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Report as a job seeker

As an employee, you are obliged to register as a job seeker with the employment agency within certain deadlines.

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Detailed description

As an employee, you are legally obliged to register as a job seeker with the Employment Agency no later than 3 months before the end of your employment relationship. If you found out about the end of your employment relationship less than 3 months in advance, you must register as a job seeker within 3 days.
The same applies if you are doing external training and are then threatened with unemployment. After you have registered as a jobseeker, the employment agency will support you in your search for a suitable position. In general, you should register as a job seeker with the Employment Agency as early as possible if
  • you have been terminated
  • your fixed-term employment contract expires,
  • you have mutually agreed a termination agreement with your employer,
  • you are looking for work again after a long illness,
  • school, vocational training or studies are coming to an end and you do not yet have a contractually agreed job or apprenticeship position,
  • You want to return to work after a long period of child-rearing or
  • You are looking for a job for other reasons
 

Information

Prerequisites

  • You are currently in an apprenticeship or employment relationship that will end soon
  • After that, you can continue to work for at least 15 hours a week that is subject to compulsory insurance.

Documents required

  • Identification document (identity card or passport and registration certificate) when registering personally as a job seeker at the Employment Agency
  • Registration before the online jobseeker registration on the website of the Federal Employment Agency

Please note

The online display of the jobseeker's registration is not in itself a legally effective jobseeker's registration. It serves solely to meet the deadline. The personal jobseeker's registration must be made later, at the latest on the first day of unemployment.

Free telephone hotline for employers (also for company number assignment and short-time work benefits): 0800 4 5555 20

Local number (subject to charges): +49 40 2485-3333


Deadlines

Register as a job seeker: no later than 3 months before the end of your employment or external training relationship. If you only find out later that your employment or training will end in less than 3 months, you must register as a job seeker with the Employment Agency within 3 days.

Procedure

You can register as a job seeker with the Employment Agency online, in writing, by telephone or in person. If you do not register as a jobseeker in person at the local employment agency, you must do so at a later date, at the latest on the first day of unemployment.
Written:

  • Send an informal letter or a fax to your responsible department of the Employment Agency or to the general address of the Employment Agency within the deadline.
  • State your name and address, the date when your employment will end and that you intend to register as a job seeker.
  • The Employment Agency will then contact you to set up an appointment for a consultation.
By phone:
  • Call the service hotline within the deadline and let them know that you want to register as a job seeker.
  • The Employment Agency will then arrange a consultation appointment with you.
On-line:
  • Register on the portal of the Employment Agency.
  • Choose there that you want to register as a job seeker.
  • Fill out the given fields.
  • The Employment Agency will then contact you to set up an appointment for a consultation.
Personal:
  • Within the deadline, go to the office responsible for you at the Employment Agency and register as a job seeker there.
  • If possible, you will receive a consultation immediately. If this is not possible, you will be given an appointment for a consultation.

Processing time

Usually several minutes, personal consultation on site usually lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. To be on the safe side, plan a little more time.

Fees

No

Legal remedies

Not applicable

Legal basis

Section 38 paragraph 1 of the Third Book of the Social Code (SGB III)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_3/__38.html

Links on the Internet

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Last updated: 11.03.2025