AVGS Voucher in Germany: Free Coaching for Job Search and Starting a Business

An AVGS voucher is an Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein: a voucher that Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter can use to pay for coaching to help you enter the job market, find an Ausbildung, get your qualifications recognized, or prepare for self-employment. It is not a cash payment, but a referral to a specific measure with a certified provider.

What AVGS Is

AVGS is used for activation and professional integration measures. In practice, this can mean individual coaching, help with Bewerbungsunterlagen, interview preparation, orientation in the job market, support with diploma recognition, or preparation of a business idea.

The legal basis for such measures is connected with § 45 SGB III. It is important to understand that issuing a voucher usually depends on the decision of your adviser at Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter. So the key question is not whether “everyone is entitled to a voucher,” but whether you can show that this specific measure improves your chances of getting a job, an Ausbildung, or sustainable self-employment.

Who Should Check Whether They Can Get a Voucher

AVGS is most often considered by people who:

• are registered as job seekers with Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter;
• receive Bürgergeld or Arbeitslosengeld, or are at risk of unemployment;
• have been sending out CVs for a long time but are not getting invitations;
• do not understand how to adapt their experience and diploma to the German job market;
• want to find an Ausbildung, Weiterbildung, or change professions;
• plan to start a business and need structure: a business model, calculations, documents, and a reality check for the idea.

For migrants, language, recognition of qualifications, understanding German CV formats, and having a realistic plan for entering the job market are especially important. If your German is not strong enough yet, coaching can help with strategy, but it does not replace language training.

What You Can Do During Coaching

The content depends on the goal and on what is written in the voucher. The program is usually built from several blocks:

• analysis of your experience, education, and professional goal;
• preparation of a Lebenslauf, Anschreiben, and a LinkedIn or Xing profile;
• searching for suitable vacancies and learning how to use Jobbörse, StepStone, Indeed, and employer websites;
• preparation for phone and online interviews;
• a plan for diploma or qualification recognition;
• choosing a Weiterbildung or Ausbildung;
• for future entrepreneurs, checking the idea, business plan, financial calculations, marketing, licenses, and risks.

If the goal is a Gründungszuschuss or other support for starting a business, the requirements and documents must be clarified separately: they depend on the applicant’s status, the authority, and the specific program.

How to Choose a Provider

Usually, Jobcenter or Agentur für Arbeit only pay for measures with approved providers. Before choosing, it is worth checking:

Criterion	What to ask
Certification	Does the provider have the certification required for AVGS
Format	Online, offline, or hybrid; individual or group-based
Language	In which language the coaching is held and what materials are provided
Specialization	Employment, diploma recognition, Ausbildung, business, a specific industry
Program	How many modules there are, what the goal is, and what result is expected
Documents	Whether the provider can prepare a description of the measure for the adviser

An individual online format can be convenient for people who live far from large cities, care for a child, or are preparing for remote interviews. But the format itself does not guarantee approval: the authority looks at whether the measure is necessary and appropriate.

How to Prepare for a Meeting With Your Adviser

It is better to come in not with a general request like “give me coaching,” but with a clear plan.

1. Describe the goal. For example: find a job in a specific field, prepare for an Ausbildung, get a diploma recognized, or test a business idea.
2. Show what you have already tried yourself: submitted applications, rejections, no responses, document difficulties, or gaps in the German Bewerbungen format.
3. Explain why coaching solves your specific problem: you lack structure in your search, understanding of the market, interview preparation, or business calculations.
4. Bring a program description from the chosen provider: content, format, duration, goal, and proof of approval.
5. Ask which additional documents are needed for the decision.

If communication is in writing, keep the request short and attach the documents as one package. If a meeting is scheduled, bring printouts or PDF copies: it is easier for the adviser to make a decision when the goal and evidence are already collected.

What to Do If They Offer a Different Course

An adviser may suggest an alternative measure or provider. In that situation, it helps not to argue in general terms, but to compare the options by goal:

• whether the program really fits your profession or business idea;
• whether there is individual work on your CV and interviews;
• whether the required support language is available;
• whether the format can be combined with family, integration courses, or a side job;
• which results are supposed to be achieved by the end of the measure.

If they refuse, ask them to explain the reason and clarify what needs to be improved in the application. Sometimes it is enough to add proof of your own attempts, make the goal more specific, or choose a different measure.

After Approval

Once the voucher has been issued, check the validity period, the type of measure, the goal, and the conditions carefully. Usually, you then need to contact the chosen provider, agree on the start date, and submit the documents for confirmation. Do not start the course before formal approval if the provider or the authority has not confirmed the procedure.

During the coaching, document the results: an updated CV, a list of vacancies, prepared letters, a diploma recognition plan, a business plan, or a list of next steps. This helps show Jobcenter or Agentur für Arbeit that the measure is being used as intended.

Common Mistakes

• Asking for a voucher without a specific goal and evidence.
• Choosing a provider only because of advertising without checking approval and the program.
• Promising a quick result that does not depend on coaching alone.
• Confusing AVGS with a cash payment: the funds go toward paying for the measure, not to the applicant.
• Starting the course before approval.
• Ignoring the language issue: for many jobs or business processes, German remains critical.

FAQ

Does Everyone Who Is Unemployed Have to Get AVGS?

No. The possibility exists, but the decision is made individually after assessing the situation and the need for the measure.

Can Coaching Be Done Online?

Yes, if that format is provided for in the measure and accepted by the authority. Check this with the provider and the adviser in advance.

Can AVGS Be Used to Start a Business?

Measures connected with preparing for self-employment or starting a business are possible. But the conditions, documents, and connection to other support programs need to be checked based on your situation.

Do I Need German at B1 Level?

It is better not to formulate this as one universal rule for all AVGS measures. For real employment, Ausbildung, recognition of qualifications, and business, language is often important, but the minimum level depends on the goal, the profession, and the program.