Unemployment Benefits (Arbeitslosengeld)

You are entitled to unemployment benefit if you fulfil all of the following requirements: You must be unemployed, you must have completed the qualifying period and you must have registered as unemployed in person.

In accordance with the German Social Code book three (SGB III) there are two types of registration at the Employment Agency:

Registration as seeking employment

Your registration as seeking employment is necessary to have the Employment Agency support you in finding a new job.

A legal obligation to register as seeking employment exists at the latest three months before finishing an employment relationship or extra-company training relationship. You must register in person with an Employment Agency. If there are less than three months between knowledge of and the actual end of the employment relationship or training relationship, the registration must be made within three days after knowledge of the end date.

In order not to miss the deadlines, you can also register as seeking employment online or by calling

0800 4 5555 00 (free phone number).

A prerequisite for the effectiveness of your registration online or by phone is, however, that you make an appointment for personal registration as seeking employment at the employment agency. This saves you additional and unnecessary ways and waiting time.

Even if your employer holds out further employment or the continuation of the employment relationship or training relationship will be claimed in a court of law, the duty to register still exists.

Please note that there can be a period of exclusion from benefits of one week if you do not - as explained above - register as seeking employment with an Employment Agency.

Registration as unemployed

The registration as unemployed serves as an assurance of your financial entitlements. It is an essential requirement to obtain unemployment benefit and must be done at the latest on the first day of unemployment (at the earliest three months before) in person with the Employment Agency responsible for your place of residence.