Work

That depends on your status.

If you have applied for or already received a residence permit according to Section 24 of the Residence Act, you are allowed to work. You are also allowed to become self-employed. After you apply for a residence permit according to Section 24, you will receive a so-called “Fiktionsbescheinigung”, which confirms that you are allowed to work.

As long as you are visa-free or with a visitor visa in Germany, you are not allowed to work. If you cannot get a residence permit according to Section 24 and you meet the requirements, you can apply for a visa as a skilled worker, for example. With this visa you can also work. You can find out more about this in the "Residence" section.

If you get a residence permit according to Section 24 of the Residence Act, you are allowed to work.

As an asylum seeker or tolerated person with a "Duldung" you have to comply with a lot of rules, including in regards to work. You can read more about this in the "Work Permits for Refugees" chapter.

If you are allowed to work in Germany, you are generally also allowed to work in your trained profession. However, there are some professions for which you need recognition beforehand. These are, for example, doctors, lawyers, nurses or engineers. These professions are called " regimented professions" („reglementierte Berufe“). If you want to work in a regimented profession, you have to get your degree recognized. For skilled craftsmen: If you would like to become self-employed with a so-called " licensed trade" („zulassungspflichtigen Handwerk“), you must also have your professional qualification recognized.

Please note: If your profession is not regimented, you do not have to have your degree recognized. However, recognition will improve your chances on the German labor market.

You can find out more about this topic in English and Russian in the "Recognition of foreign certificates" section. You can also find information on the Anerkennung in Deutschland  website in Russian, English and Polish. And also in a flyer in Ukrainian by Anerkennung in Deutschland. You can get free advice on this topic from IQ Netzwerk.

You can find information about finding a job in Germany in the "Job Hunting and Application" section.

Workeer is a job platform on which thousands of companies willing to hire refugees are active. You can create a profile in just a few minutes so that the employers can contact you or apply directly for open job positions. Alternatively, you can contact initiatives that can support you in job hunting and answer your questions. The website is in German but you can use Google translate to benefit from it in your language.

There are also some platforms specifically for people from Ukraine looking for work in the EU:

• jobsforukraine.net
• uatalents.com
• jobs4ukraine.eu
• remoteukraine.org
• helpukrainians.jooble.org
• jobaidukraine.com
• jobs-gu-dp.com
  
• happymonday.ua/en

If you are in Berlin, you will also find numerous platforms on ukr-dim.de, where you can search for a job (in Berlin). Most of the employers listed there not only are ready to offer jobs but can also help you with difficulties such as finding a suitable language course.

The uahelp.wiki/jobs page lists numerous internet platforms where you can look for a suitable job. The links are arranged according to profession (e.g., doctor, teacher, journalist). The website also lists platforms where students and children (aged 14+) can look for job offers.

Trenkwalder.com will help you find a job and a language course. You will also receive free advice there on topics like work permits, account management and finding accommodation. You can contact them in Ukrainian, German or English at ukrainejobs@trenkwalder.com.

The State Medical Association in Saxony supports refugee doctors from Ukraine in their search for a job. You can reach the counselling center of the Medical Association daily from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. under 0351 8267-164. The employees speak Ukrainian, Russian, German and English. You can also contact the staff via foreigndocs@slaek.de.

You can find mentors to help you find a job at joinimage.typeform.com and imagine-ukraine.org. 

On hr-integrate.com, you will find mentors who will help you search for a job or training position. They speak English and German.

With a residence permit according to §24 Residence Act, you can also work as self-employed. If you would like to become self-employed, you will find the essential information you need in Ukrainian and Russian on wir-gruenden-in-deutschland.de.

You can learn more about self-employment in our chapters “Starting up as Self-Employed ("Freiberufler")” and “Starting up a Registered Business ("Gewerbe").

Employees are well protected in Germany.  You can read more about this in the "Labour Rights" and "Employment Contract" sections.

Important: If someone offers you a job that will earn you a lot of money in a short time, it is usually not a serious job.

You can get information and advice on your rights as an employee in the "Faire Integration" section. The employees there speak different languages. If you work in Berlin or the Berlin area and have problems with your employer, you can find advice and support in Ukrainian, Russian, German and English at bema.berlin.

Obtaining a residence permit per Section 24 allows you to register at the Employment Agency as a job seeker. The staff there will help you to find a job or an apprenticeship. The Employment Agency also supports you financially with various measures, such as the recognition of your qualifications. You can find the employment agency responsible for you on arbeitsagentur.de by entering the postcode of your place of residence.

You can also call the Employment Agency and seek advice before receiving a residence permit. The staff speak Ukrainian and Russian and can be reached at 0911-178 7915 - they are available Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can also seek advice in German by calling 0800 – 4555500.

A certificate of good conduct contains information about your criminal record. It shows whether you have been convicted of any crimes in the past and when so, for which crimes. You need a certificate of good conduct in Germany if you want to work in certain sectors. That is the case, for instance, if you would like to work with children or young people or in security-related professions.

You can apply for a certificate of good conduct through the online portal of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine (МВСУ). After filling out the form, you will receive a QR code which redirects you to the Ministry's website. You can then access your criminal record there. The document is in Ukrainian, and you have to have it translated into German. The translation must be carried out by a sworn interpreter. Ask the office that requires your certificate of good conduct whether you must have the document authenticated. You can find sworn translators at justiz-dolmetscher.de or bdue.de. You will learn more about authentication procedure in our chapter "Certified Copies".

You can find a list of cost-free coworking spaces on coworkingmap . You can directly contact the coworking spaces in the city that is suitable for you and clarify the details.