How long can I stay in Germany after graduation to find a job?

Up to 18 months on the job-search residence permit if you successfully completed a German higher-education degree. Apply at your local foreigners office while your student permit is still valid. Official: Make it in Germany, visa for studying.

Can I work during the 18-month job-search period?

Yes. Make it in Germany states you can work in any occupation while looking for skilled employment. The point of the 18 months is to find a role that qualifies for a work title, not to freeze your income.

What is the EU Blue Card salary threshold in Germany in 2026?

€50,700 gross per year for the standard Blue Card. €45,934.20 gross per year for shortage occupations and for people who obtained their degree within the last three years. Confirm on Make it in Germany; the figures are set annually.

Is this the same as the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)?

No. The Opportunity Card is a points-based route to enter Germany from abroad to look for work. The 18-month permit is for people who already graduated from a German higher-education institution. If you are still a student here, you want §20, not a Chancenkarte explainer.

When can German-university graduates apply for a settlement permit?

Make it in Germany notes graduates of German higher-education institutions can apply for a settlement permit under §18c (1) sentence 2 after working in Germany for more than two years, if the other conditions are met. That is after you have switched off the job-search title onto a work title.

Resources

18-Month Job-Search Permit After a German Degree (2026)

Job seeker visa after studying in Germany: §20 gives graduates 18 months to find skilled work. Then EU Blue Card (€50,700 / €45,934.20) or a skilled-worker title.

TL;DR: Job seeker visa after studying in Germany is the 18-month residence permit under §20 (1) no. 1 AufenthG for people who finished a German degree. You apply at the Ausländerbehörde before the student title ends. You may work any job while you search for skilled employment. Once you have a qualifying role, switch to an EU Blue Card or another skilled-worker permit. For 2026 the Blue Card gross salary bar is €50,700, or €45,934.20 for shortage occupations and for graduates whose degree is under three years old. This page is not the Opportunity Card from India.

Dev Adnani

Updated August 15, 2026

12 min read

18-Month Job-Search Permit After a German Degree (2026)

Job seeker visa after studying in Germany is the name people search. The legal object is a residence permit to find employment after a German degree. It is not a VFS category D you collect in Mumbai while you are still in India.

If you are on a student card (or about to graduate here), stay on this page. If you never studied in Germany, this is the wrong cluster.

TL;DR

Topic	Quick answer
What	Up to 18 months to find skilled work after a German higher-education degree
Law	§20 (1) no. 1 AufenthG
Where	Same Ausländerbehörde as your student card, before that card expires
Work while searching	Any job is allowed. That job is not automatically a Blue Card.
Next title	EU Blue Card or another skilled-worker permit once the contract qualifies
Blue Card 2026	€50,700 standard; €45,934.20 shortage or degree under three years old
Not this page	Opportunity Card / Chancenkarte from abroad

Official: Make it in Germany, visa for studying (after graduation) and EU Blue Card. Statute: §20 AufenthG.

The 18-month job-search permit

The 18-month job search residence permit Germany graduates get is issued for up to 18 months after you successfully complete the degree.

Apply while the student title is still valid. You already know the office from the first card: residence permit after arrival. Berlin graduates use the same LEA online-application logic as other titles; other cities use their own forms.

Typical inputs (local checklists win):

Passport and current student residence title / eAT
Degree certificate, or an official confirmation that you completed the programme (some offices accept a provisional Abschlussbescheinigung while the diploma is printed)
Proof of funding and health insurance for the search period
Current Meldebescheinigung

Do not wait until you are illegal and then ask for 18 months.

AufenthG §20 after a German degree

AufenthG §20 after German degree is the graduate track. Other §20 routes exist for vocational qualification and research. Do not mix them.

During the 18 months you may work in any occupation while you look for a skilled role. Mini-jobs, full-time unrelated work, and internships can pay rent. They do not by themselves become a Blue Card.

When you have a qualifying job, you convert the title at the same office. You do not fly home for a new category D visa in the normal case. Book that conversion when the contract is signed, not on month 18 day 30.

EU Blue Card salary threshold 2026

EU Blue Card salary threshold 2026 Germany figures, gross annual, as stated on Make it in Germany:

Track	2026 gross annual
Standard Blue Card	€50,700
Shortage occupation, or degree awarded within the last three years	€45,934.20

A German Master's that is less than three years old is the second row even if the job is not on the shortage list. That is the graduate advantage.

Other Blue Card rules still apply: a German degree qualifies as the academic piece; the job must match the qualification; the contract is usually at least six months. Shortage list and BA approval details sit on the Blue Card page.

Thresholds change every year. Re-read the official page when you sign, not only when you start the degree.

Blue Card vs skilled worker permit after studies

Blue Card vs skilled worker permit after studies is a choice your offer letter decides.

EU Blue Card (§18g): salary at or above the table, academic degree, matching job. Faster path to settlement for many people.
Skilled worker with academic qualification (§18b): skilled role, but the salary misses the Blue Card bar, or another Blue Card condition is a poor fit.
Other titles exist (IT specialists without a degree, regulated professions with a licence). Use Make it in Germany, not a WhatsApp summary.

Settlement permit after a German degree

Settlement permit German university graduates can apply under §18c (1) sentence 2 after more than two years of work in Germany, if you hold the right work title and meet the other conditions (contributions, integration, and so on). Make it in Germany states that path.

The clock starts when you are working on a qualifying permit, not on the day you submit the thesis.

B1 German still helps the file, and it helps the job hunt. Working during the degree is covered in working while studying.

Common mistakes

Confusing this with the Opportunity Card from India
Letting the student eAT expire, then asking for 18 months
Treating a warehouse mini-job as if it were already a Blue Card
Using a 2024 salary screenshot instead of the live 2026 thresholds
Booking a home-country flight on month 17 without converting the title

Official sources

Frequently asked questions

Dev AdnaniFounder

Dev Adnani is the founder of YourWeg, helping international students navigate the path to studying in Germany with data and precision.

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