Asylum seekers are prohibited from working during the initial period of their stay in Germany. This generally applies for as long as they remain in a reception center, although in many cases they may be permitted to work after three months.
After the (minimum) three months, refugees who hold a residence permit or even a provisional residence permit generally need approval from the Federal Employment Agency (BA) to obtain a work permit. To this end, an assessment of the working conditions is conducted to ensure fair pay and equivalent working conditions for foreign workers. Until the end of the 48th month, applications for a work permit must be submitted to the Office of Immigration and Naturalization, which forwards them to the BA. During this period, the work permit is issued only for a specific job. After the 48th month of residence, individuals with a “Duldung” or a residence permit will receive a work permit from the Foreigners’ Registration Office without further review by the Federal Employment Agency.
Asylum seekers who have been registered in Germany for less than three months, who are required to leave the country, or who are scheduled to be deported will not receive a work permit. The same applies to asylum seekers and individuals with “tolerated status” from safe countries of origin.
Recognized refugees who hold a residence permit are permitted to work full-time. This is because anyone with a residence permit granted on grounds of international law, humanitarian reasons, or family ties is generally permitted to work without any restrictions—including as self-employed individuals.
Asylum Decisions by the BAMF and Their Consequences for Access to Employment
The BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) decides on asylum seekers’ applications and, consequently, on their access to the labor market. This process takes an average of about eleven months (according to BAMF data as of June 2026), though the duration may vary depending on the country of origin. The following options are available:
1. Applicants are granted asylum in Germany as victims of political persecution.
2. Applicants are recognized as refugees and receive protection under the Geneva Convention on Refugees if their life or freedom is threatened in their country of origin due to ethnicity, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion.
Both groups receive a residence permit valid for three years, which allows them to work without restrictions. After that, an assessment is made to determine whether the situation in the country of origin has improved. After five years of residence, a settlement permit may be granted, provided that the other requirements (means of support, German language proficiency, etc.) are met; if the applicant has particularly good language skills (C1 level on the CEFR) and has a very secure means of support, this is possible after just three years.
3. Subsidiary protection is granted if there is a serious risk of harm in the country of origin, such as the death penalty, torture, degrading treatment, punishment, or a threat to life resulting from armed conflicts.
These individuals also receive a residence permit for three years, and after five years, they may be eligible for a settlement permit. The residence permit will not be renewed if the grounds for it no longer apply.
4. Prohibitions on Deportation – Asylum seekers may not be deported if deportation is prohibited under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). A ban on deportation applies if there is a significant risk upon return to the destination country, such as in the case of an existing medical condition for which adequate treatment is not available in the destination country.
In such cases, a residence permit valid for at least one year is granted, with the option of extension. Employment is permitted without restrictions. After five years, a permanent residence permit may be granted if the additional requirements (means of support, German language skills, etc.) are met.
5. Rejection of the asylum application. Refugees face deportation if they do not file a lawsuit in a timely manner. They are not permitted to work—unless a temporary stay permit (Duldung) is granted.
6. Inadmissibility of the asylum application due to another Member State’s jurisdiction. The BAMF may deport the refugee to another EU country (which has jurisdiction over them). In these cases as well, employment in Germany is not permitted.
Vocational Training Opportunities
Anyone with a migrant background in Germany may begin school-based vocational training, regardless of their country of origin, how long they have been in Germany, or their residency status. In this case, permission from the Foreigners’ Registration Office is not required. However, this does not apply to company-based vocational training. For this, a work permit from the Foreigners’ Registration Office is required. An apprenticeship contract must be submitted for this purpose. For individuals coming to Germany under the Skilled Workers Immigration Act, a priority review by the Federal Employment Agency is necessary. Refugees who begin an apprenticeship in Germany should be allowed to remain in Germany for the entire duration of their training—and be granted an additional six months afterward to look for a job. Financial support is available for the duration of the apprenticeship, both for those with “tolerated stay” status and those with a “residence permit.” You can read the details here about which groups of people can access various support programs and when. Recognized asylum seekers are not subject to any waiting periods in this regard. Anyone who is hired by their training employer after completing their training or finds a job elsewhere receives a residence permit for two additional years.