Residence titles for work (Aufenthaltstitel für Arbeit): overview for Berlin
For employment in Germany, there are several residence titles that differ in requirements and purpose. Residence law itself is federal law (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG, Residence Act); responsible for granting titles in Berlin is the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA, State Office for Immigration), specifically at the location Keplerstraße 2, 10589 Berlin – skilled-worker employment, vocational training, and related matters are handled there (the main location at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, by contrast, is responsible for family and humanitarian residence titles).
Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card, § 20a AufenthG): a residence permit to search for qualified employment or for recognition of a foreign professional qualification. The requirement is either status as a skilled worker or at least 6 points in a points system (qualification, language skills, work experience, age, connection to Germany). Initially valid for up to one year, extendable by up to two further years with an employment contract (total duration maximum three years). Secondary employment of up to 20 hours/week and short trial employment are permitted.
Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card, § 18g AufenthG): for people with a university degree and a concrete job offer. The regular minimum salary in 2026 is 50,700 euros gross per year (equivalent to 50 % of the contribution assessment ceiling of the general pension insurance); for shortage occupations and career starters (degree obtained no more than three years ago), a reduced minimum salary of 45,934.20 euros applies – here the approval of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) is additionally required.
Skilled-worker residence permit (Fachkräfte-Aufenthaltserlaubnis; § 18a AufenthG for vocational training, § 18b AufenthG for academic training): for qualified employment that requires knowledge from the respective training. It is granted for up to four years (or shorter if the employment contract is fixed-term); the Bundesagentur für Arbeit must approve the employment unless a statutory exception applies.
ICT Card (ICT-Karte, § 19 AufenthG): for intra-corporate transferees whose company is based outside the EU. The requirement is at least six months of employment with the company before the transfer. Period of validity: up to three years for managers and specialists, up to one year for trainees.
- Identify the right titleDo you already have a concrete job offer and a suitable qualification? Then § 18a/18b AufenthG or the EU Blue Card come into question. Are you still looking for a job? Then the Chancenkarte is the right title. Are you being transferred to Germany within a corporate group? Then check the ICT Card.
- Submit an online application to the LEASince 2 April 2025, residence titles for employment – including skilled workers with vocational training, with academic training, EU Blue Card, and Chancenkarte – can be applied for digitally via the Service-Portal Berlin at the Landesamt für Einwanderung, both for first issuance and for extension.
- Wait for a responseAfter paying the fee and transmitting your data, you first receive a confirming PDF document. This is followed either by an appointment or by a request for additional documents from the LEA.
- If approval is required: wait for the Federal Employment Agency's approvalFor § 18a/18b AufenthG and for the reduced salary threshold of the EU Blue Card, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit must approve the employment. This approval is an internal administrative process between the employment agency and the LEA.
- For employers: consider the fast-track procedure for skilled workersVia the Berlin Business Immigration Service (BIS), the employer can initiate the fast-track procedure for skilled workers (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) under § 81a AufenthG (fee 411 €): the LEA obtains the approval of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit and issues a pre-approval, with which the mission abroad is then supposed to give a visa appointment more quickly.
- The salary thresholds of the EU Blue Card are adjusted annually – the amounts given here (50,700 € regular, 45,934.20 € for shortage occupations/career starters) apply to 2026 and must be checked again for other years.
- For § 18a/18b AufenthG and the regular EU Blue Card, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit must additionally approve or certain requirements must be met – check in the individual case whether an exception from the approval requirement applies.
- The exact processing time of an application at the Berlin LEA is not documented in general terms; the official sources only speak generally of "some time" due to high application numbers. No confirmed information with a concrete figure is available on this.
- The online application at the LEA only applies to certain specifically named titles (among others skilled workers with vocational/academic training, research activities, EU Blue Card, au pair, Working Holiday, Chancenkarte) – for the ICT Card, no separate statement on the online application option could be found.
In depth · Legal basis, figures and practice – for counsellors and professionals
Federal law vs. Berlin implementation
Which residence titles exist for work and which requirements apply in each case is regulated uniformly nationwide in the Aufenthaltsgesetz (Residence Act). What is Berlin-specific is the responsible authority and the local procedure: the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA, State Office for Immigration) has its own location for skilled-worker matters, vocational training, school attendance, Schengen visa extensions in exceptional cases, and declarations of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärungen) at Keplerstraße 2, 10589 Berlin (U7 Mierendorffplatz, bus M27), separate from the main location at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, which handles family and humanitarian residence titles as well as Duldungen (tolerated stay).
Chancenkarte (§ 20a, § 20b AufenthG)
The Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) is a "residence permit to search for gainful employment or for measures to recognize foreign professional qualifications". It is granted if the person either already counts as a skilled worker or reaches at least 6 points in the points system under § 20b AufenthG (criteria: qualification, language skills – basic German or English at least B2 –, work experience, age, connection to Germany); in addition, subsistence must be secured. Permitted are secondary employment of on average at most 20 hours per week and trial employment of up to two weeks. The search Chancenkarte is valid for up to one year; on conclusion of an employment contract, a follow-up Chancenkarte for up to two further years is possible (total duration at most three years).
Blaue Karte EU (§ 18g AufenthG)
Required are a German, recognized foreign, or comparable university degree and an employment contract or binding job offer with a minimum salary. In 2026, the regular salary threshold is 50,700 euros gross per year (4,225 euros gross per month), which corresponds to 50 % of the contribution assessment ceiling of the general pension insurance. For shortage occupations (among others IT, engineering) and for career starters with a degree from the last three years, a reduced minimum salary of 45,934.20 euros applies under § 18g Abs. 2 AufenthG; for this, the approval of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit is additionally required. The thresholds are adjusted annually.
Skilled-worker residence permit (§ 18a and § 18b AufenthG)
§ 18a AufenthG applies to skilled workers with qualified vocational training, § 18b AufenthG to skilled workers with academic training. A skilled worker (Fachkraft) is someone who has either a German qualified vocational training or a foreign professional qualification recognized as equivalent (skilled worker with vocational training), or a German, recognized foreign, or comparable university degree (skilled worker with academic training). A "qualified employment" is required that demands knowledge and skills from the degree or training. The title is granted for up to four years, correspondingly shorter with a fixed-term employment contract. In addition, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit must approve unless statutorily exempted; in doing so, it checks in particular whether the employment takes place on terms no less favorable than for comparable domestic employees.
ICT Card (§ 19 AufenthG)
The ICT Card (ICT-Karte) enables the intra-corporate transfer of employees from a company based outside the EU to a domestic branch of the same company or group. The requirements are uninterrupted employment with the company or group of at least six months immediately before the start of the transfer, a valid employment contract, and, if applicable, an assignment letter. The card is valid for up to three years for managers and specialists, and up to one year for trainees. It is not granted, among other cases, if the receiving branch was established primarily to facilitate entry, or if the application is filed before six months have passed since the end of a previous ICT stay in Germany. The legal basis is EU Directive 2014/66/EU.
Online application and fast-track procedure in Berlin
Since 2 April 2025 (as of an update of 15 July 2025), residence titles for employment in nine case groups – including skilled workers with vocational training and with academic training, research activities, EU Blue Card, au pair, Working Holiday programs, and Chancenkarte – can be applied for digitally at the LEA via the Service-Portal Berlin, both for first issuance and for extension. After paying the fee and transmitting data, applicants receive a confirming PDF, followed by an appointment or a request for further documents. For companies, the Berlin Business Immigration Service (BIS) additionally offers the fast-track procedure for skilled workers (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) under § 81a AufenthG (fee 411 €): the employer initiates the procedure in Berlin, the LEA obtains the approval of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit and issues a pre-approval; the responsible mission abroad is then supposed to give an appointment within about three weeks and need about three further weeks for the visa. The BIS is aimed at companies, founders, and self-employed persons who have registered as customers with the LEA, including member companies of the IHK Berlin and the Handwerkskammer Berlin.
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