Last updated: August 2026
Moving to Germany from another EU country can be straightforward if you are an EU citizen. If you are a non-EU citizen with a residence permit issued by another European country, the rules are different.
A residence permit from France, Italy, Poland, Spain or another EU country does not normally transfer to Germany. It may allow you to visit Germany for a limited period, but it does not automatically give you permission to establish long-term residence or begin working here.
Some documents provide additional mobility rights. These include EU long-term resident status, an EU Blue Card and certain residence cards held by family members of EU citizens.
Your nationality and the exact title printed on your residence document are therefore both important.
Your nationality and residence document are different things
Before planning your move, clarify two questions:
What nationality or nationalities do you hold?
What exact residence document was issued by your current country?
The term “EU resident” can describe very different situations. You may be:
an EU citizen
an EEA or Swiss citizen
a non-EU citizen with a national temporary residence permit
a non-EU citizen with a national permanent residence permit
a holder of EU long-term resident status
a holder of an EU Blue Card
a family member of an EU citizen with an EU residence card
a student, researcher or employee with specific EU mobility rights
Each status can lead to a different procedure in Germany.
Registering an address in Germany is also separate from having a legal right to live and work here. An Anmeldung records where you live. It does not create a right of residence or permission to work.
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
Citizens of the European Union can generally enter Germany without a visa and take up employment or self-employment without applying for a German work permit.
The same general freedom of movement applies to citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the European Economic Area. Swiss citizens have comparable mobility rights under a separate agreement with the EU.
For a stay longer than three months, you must continue to meet the relevant freedom of movement conditions. For example, you may be:
employed
self-employed
looking for work with a realistic prospect of employment
studying
living in Germany with sufficient resources and health insurance
After moving into a home in Germany, you generally need to register your address within two weeks. You will also need health insurance and, when employed, registration with the German tax and social security systems.
You do not normally need a German residence permit as an EU or EEA citizen.
Swiss citizens may receive a special residence document confirming their status.
Freedom of movement does not remove professional recognition requirements. If you intend to work in a regulated profession, such as medicine, nursing or teaching, you may still need German recognition or professional authorization.
The official Make it in Germany portal provides more information for EU citizens working and living in Germany.
If you hold a regular residence permit from another EU country
A national residence permit issued by another EU country is generally valid only in the country that issued it.
If the issuing country is part of the Schengen area, the permit will commonly allow short visits to Germany under the rule of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. You must also hold a valid travel document and meet the general conditions for entry.
This short-stay right does not normally allow you to:
establish long-term residence in Germany
begin regular employment
transfer your current residence permit to Germany
remain after the permitted short-stay period without a German residence title
The right to travel is not the same as the right to relocate or work.
If moving to Germany from another EU country with a regular national residence permit, you will usually need to qualify for a German residence title based on employment, studies, vocational training, family reunification, self-employment or another recognized purpose.
Depending on your nationality and status, you may need to apply for a German national visa before moving. Do not assume that you can enter as a visitor and complete every procedure after arrival.
The European Commission explains the general rules for people who are already legally resident in one EU country and want to move to another.
If you are a family member of an EU citizen
Non-EU family members of an EU citizen may have residence rights derived from the EU citizen’s freedom of movement.
This is different from relying only on a national residence permit issued by another country.
Depending on the circumstances, qualifying family members can include:
a spouse
a registered partner
children or grandchildren under 21
older children or grandchildren who are dependent
dependent parents or grandparents
Other close family members may be covered in more limited circumstances.
After moving to Germany, a non-EU family member will generally apply for a residence card. The card documents the right to live and work in Germany under freedom of movement rules.
Whether a visa is required before entry depends on factors including:
the family member’s nationality
the residence document already held
whether the EU citizen is exercising freedom of movement in Germany
whether the family relationship falls within the applicable rules
Different considerations can apply when a German citizen returns to Germany with a non-EU family member. In some cases, EU freedom of movement law applies because the German citizen previously lived with the family member in another EU country. In other cases, national German family reunification rules apply.
The BAMF provides official information about family reunification with EU citizens.
If you hold EU long-term resident status
EU long-term resident status can provide facilitated mobility to Germany.
The document may be described as:
EU long-term resident
long-term resident EU
permanent residence EU
Daueraufenthalt-EU
A national permanent residence permit is not automatically the same. Check the exact wording on your residence card and the legal basis under which it was issued.
If you hold EU long-term resident status from another participating EU country, Germany can issue you a residence permit for purposes such as:
employment
self-employment
study
vocational training
another permitted form of residence
You still need to apply for a German residence permit. Your existing status makes mobility easier, but it does not become a German residence title automatically.
For employment, the German authorities may need to review the position, working conditions and any involvement of the Federal Employment Agency.
Your spouse and children may be able to accompany you under facilitated conditions if the family relationship already existed in the first member state and they also held residence titles there.
The EU long-term resident mobility rules do not apply in exactly the same way to every EU country. In particular, Denmark and Ireland do not participate in this part of the EU system.
You can find further information on the BAMF page about mobility with an EU long-term residence permit.
If you hold an EU Blue Card
An EU Blue Card issued by another member state can provide a separate mobility route.
If you have held the Blue Card in another participating EU country for at least 12 months, you can generally enter Germany without applying for a separate entry visa for highly qualified employment.
You must then apply for a German EU Blue Card at the responsible foreigners authority within one month of entering Germany.
Your existing Blue Card does not simply become a German Blue Card. The new job must meet the German requirements, including:
a qualifying academic or comparable tertiary-level qualification, or eligible professional IT experience
employment appropriate to the qualification or experience
a contract or binding job offer for at least six months
the applicable German salary threshold
In 2026, the general minimum gross annual salary is €50,700. A reduced threshold of €45,934.20 applies to qualifying shortage occupations, certain recent graduates and eligible IT professionals.
The salary thresholds change each year. Check the current official figures when you receive a job offer.
Moving to Germany from another EU country with an EU Blue Card therefore removes the need for a separate entry visa after the required period, but it does not remove the German Blue Card application.
→ Check the official EU Blue Card requirements
Other EU mobility rules
Some residence permits include specific mobility rights for a limited purpose.
These can apply to:
students participating in an EU or multilateral mobility program
researchers carrying out part of a research project in Germany
employees holding an ICT Card for an intra-corporate transfer
people holding permits covered by specific EU mobility arrangements
These rights are normally limited to the activity, institution and maximum duration defined by the relevant rules.
A student permit from another EU country, for example, does not create a general right to move to Germany for any course or job. The mobility must meet the conditions of the relevant program or agreement.
Before applying for a completely new German residence title, check whether your existing document includes a specific mobility route for your planned activity.
The BAMF provides an overview of mobility rights within the EU.
If you already have a German job offer
A suitable job offer can open access to several work-based residence routes.
Depending on your qualification, experience, salary and profession, possible routes may include:
the EU Blue Card
the work visa for qualified professionals
the visa for professionally experienced workers
the recognition partnership
specific rules for IT professionals
employment based on citizenship-specific regulations
The offer alone does not confirm that you qualify.
The authorities may also need to assess:
whether the employment is qualified
whether your qualification meets the requirements
whether professional recognition is required
whether the salary reaches the relevant threshold
whether the Federal Employment Agency must approve the employment
whether you need to apply from outside Germany
You can find an overview of the main pathways on my page about work-based immigration to Germany.
Starting employer research and immigration research in parallel can help you identify conflicts early. For example, a position may be professionally suitable but not meet the requirements of the residence route you intended to use.
If you do not have a German job offer
The Opportunity Card can be relevant if you want to search for qualified employment in Germany and meet its published requirements.
It is not generally available without a formal qualification.
You need either:
a university or vocational qualification recognized in Germany, or
under the points route, a qualifying foreign academic or vocational qualification, the required language skills and at least six points
Applicants using the points route generally need German at A1 or English at B2. They must also demonstrate sufficient financial resources.
The Opportunity Card is normally issued for up to one year and permits part-time work for a combined total of up to 20 hours per week while searching.
The calculator adds points based on the information entered. It does not verify your documents, qualification, recognition status or eligibility. The responsible German authority makes the binding decision.
→ Check the Opportunity Card Calculator
You can also search from your current country and apply for a German employment visa after receiving a suitable offer.
Practical steps before moving
Moving to Germany from another EU country involves more than choosing a visa or residence route.
Before ending your current residence, employment or housing arrangements, clarify the following points.
Check the exact title on your residence card
Do not rely on general descriptions such as “permanent resident” or “EU resident.”
Check whether the card states:
national residence permit
EU long-term resident
EU Blue Card
family member residence card
student or researcher status
ICT Card
Check whether you need a German visa before moving
The answer depends on your nationality, residence status and purpose of stay.
Do not assume that a short-stay travel right allows you to complete the entire residence procedure after arrival.
Research employers and residence requirements together
Check whether suitable positions exist and whether they meet the requirements of a possible German work residence title.
I have compiled a free list of more than 1,000 companies in Germany that have advertised English-speaking positions. More than 250 have mentioned visa or relocation support in job advertisements, career pages or employer information.
The list does not show which positions are currently open and does not guarantee an English-speaking role or visa support for every position.
Plan your registration and health insurance
After moving into a registrable address, you generally need to complete the Anmeldung within two weeks.
You will also need health insurance that is valid for your status in Germany. Coverage from another EU country does not always remain suitable after a permanent move or the start of German employment.
Consider what happens to your current permit
Moving away can affect the validity of the residence status issued by your current country.
Check the absence rules, deregistration requirements and consequences for permanent residence or future naturalization before leaving.
These questions are governed by the law of the country that issued your current permit.
Organize your next steps
If you are considering moving to Germany from another EU country and need to organize the information you have collected, the Germany Immigration Call can help you structure the next practical steps.
During the call, we can discuss the published distinctions between EU citizenship, national residence permits and EU mobility routes. We can also identify the official procedures, questions and resources you may need to check next.
After the call, you will receive a written summary of the main points discussed.
The call does not include an individual legal assessment, confirmation of a right of residence, legal document review or representation before authorities. Questions requiring a binding interpretation of your personal status should be discussed with a licensed German immigration lawyer.
→ Book the Germany Immigration Call
Get updates about moving and working in Germany
EU mobility rules, German immigration procedures and financial requirements can change.
My newsletter shares one or two relevant updates per month about moving, working and living in Germany. Subscribers also receive new versions of the German Employer List when they are released.
This article provides general immigration information and practical orientation. It does not determine whether a specific residence document gives you a right to move to or work in Germany. The responsible German authority makes the binding decision. For individual legal advice, consult a licensed German immigration lawyer.
