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Apply for a placement voucher (Vermittlungsgutschein)

Agentur für Arbeit · Private Job Placement

After adviceDiscretionary benefit

With the Vermittlungsgutschein, you can engage a private job placement agency that is paid by the Agentur für Arbeit. It is a variant of the activation and placement voucher (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein) under § 45 SGB III – aimed at providers that offer job placement remunerated exclusively on a success basis.

For a successful placement into employment subject to compulsory insurance, the remuneration is €2,500, paid in two instalments: €1,250 after six weeks of employment and the remaining €1,250 after six months. For long-term unemployed people and persons with disabilities, it can be increased to up to €3,000.

The most important point for you: you do not receive this money – the placement agency does. For you, the placement itself is free of charge – a private placement agency that demands money from you is not operating on the basis of the Vermittlungsgutschein. And, as everywhere here, § 324 Abs. 1 SGB III applies: the voucher must be in place before the placement agency starts working.

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basis§ 45 SGB III · § 324 Abs. 1
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information site: We are not the Agentur für Arbeit, not an authority and not a paid advisory service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent body is always authoritative. The remuneration is received by the placement agency, not the person placed. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document administrative procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Remuneration€2,500To the placement agency, not to you
Payment€1,250 + €1,250After 6 weeks and 6 months
IncreasedUp to €3,000Long-term unemployed, disability
For youFree of chargeNever pay out of your own pocket
Required documents

What you need

Proof of unemployment registration

The Vermittlungsgutschein requires that you are registered as unemployed or are entitled to Arbeitslosengeld. The approval notice is sufficient as proof.

Application documents

The placement agency works with your profile. An up-to-date CV, references and proof of qualifications should be ready – reputable placement agencies revise them with you, but do not charge for it.

Placement contract with the provider

Read it carefully. It must set out the remuneration as exclusively success-based and must not provide for any payment obligation on your part. Clauses on flat expense fees, processing fees or upfront costs are a warning sign.

Proof that the provider is approved

The placement agency must be approved under the AZAV. Ask about this and have the approval shown to you – without it, the agency cannot redeem the voucher, and despite having the voucher you would have no benefit.

Evidence for the increased remuneration

For long-term unemployment or a disability, the remuneration can rise to up to €3,000. Corresponding evidence – duration of unemployment, severe disability card – should be included in the application.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Apply for the voucher at the Agentur

    Speak to your placement officer. The Vermittlungsgutschein is a discretionary benefit; it is issued if a private placement is likely to support integration into employment. Wait for the voucher before engaging a placement agency – § 324 Abs. 1 SGB III applies here too.

  2. 2

    Choose an approved placement agency

    The provider must be approved under the AZAV and work on an exclusively success-based remuneration. Check its specialisation and industry knowledge: a placement agency with contacts in your field is worth significantly more than one with a broad but shallow network.

  3. 3

    Check the contract before you sign

    The contract must not create any payment obligation for you. Anyone demanding upfront fees, flat expense fees or processing costs is not operating on the basis of the Vermittlungsgutschein. In that case, do not sign.

  4. 4

    Hand over the voucher

    Only give the voucher to the placement agency you actually want to work with. It is valid for a limited period, and the placement must be achieved within this time.

  5. 5

    Take up employment

    The remuneration only becomes due on placement into employment subject to compulsory insurance, and is paid in two instalments: €1,250 after six weeks, a further €1,250 after six months of employment. This is intentional – it is meant to reward sustainable placements, not short-lived ones.

  6. 6

    Object to any demand for payment

    Should a placement agency demand money from you after the placement, check the contract and contact the Agentur. The remuneration under § 45 SGB III flows from the employment promotion authority to the placement agency – not from you.

Fee information

Costs and payment

The placement agency is paid, not youAnd only on success
For the person placed€0
Remuneration of the placement agency€2,500
First instalment€1,250 after 6 weeks
Second instalment€1,250 after 6 months
Long-term unemployed, disabilityUp to €3,000
RequirementEmployment subject to compulsory insurance

For you, the placement is completely free of charge – this is the point where reputable providers part ways from dubious ones. § 45 SGB III provides that the remuneration for a successful placement into employment subject to compulsory insurance amounts to €2,500, paid in two instalments: €1,250 after six weeks and the rest after six months of employment. This division is deliberate – it is meant to reward sustainable placements rather than quick deals that end again after a few weeks. For long-term unemployed people and persons with disabilities, the remuneration can be increased to up to €3,000, following the same instalment scheme. Decisive: the remuneration is exclusively success-based and flows from the employment promotion authority to the placement agency. A placement agency that demands an upfront fee, a flat expense fee or processing costs from you is not operating on the basis of the Vermittlungsgutschein – do not sign anything there.

Good to know

Important notes

You never pay anything. The €2,500 goes to the placement agency, not to you – and you owe it nothing. Any demand for upfront fees, flat expense fees or processing costs is a warning sign.

First the voucher, then the placement agency. § 324 Abs. 1 SGB III applies here too: do not engage anyone before the Agentur has issued the voucher. Otherwise there is no entitlement to the funding.

Only on success and only into employment subject to compulsory insurance. A placement into self-employment or a mini-job does not trigger the remuneration. The placement agency therefore has its own interest in a regular position – which works to your advantage.

Two instalments, six weeks and six months. The second half flows only after six months of employment. Reputable placement agencies therefore stay with you after the start too – ask about this, it is a good sign of quality.

Up to €3,000 for harder-to-place cases. For long-term unemployed people and persons with disabilities, the remuneration can be increased. Provide the relevant evidence – this also increases your appeal to good placement agencies.

The provider must be approved. Without AZAV approval, the placement agency cannot redeem the voucher. Have the approval shown to you before you sign a contract.

The voucher is time-limited. The placement must be achieved within the period of validity. So do not wait too long before choosing the placement agency.

Check the industry knowledge. The voucher has the same value everywhere; the network makes the difference. A placement agency with real contacts in your field is worth more than one with broad but superficial access.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Engaging a placement agency before the voucher. § 324 Abs. 1 SGB III excludes retroactive funding. Clarify the sequence before you sign anything.

Paying out of your own pocket. The most serious mistake. The remuneration comes from the Agentur, not from you. Anyone demanding upfront costs is operating outside the Vermittlungsgutschein – there is no protection there.

Signing a contract with payment clauses. The remuneration must be exclusively success-based. Clauses on expense compensation or processing fees have no place in such a contract.

Not paying attention to approval. Without AZAV approval, the provider cannot claim payment from the Agentur. The voucher is then of no use to you, and the placement takes place outside the protected framework.

Counting a mini-job as success. The remuneration requires employment subject to compulsory insurance. Clarify this in advance so that expectations match on both sides.

Letting the period of validity lapse. The voucher is time-limited. Anyone who takes too long must apply for it again – with a fresh discretionary decision.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much do I get with the Vermittlungsgutschein?

You yourself receive no money – this is the most common misunderstanding. The remuneration of €2,500 goes to the private placement agency that successfully places you into employment subject to compulsory insurance. For you, the placement is free of charge; you owe the placement agency nothing.

When is the remuneration paid out?

In two instalments: €1,250 after six weeks of employment and the remaining €1,250 after six months. This division is meant to reward sustainable placements rather than quick deals that end again after a few weeks. For long-term unemployed people and persons with disabilities, the total remuneration can be increased to up to €3,000, following the same instalment scheme.

Do I have to pay the placement agency anything?

No, never. The remuneration under § 45 SGB III is exclusively success-based and flows from the employment promotion authority to the placement agency. If a placement agency demands an upfront fee, a flat expense fee or processing costs from you, it is not operating on the basis of the Vermittlungsgutschein – do not sign anything there and contact your Agentur.

Can I engage the placement agency and get the voucher later?

No. § 324 Abs. 1 SGB III provides that employment promotion benefits are only granted if they were applied for before the event giving rise to the benefit occurred. The voucher must therefore be in place before the placement agency starts working for you. There is no retroactive recognition. § 324 Abs. 1 Satz 2 does allow the Agentur to avoid undue hardship by permitting a late application – but this is a narrowly construed discretionary decision for genuine exceptional cases, not something that can be relied on in planning.

For which employment does the voucher apply?

The remuneration only becomes due on placement into employment subject to compulsory insurance. A placement into self-employment or a mini-job does not trigger it. This is an advantage for you: the placement agency has an economic interest of its own in getting you a regular position, not just any position.

How do I recognise a reputable placement agency?

There are three signs. First, AZAV approval – have it shown to you. Second, a contract with no payment obligation whatsoever for you. Third, industry knowledge: ask which companies in your field the placement agency works with. It is also a good sign if it stays with you after you start work – because of the second instalment, it has its own interest in stable employment.

Do I have an entitlement to the voucher?

No, it is a discretionary benefit under § 45 SGB III. The Agentur issues it if a private placement is likely to support integration into employment. Speak to your placement officer specifically about this and explain why a specialised placement would help in your case – for example, in industries with a tight, informal labour market.

What is the difference from the AVGS?

The Vermittlungsgutschein is a variant of the activation and placement voucher (AVGS), specialised in the placement itself: a private placement agency looks for a position for you and is remunerated on success. The AVGS in the broader sense also covers coaching, application training, skills assessment, start-up coaching and work trials. Both are based on § 45 SGB III.

Related official procedures

AVGS
Coaching and trial placement
Free of charge
Unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld I)
Requirement for the voucher
60–67% of net pay
Integration subsidy
Incentive for the employer
Up to 50%

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