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Register as a jobseeker

Agentur für Arbeit · reporting obligation under § 38 SGB III

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Registering as a jobseeker is the first of two separate registrations – and the one most often missed. It takes place while you are still employed and allows the Agentur für Arbeit to begin job placement early.

§ 38 SGB III requires registration at the latest three months before the end of your employment or training relationship. If you only find out about the end later – for example through a short-notice dismissal – you must register within three days of finding out.

Anyone who misses the deadline gets a one-week suspension period (Sperrzeit) under § 159 SGB III. That may sound small, but it is entirely avoidable – and the suspension period also reduces the total duration of the later unemployment benefit. The registration itself takes only a few minutes and can be done online, by phone or in person.

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basis§ 38 SGB III · § 159
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 advice service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent authority always has the final say. Registering as a jobseeker does not replace the later registration as unemployed. 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.
Standard deadline3 months in advanceBefore the end of the employment relationship
If you find out at short notice3 daysFrom finding out about the end
If missed1 week suspension periodAlso reduces the entitlement duration
CostsFree of chargeOnline in a few minutes
Required documents

What you need

Identity card or login details

An identity card is needed for in-person registration; for online registration you need access to the Bundesagentur für Arbeit's eServices. You can log in there either with an electronic identity card or with login details sent by post.

Notice of termination, termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag) or fixed-term contract

This document shows the date from which the deadline runs. Keep it safe: with a short-notice dismissal, proof of the day you found out is decisive for whether the three-day deadline has been met.

Information about your previous occupation

Job title, field of activity and desired working hours. This information guides the placement suggestions you receive – the more precise it is, the better matched the offers.

Certificates and qualifications

Not strictly necessary for the registration itself, but for the follow-up advice appointment. This includes final certificates, proof of further training, a driving licence and language skills.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Work out the deadline

    Count back three months from the end of your employment or training relationship – that is your latest possible registration day. If less than three months lie between finding out about the end and the end itself, the three-day deadline from finding out applies instead. Note down the day you found out; in a dispute, that is exactly what matters.

  2. 2

    Choose how to register

    Registration is possible online via the eServices, by phone via the nationwide service number, or in person at the agency. The online route is the fastest and works around the clock – important if the three-day deadline is running.

  3. 3

    Submit the registration and keep the confirmation

    Have your registration confirmed and save or print the confirmation. It is your proof that the deadline was met – the decisive piece of evidence if a suspension period is later disputed.

  4. 4

    Attend the advice appointment

    After you register, the agency invites you to an appointment. There, your qualifications are recorded, placement suggestions discussed and, if relevant, further training options reviewed. The appointment is mandatory – missing it costs a further week's suspension period.

  5. 5

    Document your own efforts

    Keep applying for jobs and keep a record: date, company, position, outcome. The agency can require you to show your own efforts, and documentation protects you from being accused of insufficient cooperation.

  6. 6

    Separately register as unemployed later

    Registering as a jobseeker is not the same as registering as unemployed. Also register as unemployed on the first day without employment – this second registration does not have retroactive effect and is a precondition for payment.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Registration is freeBut missing it costs you
Registration as a jobseekerFree of charge
Advice and job placementFree of charge
Standard deadline3 months before the end
Deadline if you find out at short notice3 days from finding out
Suspension period if missed1 week
Effect of the suspension periodReduces the entitlement duration

The registration itself is free of charge and takes only a few minutes. What it costs is missing it: under § 159 SGB III, a one-week suspension period applies if you register as a jobseeker late. The damage is twofold, which is often overlooked: the suspension period not only suspends your entitlement, it also reduces the total duration of the unemployment benefit. At an average daily rate, a week quickly adds up to a three-figure sum – for a registration that could have been done online in five minutes. So keep the confirmation of your registration – it is your proof, in a dispute, that you met the deadline.

Good to know

Important notes

Two registrations, not one. Registering as a jobseeker happens while you are still employed; registering as unemployed happens on the first day without employment. Both are mandatory, and one does not replace the other.

The day you find out is decisive. With a short-notice dismissal, the three-day deadline runs from the day you learn of the end – not from the end itself. Note this day down and keep the dismissal letter with its date of receipt.

Also applies to fixed-term contracts. The obligation applies equally when a fixed-term contract expires – the end date is known from the outset, so the three-month deadline is easy to calculate. This is exactly where registration is most often forgotten.

Online is the fastest route. Via the eServices, registration works around the clock. That matters if the three-day deadline starts running on a Friday evening.

The suspension period has a double effect. A one-week suspension period means not just a week without money, but also a week less total entitlement. The damage is therefore greater than just the payment pause.

Possible even while still employed. You do not need to be unemployed, or have given notice yourself, to register – it is enough that the end is foreseeable. Your employer is not told about the registration.

Job placement starts immediately. The point of early registration is that the agency can start placement work during your notice period. Use this actively – in the best case, you avoid unemployment altogether.

Keep the confirmation. It is proof of timely registration. Without it, it is your word against the agency's in a dispute, and the suspension period stands.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Confusing this registration with registering as unemployed. They are two separate steps at different times. Anyone who only does one either loses benefit days or incurs a suspension period.

Not registering for fixed-term contracts. The three-month deadline applies here too, and the end date is known from the outset. The suspension period hits people with expiring fixed terms particularly often.

Counting the three-day deadline from the wrong day. It runs from finding out about the end, not from the end itself. Anyone who waits until their last working day has already missed the deadline.

Waiting for the outcome of a Kündigungsschutzklage. Register on time regardless of whether you are bringing a Kündigungsschutzklage (action for protection against dismissal). Registering does not harm the proceedings, but missing it costs a suspension period.

Not keeping the confirmation. Without proof of timely registration, a suspension period is hard to avoid. Save or print the confirmation immediately.

Missing the advice appointment. It is mandatory. Missing it costs a further week's suspension period – on top of any first one.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

When do I have to register as a jobseeker?

At the latest three months before the end of your employment or training relationship (§ 38 SGB III). If less than three months lie between finding out about the end date and the end itself – for example with a short-notice dismissal – you must register within three days of finding out.

What is the difference from registering as unemployed?

Registering as a jobseeker happens while you are still employed and allows the agency to start placement work early. Registering as unemployed happens on the first day without employment and is a precondition for the payment of unemployment benefit. Both are mandatory, and one does not replace the other.

What happens if I miss the deadline?

Under § 159 SGB III a one-week suspension period applies. It does not just suspend your entitlement – it also reduces the total duration of the unemployment benefit, so the damage is doubled. At an average daily rate, this quickly adds up to a three-figure sum.

Does the obligation also apply to a fixed-term contract?

Yes, without restriction. Because the end date is known from the outset, the three-month deadline is actually particularly easy to calculate. In practice, registration is often forgotten precisely when fixed terms are expiring – the suspension period therefore hits this group particularly often.

How do I register as a jobseeker?

Online via the Bundesagentur für Arbeit's eServices, by phone via the nationwide service number, or in person at the Agentur für Arbeit. The online route is the fastest and available around the clock – which matters especially if the three-day deadline is running. Always have the registration confirmed.

Does my employer find out about the registration?

No. Registering as a jobseeker is a matter between you and the Agentur für Arbeit; your employer is not informed about it. You can therefore register even if you still want to save the employment relationship or are contesting a dismissal.

Do I still have to register if I am taking legal action against my dismissal?

Yes. Register as a jobseeker on time even if you bring a Kündigungsschutzklage (action for protection against dismissal). The registration does not harm the labour court proceedings, but missing it costs a suspension period. If you win the case, the registration simply becomes irrelevant.

What happens after I register?

The agency invites you to an advice appointment, records your qualifications and begins placement work. The appointment is mandatory – missing it costs a further week's suspension period. Use the time actively: in the best case, you find your next job before unemployment even begins.

Related official procedures

Unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld I)
The actual application
60–67% of net pay
Careers advice
Orientation and job placement
Free of charge
Education voucher (Bildungsgutschein)
Get support for further training
Free of charge

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