildung

When you complete your Ausbildung, your training visa (§16a AufenthG) expires. You then apply for a residence permit to work in your qualified profession, typically issued under §18a AufenthG (qualified professionals with vocational training) or §18b AufenthG (for university graduates). These permits are job-specific in their early stages, meaning the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' authority) links your permit to your current employment situation.

What "Job-Specific" Actually Means

Your residence permit issued after Ausbildung usually includes a condition called a Nebenbestimmung — a side note printed directly on your permit card. It often reads: "Beschäftigung nur bei [Employer Name] erlaubt" (employment only at [Employer Name] permitted). If this clause is on your card, you cannot legally start with a new employer until you get the permit updated. Ignoring this is one of the most common and costly mistakes Moroccan workers make in their first years in Germany.

When Is the Permit Open?

After 2 years of legal employment in Germany, many residence permits transition to an open work authorisation, where no employer is named. At this point, you can switch jobs freely without notifying the Ausländerbehörde in advance. Check the back of your residence permit card carefully — if no specific employer is listed, you likely have open authorisation already.

The Switch Jobs After Ausbildung Visa Process: Step by Step

Switching jobs after your Ausbildung visa residence permit is a bureaucratic process, not just an HR one. Here is how to do it correctly.

Step 1: Read Your Current Permit

Pull out your residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) and read every line, especially the conditions on the back. Look for any mention of a specific employer or the phrase "Beschäftigung nur erlaubt gemäß Zustimmung der Bundesagentur für Arbeit" (employment only with approval of the Federal Employment Agency).

Step 2: Contact the Ausländerbehörde Before You Accept the New Offer

Do not sign a new employment contract and then notify the authorities. The correct order is:

• Receive the new job offer in writing (a signed letter of intent or preliminary contract is usually sufficient)
• Book an appointment at your local Ausländerbehörde — cities like Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, and Cologne all have online booking portals
• Submit a request to update your residence permit for the new employer
• Wait for written approval before starting the new role

Processing times vary widely: Berlin's Ausländerbehörde can take 8–14 weeks, while smaller cities like Würzburg or Freiburg often process updates in 3–5 weeks.

Step 3: Documents You Will Need

Bring or upload the following:

• Current residence permit
• New employment contract or signed offer letter (German version)
• Your Ausbildungszeugnis (graduation certificate) and Gesellenbrief or IHK/HWK certificate
• CV updated to reflect your current role
• Last 3 salary slips from your current employer
• Passport (valid for at least 6 more months)
• Biometric photo (35x45 mm)
• Completed Änderungsantrag (change-of-employer application form — available on your city's Ausländerbehörde website)

Some Ausländerbehörden also ask for the new employer's trade register extract (Handelsregisterauszug) and a letter confirming the job is within your qualified profession.

Step 4: The Fictitious Certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung)

Once you submit your application, you are entitled to request a Fiktionsbescheinigung — a temporary document that extends your legal right to stay and, importantly, confirms your right to work while the decision is pending. Always ask for this at your appointment. It protects you legally if the permit update takes longer than expected.

The Blue Card Route: A Smarter Upgrade When Switching Jobs

If your new employer offers a salary of €43,800 per year (2024 threshold) or more in a shortage occupation — including many IT, engineering, nursing, and skilled trades — you may qualify for an EU Blue Card (§18g AufenthG). For general occupations the threshold is €45,300 per year.

The Blue Card has major advantages over a standard §18a permit:

• After 21 months, you can apply for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis)
• After just 33 months with B1 German, you qualify for permanent residence without the shortened route
• Your spouse gets an open work permit from day one
• It is valid across EU member states and easier to extend

To switch to a Blue Card when changing jobs, you apply for a Blue Card instead of simply updating your old permit. Bring proof of your German-recognised university degree or vocational qualification, the new contract showing the qualifying salary, and your passport. The process runs through the same Ausländerbehörde appointment but follows a different legal basis.

When You Do NOT Need Prior Approval to Switch Jobs

There are scenarios where you can switch employers without prior Ausländerbehörde approval:

• You already hold a Niederlassungserlaubnis (permanent residence permit): You are free to work for any employer in any role.
• You hold an EU Blue Card and have had it for more than 2 years: You only need to inform the Ausländerbehörde within 2 weeks of starting, not seek prior approval.
• Your residence permit has an open work clause (no specific employer listed and no restriction on the back): Notify the Ausländerbehörde within a reasonable time as a courtesy, but you are not legally blocked.

Tax, Social Security & Employer Practicalities

Switching jobs in Germany involves more than just immigration paperwork:

• Your new employer will register you with the social security system using your Sozialversicherungsnummer — this number stays with you forever, so keep it safe.
• Your Lohnsteuerkarte (electronic wage tax record) is automatically managed via ELSTER — no paper form needed.
• You are entitled to your remaining annual leave (Resturlaub) from your old employer, or a financial payout if you leave before taking it.
• Notice periods (Kündigungsfristen) in Germany are typically 4 weeks to the 15th or end of a month during a probationary period, extending to 1–6 months depending on contract terms. Respect these — violating your notice period can expose you to damages claims and create complications in your permit application.
• Set your new start date only after you have received written confirmation from the Ausländerbehörde, or after you hold a Fiktionsbescheinigung and your new employer is comfortable proceeding.

Common Pitfalls: What People Get Wrong

1. Signing the contract first, then informing the authorities. This is the single biggest mistake. Starting work before your permit is updated is technically illegal employment, which can jeopardise future visa applications.

2. Assuming the permit automatically covers any employer. Unless you see an open work clause, never assume. Always read the conditions printed on your card.

3. Not requesting a Fiktionsbescheinigung. Without it, your right to work is legally unclear during the waiting period. Always request it on the day you submit your application.

4. Switching to a job outside your qualified profession. Your §18a permit ties you to work in the field you trained in. A chef cannot switch to a logistics management role on the same permit without a new assessment.

5. Forgetting the 2-week notification rule for Blue Card holders. If you hold a Blue Card (after 2 years) and switch employers, you must notify the Ausländerbehörde in writing within 2 weeks of starting. Missing this is a minor offence but can complicate your permanent residence application later.

6. Not checking the salary threshold before accepting a Blue Card-qualifying role. Salaries just below the threshold (e.g., €43,500) will not qualify. Negotiate the offer up or confirm in writing before submitting your application.

Conclusion: Your Next Career Move in Germany Starts With the Right Paperwork

Switching jobs after your Ausbildung visa is one of the smartest things you can do for your career and salary in Germany — but only if you follow the correct legal process. Read your permit, contact the Ausländerbehörde before signing anything, gather your documents, and consider whether the Blue Card is the better path. The bureaucracy feels heavy, but each step protects your long-term right to live and work in Germany.

If you are preparing your application documents for a new employer, use our free CV Builder to create a German-standard Lebenslauf, or generate a professional Anschreiben that matches your new role. Book a consultation with our specialist to learn German and move to Germany — or level up your career there — successfully.