On 1 January 2025 362,421 people with Bulgaria citizenship lived in Germany (Eurostat), against 185,248 in 2015 (+96%), 0.43% of all residents. Citizens of EU/EEA countries and Switzerland may live and work in Germany without a work permit and only need to register their address.
Typical language of ads: German; you may also find ads in Bulgarian and English.
2015185,248
2016228,734
2017256,990
2018290,250
2019319,271
2020342,211
2021368,396
2022390,021
2023366,026
2024371,128
2025362,421
No permit is needed to work in Germany. Register your address within 2 weeks of moving in (Bundesmeldegesetz); health insurance is compulsory; recognition of your qualification is required only for regulated professions.
NATIONAL (all Germany)Official guidance Source: Make it in Germany, Federal Foreign Office, BAMF · Data: checked 07/11/2026
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens may live and work in Germany without a work permit; register your address with the local registration office within 2 weeks of moving in (Bundesmeldegesetz).
Skilled workers from other countries normally need a visa/residence permit. The main routes are the permit for qualified professionals (recognised vocational or university qualification and a job offer), the EU Blue Card for university graduates, and the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) for job seekers using a points system. See Make it in Germany and the Federal Foreign Office.
EU Blue Card salary minimums 2026: €50,700 gross a year in general and €45,934.20 for shortage occupations and some newcomers, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior notice published in the Bundesanzeiger (18.12.2025); confirm the current figures on the official sites before applying.
Recognition of qualifications: regulated professions (doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers, engineers in some states) need recognition before you can practise; use the Recognition in Germany portal to find the competent body. Unregulated jobs can start without formal recognition, but a recognised qualification helps for the visa.
Language: many ads ask for German (often B1–B2 level); IT, research and some international companies work in English. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) runs integration and language courses.
Rules change often; this is a starting map, not legal advice.
Live jobs: Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Jobsuche (public job-search interface of the Federal Employment Agency; ads published in the last 28 days; counts by facet)
Wages by single occupation, city and state (the official source we use covers 9 broad occupation groups, 2022). The Federal Employment Agency's pay atlas has no public data interface that we could use.
Rents and living costs by city; kindergarten fees (they differ by state and municipality).
Employee headcount by company for all employers: there is no free national register; we show live hiring and, where Wikidata has a dated figure, a reported group-wide headcount.
Union membership numbers and sector-by-sector collective-agreement pay tables.