On 1 January 2025 252,808 people with Serbia citizenship lived in Germany (Eurostat), against 165,544 in 2015 (+53%), 0.30% of all residents. Citizens of this country normally need a visa or residence permit that allows work before starting a job.
The Western Balkans regulation allows people from Serbia and other Western Balkan states to work in Germany with a job offer, within a yearly quota: Make it in Germany.
Typical language of ads: German; you may also find ads in Serbian and English.
2015165,544
2016173,293
2017162,962
2018168,491
2019176,224
2020183,949
2021190,045
2022199,267
2023239,580
2024249,590
2025252,808
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.