If you are curious about how to change jobs, then you might be interested in my experience, as I have dealt with this process multiple times. But I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
This article is for people who have been working in Germany for less than two years.
Do you dislike paperwork? For €12.99, we will guide you through the process, even if you live in a different city in Germany.
Read moreGet a new job offer
If you have been working for less than two years, then you need approval from the government each time you want to change jobs. They will easily approve it if the job title and salary are similar to your last job.
Prepare the documents
You need a signed work contract and a filled-in employment relationship document. A representative of the new company should complete this form. The Welcome Center occasionally publishes new versions of this document, so I won’t link to it directly. But you can find it on this page. At the time of writing this, it is called “Workplace and job description.”
Submit the documents
The Welcome Center helps professionals with Blue Cards. You should write them an email explaining that you received a new job offer and attach your contract and the completed job description document.
You can write in English.
Their email address is listed in the “how to contact us” section of this page.
Wait for an update
Normally, they reply within a few business days. But with COVID-19, the wait time has increased to a few weeks. They may reply in German, but you can use your preferred translator tool.
They will probably reply with something like:
Good morning Mr. Germain,
I just contacted the employment agency. The review of the new employment contract can take up to 14 days. We'll get back to you as soon as the result is available.
SincerelyGuten Morgen Herr Germain, ich habe die Agentur für Arbeit soeben kontaktiert. Die Prüfung des neuen Arbeitsvertrags kann bis zu 14 Tagen dauern. Wir melden uns zurück, sobald das Ergebnis vorliegt. Mit freundlichen GrüßenClick for German original
Wait for a final response
Depending on how busy they are, it can take around two weeks to be approved. Just keep waiting, you don’t need to do anything more.
Collect the visa
When they email you next, they will offer you an appointment to visit the Welcome Center and update your visa. They speak English there, so if you don’t speak German, you’ll be fine. Whoo-who!
That’s it. You’re done!
If this article helped you, please consider ✨ making a donation. ✨ We both know that your salary as a Blue Card holder is pretty good, so what is couple euros for a nice person like you?
How to get additional help
Bureaucracy can be overwhelming — especially in a foreign country — so if you feel uncertain or too busy to handle it, contact us. Don’t live in Hamburg? We will still find a solution. 🙂