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I have been working in Germany for 6 months as a software developer with my blue card. The company's name is not written on the card, but it is written on an extra paper that came with the card.

I have been receiving some tempting offers from other companies in the Germany. But I do not know if there's a waiting period before I can change jobs. I think it should be possible somehow, but I have no idea about the process.

How does that work? Any help would be appreciated.

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    How did you end up doing this? Any insights would be helpful to me now.
    – Bourne
    Commented Mar 9, 2019 at 14:35
  • I have the same situation, and also I don’t have any green paper, and the company’s name is not written on my blue card, mow I wanna change my employer, and don’t know what should I do? Should I get new blue card and it could take up to 3 month or mo?
    – Amin Behravesh
    Commented Jul 24, 2021 at 11:27

5 Answers 5

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It is possible, but you will need permission. You can freely change jobs on a Blue Card if you have already been in the country for two years. Prior to this two year period, you will need to gain permission from the authorities. If you are in Berlin, you can follow this information on how to get permission to change employers.

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  • How do you get the appointment for this purpose? I don't see information about this anywhere.
    – Bourne
    Commented Mar 9, 2019 at 14:36
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    1st link is dead
    – ksav
    Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 7:52
  • I can confirm what the link says is true. My source is the Ausländeramt.
    – aimedaca
    Commented Mar 27, 2022 at 16:35
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I agree with @solidcell his answer. Except the question asked stated

Company name is not written on the card, but it is written on an extra paper which came with the card.

Not that the company name is not written anywhere, but it's on so called Zusatzblatt. So I guess, your logic doesn't apply to this case.

On the other hand, I'm in situation you're addressing, and after leaving my old job and going to ABH, I've been told that I should submit my new contract before starting an employment.

I don't have reputation to comment, but felt this should be commented.

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  • Can you help me with how you got the appointment for this?
    – Bourne
    Commented Mar 9, 2019 at 14:37
  • @bourne just appear in ausländerbehörde early in the morning and take a number, i don't know how crowded it is now, but then it was possible to go like that, without appointment.. Otherwise write them an email, although iirc they replied to my email that i should make an appointment, but there's no proper appointment type to choose on their website.
    – maricn
    Commented Mar 11, 2019 at 7:31
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According to German laws, there is no regulation, you have the blue card and the green paper saying that you are holding that card as long as you work with the company "XY". That means:

  • If you get fired -> you need a new blue card + a new green paper.
  • If you quit the job -> you need a new blue card + a new green paper with the name of the new company.

If someone is offering a new job, then wait for the Jobsangebot. As soon as you get the new contract, then go to the Ausländerbehörde and say that you want to change your employer.

That's it

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  • This is unusual for me, at least In Poland it seems that it is not required to get a new card. You should apply for a new work permit, but your card remains the same.
    – Asher
    Commented Jun 1, 2021 at 16:38
  • This is wrong. You don't need a new card, you only need a new Zusatzblatt (The green leaflet). I've gone through the process and can confirm.
    – MD. Khairul Basar
    Commented Aug 8, 2022 at 15:15
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It seems like, at least for Berlin, you don't need to ask or inform the Ausländerbehörde.

This is according to their info page on changing employers.

Notice in this section:

  • Do you have a residence permit for the purpose of employment or an EU Blue Card?
  • Does your work permit specify a particular company?
  • Do you want to change company?

It says: "Does your work permit specify a particular company?"

Since your Zusatzblatt only mentions your job title, and not a particular company, this procedure doesn't apply to you.

Furthermore, under "Prerequisites", it says: "Work permit is limited to one company", which again does not describe you.

If you're worried, however, you might want to ask them directly by calling them.

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You can switch employers without getting permission from the Ausländerbehörde if...

  • You had this work visa or Blue Card for more than 2 years
  • You had a valid residence permit for the last 3 years (time with a student visa counts as half, for up to 2 years)

If that does not apply to you, then you must have permission from the Ausländerbehörde. In Berlin you can follow these instructions.

Source: Losing your job: what happens to your residence permit

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