Germany · Government Jobs
Public-sector and civil-service hiring in Germany — the official government job portal.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
A German public-sector job can mean two quite different things, and the nationality rules follow the difference. Career civil servants (Beamte) hold a lifelong public-law status, and that route generally requires German, EU/EEA or Swiss nationality. Public employees (Angestellte) work under ordinary employment law on pay-scale terms, and those roles are open to all nationalities with the right to work. So the first thing to establish about a German public-sector vacancy is which of the two it is, because that decides whether nationality is a barrier at all. Federal and many other vacancies are listed on official portals such as Interamt, and regulated roles may require recognition of foreign qualifications.
Germany's public sector employs two main types: career civil servants (Beamte), a lifelong public-law status, and public employees (Angestellte) under ordinary employment law. A career as a Beamter generally requires German, EU/EEA or Swiss nationality; public-employee (pay-scale) roles are open to all nationalities with the right to work. Federal vacancies are listed via official portals such as Interamt.
- Career civil servant (Beamter) status generally requires German, EU/EEA or Swiss nationality.
- Public-employee (Angestellte, pay-scale) roles are open to all nationalities with the right to work.
- Federal and many public-sector vacancies are listed on official portals such as Interamt.
- Regulated public roles may require recognition of foreign qualifications.
- 1
Establish which of the two statuses the post is
A vacancy is either a career civil-service post or a public-employee post under ordinary employment law, and the two are governed differently. Everything else about your eligibility follows from that single question.
- 2
Read the nationality rule against that status
The career civil-service route generally requires German, EU/EEA or Swiss nationality, while public-employee roles are open to all nationalities with the right to work. The same organisation can therefore be closed to you for one post and open for another.
- 3
Do not rule out the public sector as a whole
People often conclude from the civil-servant nationality rule that public-sector work is closed to them, which is not what the rule says. The pay-scale employee route sits alongside it and carries no such restriction.
- 4
Use Interamt and the official portals
Federal and many wider public-sector vacancies are listed on official portals, where the advert itself indicates the status and pay-scale terms of the post. That is the fastest way to sort roles into the two categories.
- 5
Check whether the role needs qualification recognition
Regulated public roles can require formal recognition of qualifications obtained abroad, which is a separate process from either employment status. Establish whether yours is one of them before the application depends on it.
- Status of the post identified as civil servant or employee
- Nationality requirement checked against that status
- Pay-scale employee route kept open as an option
- Same organisation checked for posts of both kinds
- Interamt or the relevant official portal searched
- Advert read for the status and pay-scale terms
- Qualification-recognition requirement checked for regulated roles
- The public service in Germany (BMI)
Official overview of public-sector employment.
- Interamt (public-sector job portal)
Official German public-sector vacancies portal.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner work in the German public sector?
In public-employee roles, yes: those are governed by ordinary employment law and are open to all nationalities with the right to work. The career civil-service route is the restricted one, generally requiring German, EU/EEA or Swiss nationality, so the answer depends on which kind of post you are looking at.
What is the difference between Beamte and Angestellte?
Beamte are career civil servants holding a lifelong public-law status; Angestellte are public employees working under ordinary employment law on pay-scale terms. The distinction is not cosmetic — it decides which nationality rules apply to you, so it is the first thing to establish about a vacancy.
Where are German public-sector vacancies listed?
On official portals such as Interamt, which carry federal and many wider public-sector posts. The advert itself normally indicates the status and pay-scale terms, which is what lets you sort a role into the restricted or the open category.
Government portals
- Federal Government of Germany — Germany's Federal Cabinet official website — policy, legislation, news, and government programs
- Federal Office for Migration (BAMF) — German visas, EU Blue Card, asylum, integration courses, and permanent residency
- Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) — Tax ID (IdNr) registration, tax identification lookup, withholding tax refunds — the key authority for foreign taxpayers in Germany