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Apply for Arbeitslosengeld I

Agentur für Arbeit · wage replacement benefit under SGB III

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Arbeitslosengeld I is an insurance benefit, not a welfare scheme: you earned it through your contributions to unemployment insurance. That is why neither your assets nor your partner's income are taken into account — unlike with Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support benefit for jobseekers), formerly Bürgergeld.

The requirement is the qualifying period (Anwartschaftszeit) under § 142 SGB III: at least twelve months in a compulsory insurance relationship within the 30-month reference period (§ 143). Under § 149 the amount is 60 per cent of your standardised net pay, or 67 per cent with at least one child.

The duration depends on your contribution period and age and ranges from 6 to 24 months. The most important deadline is set out in § 38 SGB III: you must register as a jobseeker at the latest three months before the end of your employment relationship – or, if you find out less in advance, within three days. Anyone who misses this gets a suspension period (Sperrzeit).

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basis§ 142 SGB III · § 147 · § 149 · § 159
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de, the BMAS and the Bundesagentur für Arbeit
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. The individual amount depends on your assessed pay and tax class. 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.
Amount60% of net payWith a child: 67%
Duration6 to 24 monthsDepending on contribution period and age
Qualifying period12 monthsWithin a 30-month reference period
Reporting deadline3 months in advanceOtherwise 3 days from finding out
Required documents

What you need

Identity card or passport

For identity verification at your in-person appointment to register as unemployed. Foreign nationals also need a residence title with a work permit – without it, job placement cannot begin.

Certificate of employment from your employer

The key piece of evidence for your entitlement and its amount. Your employer usually submits it electronically. Do not rely on that: if it is missing, processing stalls. Check with the agency after two weeks to see whether it has arrived.

Notice of termination or termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag)

This document shows who ended the employment relationship – and therefore whether a suspension period may be imposed. A termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag) is particularly sensitive here: it generally counts as you ending the employment yourself and triggers a twelve-week suspension period unless there is good cause.

Bank details and tax identification number (Steuer-ID)

Needed for payment and for notifying the tax office (Finanzamt). Unemployment benefit itself is tax-free but is subject to the progression clause (Progressionsvorbehalt): it increases the tax rate on your other income, which is why a tax return obligation often arises in the year you receive it.

Proof of periods without employment

Receipt of sick pay, parental leave, care leave, military service or time spent abroad can affect the reference period or count as a compulsory insurance relationship. Enclose the relevant notices – they can decide whether the qualifying period is met.

Certificates and proof of qualifications

Needed for job placement and for deciding what work is reasonable for you. Bring final certificates, proof of further training and, if you have them, a driving licence and language certificates.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Register as a jobseeker immediately

    You must register at the latest three months before the end of your employment or training relationship. If you only find out later – for example because of summary dismissal – you have three days from finding out. This registration is not the same as registering as unemployed, and can be done online, by phone or in person. Anyone who misses it gets a one-week suspension period.

  2. 2

    Check the qualifying period

    At least twelve months in a compulsory insurance relationship within the 30-month reference period are required. There is a shortened qualifying period of six months for people who have mainly worked in jobs lasting no more than 14 weeks and whose income in the preceding twelve months did not exceed 1.5 times the reference value (Bezugsgröße) – in 2026, that is €71,190.

  3. 3

    Register as unemployed on the first day of unemployment

    Registering as unemployed is the second, separate step and does not have retroactive effect. Register on the first day without employment – not the second. Every day of delay is a day without benefit. Registration is possible online via the eServices or in person.

  4. 4

    Submit the application and complete the documents

    The benefit application is submitted online via the eServices or on paper. The certificate of employment usually comes electronically from your employer – check after about two weeks whether it has arrived. Without it, the benefit cannot be calculated.

  5. 5

    Check the notice (Bescheid) and duration

    Check three things in the notice: the assessed pay, the benefit rate (60 or 67 per cent) and the approved entitlement duration. The duration in particular is often calculated too short if periods of employment are missing. You can lodge an objection (Widerspruch) free of charge within one month against any errors.

  6. 6

    Comply with reporting obligations

    Attend every appointment and report absences, illness and the start of any employment immediately. A missed appointment costs a week's suspension period, refusing a reasonable job offer costs three, six or twelve weeks – and the suspension period also reduces the total duration of your entitlement.

Fee information

Costs and payment

The application is free of chargeThe benefit is contribution-financed
Application, advice, objectionFree of charge
Benefit rate without a child60% of net pay
Benefit rate with a child67% of net pay
Unemployment insurance contribution rate2,6 %
Contribution assessment ceiling 2026€8,450/month
Suspension period for giving up employment12 weeks

Applying, advice, job placement and objection are free of charge; social court proceedings are also free of court fees. The benefit is financed from the unemployment insurance contribution of 2.6 per cent, which employer and employee each pay half of (1.3 per cent each), levied up to the contribution assessment ceiling of €8,450 per month. This ceiling is the same as in pension insurance – unlike health and long-term care insurance, where it stands at €5,812.50 in 2026. Confusing these two ceilings is one of the most common sources of error in contribution calculations. Unemployment benefit itself is tax-free, but is subject to the progression clause (Progressionsvorbehalt): it increases the tax rate on your other income for the year, which is why a duty to file a tax return regularly arises in the year you receive it – a point that catches many people out the following year.

Good to know

Important notes

Registering as a jobseeker and registering as unemployed are two different registrations. Registering as a jobseeker happens three months before the end of your employment relationship; registering as unemployed happens on the first day without employment. Anyone who confuses the two either loses benefit days or incurs a suspension period.

Registering as unemployed does not have retroactive effect. Register on the first day of unemployment, not later. Every day of delay is a day without money, and it cannot be made up afterwards.

There is an exception after all: the closed agency. Under § 141 Abs. 2 SGB III the registration takes effect retroactively to the day on which the agency was not open for business – if you register on the next day it is open. If your first day without employment falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, you lose nothing, as long as you register on the next working day.

Registering and applying are two steps – and both belong on the same day. Under § 324 Abs. 2 SGB III, unemployment benefit can also be applied for after the event, so the strict advance rule of Abs. 1 does not apply here. That does not mean it is paid retroactively: § 325 Abs. 2 SGB III states explicitly: "Arbeitslosengeld wird nicht rückwirkend geleistet" ("Unemployment benefit is not paid retroactively"). A late application is therefore not rejected – but it still costs the days before it.

The closed-agency exception applies to both. If the agency was not open for business on the day you wanted to register or apply, both the registration (§ 141 Abs. 2) and the application (§ 325 Abs. 2 Satz 2) take effect retroactively to that day. If your first day without employment falls on a weekend or a public holiday, you lose nothing as long as you register on the next day the agency is open.

The termination agreement is the most common suspension-period trap. It generally counts as you ending the employment relationship yourself and leads, without good cause, to a suspension period of twelve weeks. Get advice before signing – even a large severance payment does not change this.

The suspension period costs twice over. It does not just suspend payment, it also reduces the total duration of your entitlement. A twelve-week suspension period therefore costs more than three months' worth of money.

No assets test, no partner income. Unlike with Grundsicherungsgeld, ALG I does not take your assets or your partner's income into account. It is an insurance benefit that you earned.

Up to 15 hours of secondary income. You may work alongside ALG I as long as the activity is less than 15 hours per week; from 15 hours, you are no longer considered unemployed. Earnings above €165 per month are offset against your benefit. Report any activity in advance.

Child sick: higher day limits apply in 2026. Under § 421d Abs. 3 SGB III, unemployment benefit continues to be paid for the calendar years 2024 to 2026 when a child is ill, for 15 days per child, or 30 days for single parents, up to a total of 35 or 70 days respectively. This matches exactly the figures set out in § 45 Abs. 2a SGB V for people with statutory health insurance.

Don't forget the progression clause. ALG I is tax-free but increases the tax rate on your other income. This often creates a duty to file a tax return and a tax bill in the year you receive it – set some money aside for it.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Missing the deadline to register as a jobseeker. Three months before the end of your employment relationship, or three days if you find out at short notice. Anyone who lets the deadline pass gets a one-week suspension period – entirely avoidable.

Only registering as unemployed after the first day. Registering as unemployed does not have retroactive effect. Anyone who registers on the third day permanently loses two days of benefit.

Signing a termination agreement without advice. Twelve weeks of suspension period, which also reduces the entitlement duration. A severance payment rarely makes up for this – get advice first.

Not checking the entitlement duration in the notice. If periods of employment are missing, too short a duration is approved. The objection period is only one month from notification (Bekanntgabe).

Not reporting secondary income. From 15 hours a week, unemployment status ends entirely; below that, earnings above the allowance are offset. Unreported activities lead to repayment demands and can have criminal consequences.

Overlooking the progression clause. ALG I is tax-free but drives up the tax rate on other income. Anyone who does not plan for this gets an unexpected tax bill the following year.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much is unemployment benefit?

Under § 149 SGB III it amounts to 60 per cent of your standardised net pay; anyone who has at least one child within the meaning of tax law – or whose spouse or civil partner has such a child – receives the increased benefit rate of 67 per cent. It is based on the contributory gross pay in the assessment period, capped at the contribution assessment ceiling of €8,450 per month.

How long do I get unemployment benefit?

The duration depends on your contribution period and age (§ 147 SGB III): 12 months of compulsory insurance give 6 months of entitlement, 16 months give 8, 20 months give 10, and 24 months give 12. From the age of 50 it increases: 30 months of contribution period give 15 months, from age 55, 36 months of contribution period give 18 months, and from age 58, 48 months of contribution period give the maximum duration of 24 months.

What requirements do I have to meet?

You must be unemployed, have registered as unemployed in person, and have met the qualifying period: at least twelve months in a compulsory insurance relationship within the 30-month reference period (§§ 142, 143 SGB III). There is a shortened qualifying period of six months for people mainly employed in short, fixed-term jobs whose income in the preceding twelve months did not exceed 1.5 times the reference value (Bezugsgröße) – in 2026, that is €71,190.

When do I have to register?

Two separate registrations. The registration as a jobseeker at the latest three months before the end of your employment relationship; if you find out at short notice, within three days of finding out (§ 38 SGB III). The registration as unemployed on the first day without employment – it does not have retroactive effect, and every day of delay costs a day of benefit.

What is a suspension period (Sperrzeit) and how long does it last?

A period during which your entitlement is suspended. Under § 159 SGB III it is twelve weeks if you give up employment – for example through your own notice of termination or a termination agreement without good cause – shortened in certain cases to three or six weeks. For a reporting failure or late registration as a jobseeker, it is one week. For refusing a reasonable job offer, it is three weeks for the first refusal, six for the second and twelve weeks in all other cases. Importantly, the suspension period also reduces the total duration of the entitlement.

Is a termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag) risky?

Generally yes. It counts as you ending the employment relationship yourself and triggers, without good cause, a twelve-week suspension period, which also reduces the entitlement duration. A severance payment does not change this and can rarely make up for the loss. Get legal advice before signing.

May I work alongside unemployment benefit?

Yes, as long as the activity is less than 15 hours per week – from 15 hours you are no longer considered unemployed and the entitlement ends. Secondary earnings remain exempt up to an allowance of €165 per month; above that, they are offset. Report any activity to the agency beforehand, or you risk repayment demands.

How many days do I get if my child is ill?

For the calendar years 2024 to 2026, § 421d Abs. 3 SGB III provides for an increased arrangement: unemployment benefit continues to be paid for up to 15 days per child, or 30 days for single unemployed parents, up to a total of 35 or 70 days respectively. This matches exactly the figures that § 45 Abs. 2a SGB V sets out for children's sickness benefit for people with statutory health insurance.

Do I have to pay tax on unemployment benefit?

It is tax-free but is subject to the progression clause: it is taken into account when determining your personal tax rate and therefore increases the tax on your other income for the year. This regularly creates a duty to file an income tax return in the year you receive it – and often a tax bill that many do not expect.

Are my assets or my partner's income taken into account?

No. Arbeitslosengeld I is an insurance benefit that you earned through your contributions. Neither your assets nor your partner's income play any role. This fundamentally distinguishes it from Grundsicherungsgeld – the former Bürgergeld – which is a needs-based welfare benefit that checks both.

Can I apply for unemployment benefit retroactively?

You can apply, yes – but you still won't get it paid retroactively. Both points are set out in law and are often confused. § 324 Abs. 2 SGB III provides that unemployment benefit can also be applied for after the event; the otherwise strict rule in Abs. 1, under which employment promotion benefits must be applied for before the benefit-triggering event, therefore does not apply here. Your application is not rejected merely for being late. But § 325 Abs. 2 SGB III states just as clearly: "Arbeitslosengeld wird nicht rückwirkend geleistet" ("Unemployment benefit is not paid retroactively"). The days before registration and application are therefore lost even if the application is accepted. In practice, this means: handle registration as unemployed and the application on the same day, the first day without employment. Only if the agency was not open for business that day do both take effect retroactively to it, provided you come on the next day it is open – § 141 Abs. 2 for the registration, § 325 Abs. 2 Satz 2 for the application.

Related official procedures

Register as a jobseeker
Three months in advance
Free of charge
Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support)
When ALG I runs out
€563 standard rate
Education voucher (Bildungsgutschein)
Further training during ALG I
Free of charge

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