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Germany · Work

Germany Western Balkans work permit

Western Balkans employment rule (section 19c(1) AufenthG, section 26(2) BeschV)

First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log

Key facts

Western Balkans work permit is a work route for Germany. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.

Government fees
€100 ≈ $110 · €75 ≈ $84

Cost, time and long term

Government fees€100 ≈ $110 · €75 ≈ $84
  • EUR 100 (≈ $110)Fee for issuing the residence permit, regardless of validity.
  • EUR 75 (≈ $84)Fee for the national visa (category D), including multiple entries.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence

A settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) needs 5 years on a residence permit, secured livelihood, 60 months of pension contributions, German at level B1 and knowledge of the legal order.

Federal Ministry of Justice

CitizenshipAfter 5 years of residence

Naturalisation needs 5 years of lawful habitual residence, secured livelihood, German at level B1 and a commitment to the democratic order.

Federal Ministry of Justice

Where to applyFrom abroad

Apply at the German mission in one of the six Western Balkans states; approvals are limited to 50,000 a year.

Federal Ministry of Justice

Presence rulesStay rule

The residence permit expires if you leave Germany and do not return within six months, unless the authority sets a longer period.

Federal Ministry of Justice

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

  • Applications are made from outside Germany, not after arriving
  • Needs a job offer from an employer in Germany
  • Only for passports from 6 countries

What you'll need

Who can apply2

  • The applicant is a national of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Serbia.
  • The applicant has not received benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act in the 24 months before applying.

What you must show and pay2

  • A fee of EUR 100 (≈ $110) · Fee for issuing the residence permit, regardless of validity.
  • A fee of EUR 75 (≈ $84) · Fee for the national visa (category D), including multiple entries.

Documents1

  • A concrete job offer is required for any employment; no qualification is required.

Steps3

  1. Apply at the German mission in one of the six Western Balkans states.
  2. The Federal Employment Agency approves the job after a priority check.
  3. Approvals are limited to 50,000 per calendar year.

When you become tax resident

How Germany decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Tax residence

A continuous stay of more than six months counts as habitual abode from the start (section 9 AO), unless it is solely for a visit, recreation, cure or similar private purpose and lasts no longer than one year; a dwelling kept available for use creates a domicile (section 8 AO).

Foreign-source income

Residents are taxed on worldwide income.

All tax rules for Germany Tax records checked

Official site
Full official text

Residence permit for any employment, regardless of qualification, for nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Federal Employment Agency approval with a priority check is required, within an annual limit of 50,000 approvals. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

What you must show and pay

  • A fee of EUR 100 (≈ $110) · Fee for issuing the residence permit, regardless of validity. 11
  • A fee of EUR 75 (≈ $84) · Fee for the national visa (category D), including multiple entries. 12

Requirements

  • The applicant is a national of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Serbia. 2
  • The applicant has not received benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act in the 24 months before applying. 2
  • A concrete job offer is required for any employment; no qualification is required. 1 2 3
  • Apply at the German mission in one of the six Western Balkans states. 2
  • The Federal Employment Agency approves the job after a priority check. 2
  • Approvals are limited to 50,000 per calendar year. 2

Stay

  • The residence permit is a time-limited permit set according to the purpose of stay, and the Federal Employment Agency grants its approval to work for at most four years. Extending the permit within Germany is handled by the local immigration authority.
  • Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Nationality

Nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Open to: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo.

Work

Any employment, whatever the qualification, with the employer named in the approval.

Family

Your spouse or partner may work in Germany without a separate permit.

Checked 2026-10-11 · partly verified

Official sources

  1. AufenthG section 19c: other employment purposes · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-10
  2. BeschV section 26 Employment of certain nationalities · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  3. AufenthG section 18: principles of skilled-worker immigration, job offer, approval and four-year term · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-10
  4. Section 7 AufenthG (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-11
  5. Section 34 BeschV (Beschränkung der Zustimmung) · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-11
  6. Westbalkanregelung · Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit) · checked 2026-10-11
  7. AufenthG § 4a Zugang zur Erwerbstätigkeit · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  8. AufenthG § 30 Ehegattennachzug · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  9. Family reunification with third-country nationals (Nachzug zu Drittstaatsangehörigen) · Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) · checked 2026-10-12
  10. AufenthG § 29 Familiennachzug zu Ausländern · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  11. Residence Ordinance (AufenthV) section 45: fees for the residence permit, Blue Card EU and ICT card · Federal Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
  12. Residence Ordinance (AufenthV) section 46: fees for the visa · Federal Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
  13. AufenthG section 9: settlement permit · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-10
  14. Nationality Act (StAG) section 10: naturalisation after lawful residence · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  15. AufenthG section 51: expiry of residence titles · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11

Western Balkans work permit and its alternatives

RouteMoney neededStayWork
Western Balkans work permit–––
Blue CardNeeds income from €46k a year ≈ $51k4 yr, renewable–
Intra-company transfer permit–3 yr, renewable–
Experienced professional permitNeeds income of €46k+ a year ≈ $51k4 yr, renewable–
Researcher permit–––

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Western Balkans work permit?

A fee of EUR 100 (≈ $110). Fee for issuing the residence permit, regardless of validity. A fee of EUR 75 (≈ $84). Fee for the national visa (category D), including multiple entries.

How long can I stay on the Western Balkans work permit?

The residence permit is a time-limited permit set according to the purpose of stay, and the Federal Employment Agency grants its approval to work for at most four years.

Can I work on the Western Balkans work permit?

Any employment, whatever the qualification, with the employer named in the approval.

Can I bring my family on the Western Balkans work permit?

Your spouse or partner may work in Germany without a separate permit.

Who can apply for the Western Balkans work permit?

Nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Open to: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo.

Does the Western Balkans work permit lead to permanent residence in Germany?

Time on the Western Balkans work permit counts toward permanent residence in Germany, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Western Balkans work permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.

How are Western Balkans work permit holders taxed in Germany?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Western Balkans work permit. The standard rules apply: Residents are taxed on worldwide income. The 2026 tariff is zero up to EUR12,348, (≈ $13,800) rising progressively to a 42% marginal rate from EUR69,879 (≈ $78,100) and 45% from EUR277,826 (≈ $310,000).

More in Germany

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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

Ask the AI about this route AI

An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.

How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-11 against 15 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

  1. AufenthG section 19c: other employment purposes · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-10
  2. BeschV section 26 Employment of certain nationalities · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  3. AufenthG section 18: principles of skilled-worker immigration, job offer, approval and four-year term · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-10
  4. Section 7 AufenthG (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-11
  5. Section 34 BeschV (Beschränkung der Zustimmung) · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-11
  6. Westbalkanregelung · Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit) · checked 2026-10-11
  7. AufenthG § 4a Zugang zur Erwerbstätigkeit · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  8. AufenthG § 30 Ehegattennachzug · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  9. Family reunification with third-country nationals (Nachzug zu Drittstaatsangehörigen) · Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) · checked 2026-10-12
  10. AufenthG § 29 Familiennachzug zu Ausländern · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  11. Residence Ordinance (AufenthV) section 45: fees for the residence permit, Blue Card EU and ICT card · Federal Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
  12. Residence Ordinance (AufenthV) section 46: fees for the visa · Federal Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
  13. AufenthG section 9: settlement permit · Federal Ministry of Justice (Gesetze im Internet) · checked 2026-10-10
  14. Nationality Act (StAG) section 10: naturalisation after lawful residence · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11
  15. AufenthG section 51: expiry of residence titles · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.