A job-search residence permit (Section 20a) — not a work visa itself. It gives you up to a year in Germany to find qualified employment, with part-time work allowed while you search. Two ways in: automatic if your qualification is already recognised, or by scoring 6+ points if it isn’t.
Option 1 ("skilled worker"): your foreign qualification is already fully recognised in Germany, or you obtained your qualification in Germany itself — no points system, no language proof needed (though German still helps your job search). Option 2: everyone else, via the points system below.
You need a positive anabin result or a Statement of Comparability (Zeugnisbewertung) for a foreign degree, or a positive "Digital Statement on Professional Qualification" for a vocational qualification. Vocational training must have taken at least 2 years.
Source: Anabin database (degree recognition) ↗Minimum German A1, or English B2 — this is required in addition to the 6 points, not a substitute for them.
Add up points from qualification equivalence, shortage occupation, experience, language, age, prior stays in Germany, and your partner’s eligibility. See the full breakdown in Key figures below.
A blocked bank account or a formal declaration of commitment from someone who’ll support you financially, at the minimum monthly amount below.
The site also offers a free self-check tool to sanity-test your eligibility before you formally apply.
Source: Consular Services Portal — Federal Foreign Office ↗You can work part-time up to 20 hours/week while searching, plus job trials up to 2 weeks per employer. Find a qualifying job and you can switch to a proper work permit; if you find qualified work but don’t yet qualify for another permit, your card can be extended up to 2 more years.
No — it’s a job-search permit. You still need to convert to an actual work permit (e.g. Blue Card or Fachkraft visa) once you have a qualifying job offer.