Working in a shortage occupation

Your skills could be a good starting point for a job search in Germany. Start with the occupation you want, then check where to find vacancies, whether your qualification needs recognition and what permission you need to work.

In short

• A shortage occupation (Engpassberuf) is a job in which employers have had particular difficulty filling vacancies. Shortages vary by occupation, qualification level and region, and the picture changes over time.
• In its 2025 national analysis, the Federal Employment Agency identified 157 occupational groups with shortages, including roles in nursing, health care, construction and trades, as well as cooks, professional drivers and early-years educators. Check the analysis for the specific job and current year.
• The Agency’s labour-market analysis and the occupational groups named in the EU Blue Card law are different lists. A shortage does not by itself give you a job, a licence or permission to live and work in Germany.
• Recognition, a professional licence and immigration permission are separate questions. Your route depends on your occupation and your own circumstances.

Choose a starting point

Look for the German name of the job you want, not just the field you trained in. A nurse, a doctor and a care assistant can have different routes, even when they work in the same place. The official Recognition Finder asks for your profession and intended place of work and helps you identify the responsible office.

Our occupation guides take you through some distinct paths:

• Nursing in Germany
• Working as a doctor
• Working in the skilled trades
• Working as a professional driver

These are starting points, not a complete list of shortage jobs. A job can be worth exploring even when we do not have a separate guide for it.

Find a job and check the offer

The Federal Employment Agency’s job-search page links to its own job search and EURES and explains its support for applicants from abroad. Its advice and placement support are free. Search by the German job title and location, and read the tasks, working hours, pay and language requirements in each offer.

Before accepting, verify the employer using contact details you found independently. Ask who pays for translation, recognition, language training, travel and any recruitment service. Keep a copy of the offer and any agreement. Our employment-contract guide and recruiter checks explain what to look for.

Check recognition and permission separately

Some professions require a licence, or restrict the use of a protected professional title. For others, a formal equivalence decision is not required just to practise, though the employer or your immigration route may ask for evidence of your qualification. Ask the responsible office before buying a course or translations. Our recognition guide explains how to find it, compare your qualification and look for possible financial help.

EU and EEA free-movement rights can also cover qualifying family members who are not EU citizens; Swiss citizens use a separate agreement. Other people may need a residence title that permits the work. Check your situation with the responsible mission or foreigners authority, especially before travelling or starting work. The EU, EEA and Swiss guide explains the separate routes.

If you already have an offer, compare the skilled-worker residence routes and the EU Blue Card. If you need to search from within Germany, the opportunity card is one possible route with its own conditions; it is not a step everyone must take.

What to do

1. Write down your target job, qualification and the German location where you hope to work. Check the Agency’s current shortage analysis for the occupation and qualification level.
2. Use the Recognition Finder to identify the responsible office and ask whether you need recognition or a licence, and whether use of the professional title is restricted. Confirm the documents, language evidence and fees for your case.
3. Search for offers through reliable channels. Compare the actual contract and verify the employer and any recruiter.
4. Check your right to enter, stay and work. If you need a visa, ask the German mission responsible for your place of residence which route and documents apply. If you already have a title, check its work conditions and any Zusatzblatt.
5. Keep copies of your applications and decisions. Plan health cover and housing separately, and do not start a regulated activity before the required permission has been granted.

Common mistakes

• Treating a shortage as an automatic job offer, visa or licence.
• Assuming every person who needs a work permit must first get an opportunity card or an EU Blue Card.
• Paying for a course or recruitment package before checking the responsible office and the written terms.