Working as an employee

Equal access to jobs, written contract, minimum wage 2026 and 2027, mini and midi jobs, probation and notice periods.

Equal access, no permit

As a Union citizen you may take up employment in Germany on the same terms as Germans. Regulation (EU) No 492/2011 forbids discrimination on nationality in access to jobs, pay and working conditions (Regulation 492/2011). No work permit and no approval of the Federal Employment Agency is needed. Exceptions exist for some public-service posts. Which posts in Berlin's public service require German citizenship was not checked.

Written contract

Your employer must record the essential terms in writing and hand them over (Nachweisgesetz, NachwG). Check pay, hours, start date, place of work, holiday, notice period. A contract in a language you cannot read: ask for a translation before signing.

Minimum wage

• 13.90 euros gross per hour from 1 January 2026, 14.60 euros from 1 January 2027 (Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance of 5 November 2025, BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 268; MiLoV 5; background § 1 MiLoG).
• Some industries have higher collective minimum wages. No minimum wage for compulsory internships, orientation or study-accompanying internships up to three months, under-18s without completed vocational training, trainees, volunteers, and the first six months for previously long-term unemployed (§ 22 MiLoG).

Mini and midi jobs

A mini job is capped at 603 euros a month in 2026 and 633 euros from 2027 (German Pension Insurance press release; Minijob-Zentrale). Above that, a midi-job zone with reduced employee contributions applies, up to 2,000 euros a month (§ 20 (2) SGB IV). Mini jobs still entitle you to the minimum wage per hour.

Probation and notice

• Probation may last at most six months; during it the notice period is two weeks (§ 622 (3) BGB).
• Basic notice period: four weeks to the 15th or the end of a month (§ 622 (1)). For dismissal by the employer it lengthens with years of service, from one month after two years up to seven months after 20 years (§ 622 (2)). Collective agreements can differ (§ 622 (4)).
• Challenging a dismissal: you must sue at the labour court within three weeks of receiving the written dismissal (§ 4 KSchG). Do not wait: Workers' rights.

Finding work

The Employment Agency (arbeitsagentur.de) and EURES (eures.europa.eu) list jobs. Regulated professions need recognition first: Recognition. Never pay a fee to get a job: Scams.