Stay and Work in Germany After Graduation: A Guide for International Students

Graduating from a German university is a major achievement—and also a turning point. Whether you already have a job offer or are still exploring your next steps, Germany offers multiple legal pathways for international graduates to stay, work, and build a life here.

But like much of the German bureaucracy, the transition from student life to working life involves rules, requirements, and paperwork—and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

That’s where VisaFlow and this guide comes in. Here’s everything you need to know about what to do after graduating in Germany as an international student—including residence permits, work options, and how to avoid common mistakes.

If You Already Have a Job Offer

Landing a job offer after graduating in Germany is an exciting milestone—and a significant step toward building a long-term life here. You're already ahead of the curve, and now it's time to turn that offer into something more: a legal right to stay, work, and thrive in Germany.

Once you have a signed employment contract or a binding job offer, you become eligible to apply for one of two key work-based residence permits:

• The EU Blue Card, designed for high-earning, highly qualified professionals
  
• The Residence Permit for Employment, available for those in qualified professions who may not meet the Blue Card salary threshold
  

Both permits are powerful tools that allow you to transition smoothly from student life into the professional world—but choosing the right one depends on your salary, profession, and qualifications.

Let’s explore each option in more detail.

The EU Blue Card: For High-Earning Professionals

The EU Blue Card is designed for highly qualified professionals with a job offer that matches their field of study. It’s specifically designed to attract skilled professionals from around the world and offers significant long-term benefits, including a faster path to permanent residency and easier family reunification.

Who Qualifies?

To apply for the EU Blue Card in 2025, your job must meet two key conditions:

1. It must be related to your field of study.
   Your job should align with the subject and qualification level of your university degree.
   
2. It must meet a minimum gross salary threshold.
   
   • General minimum: €48,300 per year or €4,025/month
     
   • For bottleneck professions (shortage occupations): €43,759.80 per year or €3,646.65/month

If your job falls under a bottleneck profession (shortage occupation), a lower salary threshold of €41,041.80/year (or €3,420.15/month) applies. Bottleneck fields include:

• Engineering
  
• IT and software development
  
• Natural sciences
  
• Medicine and healthcare
  
• Education and teaching
  
• Professional services management
  

Explore the fulllist of bottleneck professions here

Required Documents

To apply for the EU Blue Card, you'll need:

• Your German university degree (original + copy)
  
• Or, if you graduated abroad:
  
  • Proof of recognition or comparability with a German degree via the Anabin database
    
• A binding job offer or employment contract
  
• A completed “Declaration of Employment” form (signed by your employer)
  
• Proof that the salary meets the minimum threshold (usually shown in your job contract)
  

What You Need to Do

• Apply before your student visa expires
  
• Confirm your salary meets the threshold
  
• Gather and prepare all supporting documents
  
• Apply for the EU Blue Card at your local Ausländerbehörde (immigration office)
  

Residence Permit for Employment: If the Salary Is Below the Blue Card Threshold

If your job offer doesn’t meet the salary requirements for the EU Blue Card, don’t worry—you still have a strong path to legally stay and work in Germany. The Residence Permit for Employment is a flexible alternative that allows international graduates to continue living and building a career here, even with a more modest salary.

This residence permit is ideal if you're:

• Starting your career in an entry-level role
  
• Working for a smaller company or nonprofit
  
• Employed in a sector that doesn't fall under the bottleneck professions
  
• Earning below the Blue Card threshold (€48,300 or €43,759.80 for bottleneck roles)
  

It allows you to work full-time in Germany as long as your role meets certain qualification standards—even if the salary is lower.

What Counts as a “Qualified Profession”?

This doesn't mean the job has to be directly tied to your university degree. It just needs to require skills at the university or vocational training level. This gives you more flexibility to work in related industries or apply your education in a broader context.

This gives you much flexibility. For example:

• If you studied international business but work in marketing or HR, that’s generally acceptable.
  
• If you studied engineering but take on a technical support or operations role, that may also qualify.
  
• If you earned a teaching degree abroad but work in education coordination or language instruction, you may still qualify.
  

The key point is that the position must require formal qualifications—not just any casual or unskilled job.

Required Documents

The documents you need for this application are similar to those for the EU Blue Card:

• Your university degree certificate
  
  • If the degree was earned abroad, it must be recognized as comparable via the Anabin database
    
• Employment contract or official job offer
  
• A signed “Declaration of Employment” form from your employer
  
• Proof of salary to confirm it's consistent with the role and meets minimum wage standards
  

While this permit does not require you to meet a strict salary threshold like the EU Blue Card, the salary should still reflect the level of a qualified job and comply with German labor laws.

Still Looking for a Job? The 18-Month Job-Seeking Permit

Not every graduate lands a job immediately—and that’s okay. Germany understands that starting your career takes time, and that's why it offers the 18-Month Job-Seeking Residence Permit to international students who graduate from German universities.

This permit is designed to give you breathing room. It allows you to stay in Germany legally for up to 18 months after graduation while you search for employment that fits your qualifications. Whether you’re applying for roles in your industry, networking, or just exploring where you want to work, this permit buys you the time and legal flexibility to plan your next move.

What Makes This Permit So Useful?

• You can stay in Germany legally even if you don't have a job yet
  
• You can work in any job, including outside your field—just to pay the bills
  
• It gives you time to apply for jobs that match your education and long-term goals
  
• Once you find a suitable job, you can upgrade your status to a work-based residence permit, such as the EU Blue Card or Residence Permit for Employment
  

Think of it as a career launch pad—a grace period that supports you while you take your first steps into the German job market.

Required Documents for the 18-Month Job-Seeking Permit

To apply, make sure you have the following:

• Proof of your degree
  
  • Usually a final diploma or degree certificate (original + copy)
    
  • Some immigration offices may accept a confirmation of completion from your university if your official certificate is still being processed
    
• Valid health insurance
  
  • Either public or private coverage that meets residence permit requirements
• Proof of financial stability
  
  • This can be:
    
    • A blocked bank account
      
    • Proof of part-time employment
      
    • A sponsor or declaration of commitment

VisaFlow Tip: Requirements vary by city. We help you understand exactly what your Ausländerbehörde expects based on your location.

What Happens When You Find a Job?

As soon as you land a job that qualifies under German residence law, you can upgrade your permit—either to:

• An EU Blue Card, if your job and salary meet the threshold
  
• A Residence Permit for Employment, if your position qualifies as skilled work
  

This switch can be done anytime during the 18-month period. You don’t have to wait until the permit expires.

How Much Can You Work?

The job-seeking residence permit allows you to work unrestricted hours during the 18-month period—unlike your previous student visa or residence permit. However, this is a temporary status. You must secure a qualified job before the permit ends to transition into a longer-term work residence permit.

If You’re Waiting for Your Master’s Degree – or Still Don’t Have It

If you've completed your studies but haven't received your final Master's degree yet, don’t worry—you may still be eligible to apply for a residence permit.

Ask your university for a certificate of completion (Abschlussbescheinigung). Depending on the immigration office, this is accepted to apply for the EU Blue Card or a work permit.

However, because this isn’t standardized across all immigration offices, it's also smart to check your foreign Bachelor’s degree in the Anabin database. If it’s recognized as equivalent to a German degree, you can use it as part of your application.

What If You Move Cities After Graduation?

Moving to a new city in Germany after graduation? You must complete two key tasks:

1. Deregister from your current city (Einwohnermeldeamt)
2. Register in your new city of residence

This ensures your immigration records stay up to date and avoids issues with the Ausländerbehörde.

What If You Decide to Leave Germany After Graduation?

If you're planning to move away permanently after graduating, make sure to close out your life in Germany properly. Here’s a quick checklist:

• Deregister from your city at the Einwohnermeldeamt
  
• Inform the Immigration Office responsible for you
  
• Cancel rental contracts, mobile plans, utilities
  
• Inform your health insurance provider
  
• Contact the tax office (Finanzamt), if relevant
  
• Close your German bank account if you won’t use it abroad
  

Taking these steps prevents unexpected fees or legal issues after you leave.

VisaFlow Makes Your Post-Graduation Transition Smooth and Simple

Graduation should be an exciting step forward—not a stressful maze of visa or residence permit questions and paperwork. That’s why VisaFlow exists.

With VisaFlow’s digital solution, you don’t have to search through confusing government websites, figure out obscure salary thresholds, or panic about missing documents. We’ve built the smartest, clearest path to help you:

• Find out which permit you’re eligible for
  
• Check your degree recognition
  
• Prepare all required documents
  
• Apply for the right residence permit at the right time
  
• Avoid delays that could affect your legal stay in Germany
  

Our Step-by-Step Transition Guide walks you through each scenario—whether you have a job, are still searching, or waiting for your diploma. With VisaFlow, you stay on track, avoid costly mistakes, and move confidently into your next chapter.

Skip the Research. Use VisaFlow.

Why spend hours trying to piece everything together when we’ve already built the solution?

VisaFlow’s digital platform helps you manage your entire post-graduation transition—fast, safe, and fully supported.

Start your next step with VisaFlow
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