'Arbeitslosengeld in Germany: ALG eligibility, registration deadlines,
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Arbeitslosengeld, or ALG, is Germany’s unemployment insurance benefit. People receive it not because they lack money, but because they previously paid contributions into the Arbeitslosenversicherung system, registered on time with the Agentur für Arbeit, and remain available to the labor market.
ALG, Burgergeld, and Grundsicherung: what is the difference
Germany has several types of support for loss of income, and it is important not to confuse them.
| Benefit | Logic | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Arbeitslosengeld (ALG, commonly ALG I) | Insurance benefit after salaried employment or voluntary insurance | Agentur fur Arbeit |
| Burgergeld / Grundsicherung | Means-tested support if income is not enough for living costs and housing | Jobcenter |
| Wohngeld and Kinderzuschlag | Separate supplements for housing and families with children | Wohngeldstelle, Familienkasse |
ALG is calculated from previous insurable earnings. Savings, an apartment, or family assets usually do not determine entitlement to ALG because it is not a poverty benefit. But if you need an additional top-up through the Jobcenter, then family income and assets are checked.
In 2026, Burgergeld is being transitioned to the new Grundsicherung model. Because the rules for means-tested support change separately from ALG, if money is tight it is best to check the current Jobcenter conditions at the time you apply.
Who is entitled to Arbeitslosengeld
The basic conditions are:
- you have lost your job or it will end soon;
- you have registered as seeking work and as unemployed;
- in the last 30 months you have accumulated at least 12 months of mandatory unemployment insurance;
- you can and are willing to work at least 15 hours per week;
- you are looking for work and comply with the requirements of the Agentur fur Arbeit.
Insurance months do not have to be consecutive. For some people with short fixed-term contracts, there are special rules with a shorter insurance period, but these are best checked separately with the Agentur fur Arbeit.
Foreign nationals can also be entitled to ALG if they meet the insurance conditions and have the right to work in Germany. But entitlement to benefits and the right of residence are separate issues. If your residence permit is tied to your job, the job loss must be discussed separately with the Auslanderbehorde.
What to do after dismissal: step-by-step
Step 1. Report that you are looking for work
Registration as arbeitssuchend is required before actual unemployment begins.
- If the end date of your job is known in advance, inform the Agentur fur Arbeit no later than 3 months before the contract ends.
- If you learn about dismissal or non-renewal later, report it within 3 days after receiving the information.
You can do this online, by phone at 0800 4 555500, or in person. A late Arbeitssuchendmeldung can lead to a Sperrzeit, a period without payments.
Step 2. Register as unemployed
Registration as arbeitslos is a separate step. It can be done up to 3 months before unemployment starts, but no later than the first day of unemployment. If the office is closed, registration is usually done on the next working day.
Online registration requires identity verification, for example through BundID and the online function of the document with AusweisApp. If you do not have that identification, it is safer to go in person to the Agentur fur Arbeit responsible for your place of residence.
Step 3. Submit the ALG application
After registration, a separate Antrag auf Arbeitslosengeld is required. The most convenient way is through the eServices of the Agentur fur Arbeit: there you can upload documents, see missing information, and track the status.
The Agentur fur Arbeit recommends submitting the application in advance, roughly two weeks before unemployment begins. Money is granted only after review, and the final decision arrives as a Bescheid. If the authority made a mistake, the procedure for objecting is stated in the Bescheid itself.
Which documents to prepare
| Document or information | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Passport, ID card, or other identity document | For registration and identification |
| IBAN of your bank account | ALG is paid to this account |
| Latest employment contract and dismissal documents | To determine when unemployment starts and check the reasons for job loss |
| Arbeitsbescheinigung from the employer | The main document for calculating earnings and insurance periods |
| Information about side jobs or self-employment | To check the hourly limit and account for income |
| Documents about children, if any | May affect the 67% rate |
| Correspondence with the Auslanderbehorde, if the residence permit depends on the job | Helps avoid mixing up benefits and migration status |
The Arbeitsbescheinigung is usually transmitted electronically by the employer. It is still worth requesting it in advance and checking that the employer submitted the information correctly.
How much ALG pays
The amount of ALG depends not on the household’s current expenses, but on previous insurable earnings. Usually the salary from the last 12 months before unemployment is used, a daily basis called Bemessungsentgelt is calculated, and then after standard deductions the Leistungsentgelt is determined.
The benefit paid from the Leistungsentgelt is:
- 60% if there is no child that gives entitlement to the higher rate;
- 67% if there is such an entitlement.
The amount is influenced by tax class, children, insurable earnings, the assessment period, and the contribution ceiling. For a rough estimate, it is best to use the official Arbeitslosengeld calculator, but the exact amount will in any case be stated in the Bescheid.
Contributions and Beitragsbemessungsgrenze
In 2026, the contribution rate to unemployment insurance is 2.6% of insurable gross salary: usually half is paid by the employee and half by the employer.
A Beitragsbemessungsgrenze applies to contributions, a ceiling above which contributions no longer increase. In 2026, pension insurance and unemployment insurance use a uniform Germany-wide limit of 8450 EUR per month or 101400 EUR per year.
This matters for people with high salaries: if earnings were above the ceiling, ALG is still calculated only up to that limit.
Calculation example
| Situation | How to read it |
|---|---|
| During the assessment period, 30000 EUR of insurable earnings for 300 days were counted | Bemessungsentgelt: 100 EUR per day. This is not yet the benefit, but the basis for further calculation |
| After standard deductions, the Leistungsentgelt is hypothetically 64 EUR per day, and there is a child | 67% = 42.88 EUR per day, roughly 1286.40 EUR for a full assessment month |
| The same inputs, but without the higher rate | 60% = 38.40 EUR per day, roughly 1152 EUR for a full assessment month |
This is only an illustration. The real calculation may differ because of tax class, children, the earnings period, hardship cases, and other details.
How many months ALG is paid
ALG is transferred monthly in arrears. The duration depends on insurance history and age at the time entitlement arises.
| Insurance months | Benefit duration |
|---|---|
| 12 months | 6 months |
| 16 months | 8 months |
| 20 months | 10 months |
| 24 months | 12 months |
| 30 months | 15 months if you are already 50 |
| 36 months | 18 months if you are already 55 |
| 48 months | 24 months if you are already 58 |
For most people under 50, the maximum duration is 12 months. After reaching the regular statutory retirement age, entitlement to ALG ends at the start of the following month.
Obligations while receiving ALG
To avoid losing entitlement to payments, you must:
- remain available to the labor market and be able to work at least 15 hours per week;
- attend Termine, respond to letters, and fulfill arrangements with the Agentur fur Arbeit;
- actively look for work and document your efforts if required;
- report side jobs, self-employment, illness, travel, relocation, a new contract, and other changes.
During ALG, social protection usually continues. In statutory health insurance, contributions to Krankenversicherung and Pflegeversicherung are paid by the Agentur fur Arbeit. With private insurance, reimbursement may be available within the applicable rules, but it does not always cover the full premium. Periods of receiving ALG also count toward pension insurance.
Nebenjob: side work while receiving ALG
You can work on the side, but two limits matter.
- You must work less than 15 hours per week. At 15 hours or more, a person usually is no longer considered unemployed for ALG purposes.
- The basic income Freibetrag is 165 EUR per month. Up to that amount, side work usually does not reduce ALG; income above the limit is generally deducted.
Any side work, including self-employment, must be reported to the Agentur fur Arbeit no later than the first day of the activity.
Example. If net income from a Nebenjob is 300 EUR per month, 165 EUR remains within the Freibetrag, and 135 EUR can reduce ALG. If that parallel activity already existed before unemployment, the Freibetrag is sometimes calculated differently.
A Minijob usually does not increase future ALG because it normally does not include full unemployment insurance coverage. But if the Minijob continues during ALG, it is treated as a Nebenjob and follows the same hourly and income rules.
Travel, illness, and taxes
Ortsabwesenheit: can you leave town
An ALG recipient must remain available for job placement. That is why travel away from your place of residence must be agreed in advance with the Agentur fur Arbeit.
Usually absence can be approved for up to 6 consecutive weeks, but payments continue only through the end of the third week, meaning a maximum of 21 calendar days. If you leave without approval or stay away too long, payments may stop, and after returning a new registration may be required.
Sick leave during ALG
If illness begins while you are already receiving ALG, the Agentur fur Arbeit usually continues paying the benefit for up to 6 weeks. In the case of longer incapacity for work, the Krankenkasse may take over with Krankengeld. You must report the illness immediately and follow the rules for proving incapacity for work.
Taxes and Progressionsvorbehalt
ALG is usually not taxed directly, but it counts under the Progressionsvorbehalt. That means the benefit can increase the tax rate applied to your other taxable income in the same year. As a result, receiving ALG often creates an obligation to file a tax return, and sometimes to pay additional tax.
Sperrzeit: when payments are blocked
Sperrzeit is a period during which ALG is temporarily not paid because of a breach of duties or behavior that the Agentur fur Arbeit considers to have caused the unemployment. The total duration of entitlement is reduced as well.
Common reasons include:
- resigning without an important reason;
- a late Arbeitssuchendmeldung;
- refusing suitable work;
- ruining an employment opportunity through your own behavior;
- missing Termine;
- insufficient job-search efforts;
- refusing agreed training or support measures.
Typical Sperrzeit periods depend on the reason and whether it is repeated: from 1 week for some violations up to 12 weeks for resigning without a valid reason. If the total reaches 21 weeks of Sperrzeit, entitlement to the remaining benefit can disappear.
Sperrzeit is not imposed automatically for every departure from a job. If there was an important reason, for example serious medical circumstances or another documented situation, it should be explained in writing and supported with evidence.
If ALG is not enough to live on
If ALG is lower than your housing costs and basic needs, do not wait until payments end. Check:
- Wohngeld;
- Kinderzuschlag for families with children;
- a top-up through the Jobcenter under the rules of Burgergeld or Grundsicherung.
There is no automatic transfer: each benefit must be applied for separately. To avoid a gap in money, it is better to file the application in advance.
ALG for entrepreneurs and the self-employed
Self-employed people and entrepreneurs are not insured against unemployment by default in the same way as regular employees. But they can opt into voluntary insurance in the Arbeitslosenversicherung.
The usual conditions are:
- the application is submitted within 3 months after self-employment begins;
- the self-employment takes at least 15 hours per week;
- before starting the business, there was a sufficient period of mandatory insurance or entitlement to a replacement benefit under SGB III.
The contribution is not based on actual profit, but on the fixed Bezugsgroesse reference base. In the start-up year and the following calendar year, the base is usually reduced by half. Because the amounts change every year, the current Beitrag should be checked with the Agentur fur Arbeit before joining voluntary insurance.
If an entrepreneur already had a parallel activity alongside their main job, after losing employment it may become a Nebenjob for ALG purposes. Then the limit of less than 15 hours and the treatment of income above the Freibetrag matter again.
Residence permits, the Blue Card, and job loss
For holders of a work-based residence permit and the EU Blue Card, ALG can be a lawful insurance benefit if the conditions are met. But job loss can affect the residence permit itself.
In practice, this means:
- inform the Auslanderbehorde about the job loss if your residence permit is linked to an employer or employment;
- clarify how much time you are given to find a new job and which documents must be provided;
- apply for ALG with the Agentur fur Arbeit in parallel;
- keep evidence of your job search, applications, and interviews.
Do not assume automatically that the ALG duration and the period of permitted stay will match. In a disputed situation, it is better to obtain written clarification from the Auslanderbehorde or specialist legal advice.
End of payments and repayment of overpayments
New circumstances must be reported to the Agentur fur Arbeit immediately. Especially if you:
- found a job;
- started a main business;
- increased the hours of a side job;
- left without approval;
- moved;
- became ill for a long time;
- received income that you had not reported earlier.
If the authority overpaid money, they may demand repayment. This often happens because of unreported work, hidden side income, incorrect information about travel, or a situation where there was no entitlement to the benefit from the start.
FAQ
Can you receive ALG between two contracts?
Yes, if you have insurance entitlement, registered in time as arbeitssuchend and arbeitslos, submitted the Antrag, and remain available to the labor market. Payments do not begin before a proper Arbeitslosmeldung.
I resigned myself. Will I get ALG?
You can apply, but a Sperrzeit of up to 12 weeks is often imposed. If there was an important reason, prepare documents and a written explanation.
What is riskier: registering late as arbeitssuchend or arbeitslos?
Both steps are important. A late Arbeitssuchendmeldung can cause a Sperrzeit, while a late Arbeitslosmeldung usually means money will not be granted retroactively for the missed days.
Can I go on vacation?
Yes, but only after approval of the Ortsabwesenheit. Usually up to 6 weeks is allowed, but only the first 21 days of approved absence are paid.
Who pays if I become ill during ALG?
At first, the Agentur fur Arbeit usually pays for up to 6 weeks if the illness began during lawful receipt of ALG. In the case of prolonged illness, Krankengeld from the Krankenkasse may follow.
Is ALG taxed?
The benefit itself is usually not taxed directly, but it is taken into account through the Progressionsvorbehalt. That is why a tax return may be required.
Do savings prevent you from receiving ALG?
Usually not for ALG itself, because it is an insurance benefit. For a top-up through the Jobcenter, family assets and income do matter.
What should I do on the first day after dismissal?
If you have not yet registered as arbeitslos, do it immediately online or in person. Then submit the Antrag for ALG, check the Arbeitsbescheinigung, and respond to letters from the Agentur fur Arbeit.
