Work: guides for Germany
- Checking an Arbeitsvertrag before startingBefore an Iranian national starts work in Germany, check both the Arbeitsvertrag and the work permission on the residence document. A job offer or signed contract does not itself remove an employer restriction or other immigration limit.
- Reading a GehaltsabrechnungAn Iranian employee in Germany receives pay information under the same statutory rules as other employees. Read the Gehaltsabrechnung from gross pay through statutory deductions to the actual payout, and compare the period, personal details and payment with your records.
- Arbeitszeit: hours, breaks and restIranian employees in Germany are covered by the applicable working-time protections too. Check daily hours, breaks and rest between shifts against the law and your contract; an immigration work limit remains a separate condition.
- Mindestlohn: the applicable hourly minimumIranian employees doing covered work in Germany have the same statutory minimum-wage protection. The general rate is €13.90 gross per hour from January 2026, rising to €14.60 from January 2027. Check whether a legal exception applies to your role.
- Gehalt: understand your payslipIranian employees in Germany should compare the agreed salary, payslip and actual payment. Gross pay differs from the amount paid after deductions. Ask payroll to explain the pay period, additions and deductions and correct discrepancies promptly.
- Krankmeldung: report illness correctlyIranian employees in Germany must notify their employer promptly of incapacity and its expected duration. Obtain medical certification on time even where the electronic process applies. Illness starting during a stay in Iran requires additional notifications.
- Urlaubstage: entitlement and approvalIranian employees in Germany have statutory holiday rights too. Check the entitlement for your work pattern and contract, then agree dates with the employer before travelling. Medically certified incapacity during leave is not counted as annual holiday.
- Kündigung durch den Arbeitnehmer: resigningIranian employees in Germany should check notice, written form, benefit consequences and residence conditions before resigning. A message or email does not satisfy the statutory termination form. An employment-based residence title can require a separate notification.
- Kündigung durch den Arbeitgeber: act promptlyIranian employees dismissed in Germany should record when the written notice arrived and seek prompt assessment. A court challenge normally has a three-week deadline. Separately arrange job-seeker registration and check any residence notification duties.
- Lebenslauf: present your experience clearlyIranian applicants in Germany should present relevant work, education and skills in a clear Lebenslauf tailored to the vacancy. Describe experience from Iran accurately, keep dates consistent and distinguish actual qualifications from any recognition still pending.
- Anschreiben: connect your experience to the roleIranian applicants in Germany should use an Anschreiben, where requested, to explain why their actual experience fits the vacancy. Give concrete examples from Iran or Germany, identify the role accurately and follow the employer's application instructions.
- Vorstellungsgespräch: prepare for the interviewIranian applicants in Germany can prepare for a Vorstellungsgespräch by explaining relevant experience, practising a short introduction and preparing questions about the role. Check the interview format and technical or travel arrangements in the invitation.
- Freiberuflichkeit: permission and tax registrationIranian nationals in Germany should confirm permission for self-employment before starting freelance work. Check whether the activity is a freier Beruf, obtain any professional authorisation and send the tax-registration questionnaire through ELSTER.
- Gewerbe anmelden: starting a businessIranian nationals starting a trade in Germany must check residence permission and any sector licence before operating. Register a qualifying Gewerbe when the business starts, then complete tax registration; the trade confirmation does not replace these permissions.
- Gewerbesteuer: understand the business taxIranian business owners in Germany must check whether their activity is subject to Gewerbesteuer. Legal form, taxable trade income and the municipal multiplier matter; the €24,500 allowance applies to individuals and partnerships, not automatically to a GmbH.
- Elternzeit: plan leave with your employerIranian employees in Germany can claim Elternzeit when the household and childcare conditions are met. Notify the employer with the applicable notice period and birth-date-specific form. Elternzeit is leave from work; Elterngeld is a separate benefit application.
- Mutterschutz: protection around birthIranian employees in Germany are covered by applicable maternity protections too. Tell the employer about pregnancy and the expected birth date, clarify the protection period and arrange benefit claims separately. Special rules apply to premature births and other cases.
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