Residency and work
Advice centresI come from an EU member state. May I work in Germany as a sex worker?
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If you come from an EU country, then it is not difficult for you to work either as an employed or self-employed sex worker.
You have the right to move freely within the EU and to work wherever you like. This is called the right to the freedom of movement.
I don’t come from the EU. May I still work in Germany as a sex worker?
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If you come from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, then it is not difficult to commence work since these countries have corresponding agreements with the European Union. This means you may work in Germany.
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If you come from Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo or Macedonia, then you may not simply come and work in Germany.
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If you do not have permission to reside in Germany or you only have a tourist visa, then you may not work in Germany – and that includes in prostitution.
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If you only possess a suspension of deportation (Duldung) or permission to reside as part of an asylum procedure, then it is unlikely that you can work as a sex worker. It can be very complicated to do so and it has to be assessed very carefully.
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If you need more information about this, ask us at cara*SH.
I have a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) for Germany. May I work as a sex worker?
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You need to find out whether your residence permit entitles you only to employed or self-employed work.
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If you are unsure whether and in what form you may work here, ask our team at cara*SH. We will check for you free of charge.
Does my residence permit reveal that I may be employed or self-employed as a sex worker?
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You have to check what it says in your residence permit:
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If your permit says: ‘Erwerbstätigkeit gestattet’ (i.e. ‘Permitted to work’), it means that you are allowed to perform employed or self-employed work. This means you have an unrestricted residence permit.
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If your permit says: ‘Beschäftigung gestattet’ (i.e. ‘Permitted to be employed’, and then potentially: ‘by Müller in Kiel’ or similar), it means that only one type of employed work is allowed. This means you have a limited residence permit.
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If your permit says: ‘Erwerbstätigkeit nur nach Erlaubnis der Ausländerbehörde’ (i.e. ‘Permitted to work only with permission from the Foreigners’ Registration Office’), it means that the Foreigners’ Registration Office may allow you to work with the approval of the employment agency once it has assessed your working conditions and so on. This will apply to you if you are an asylum seeker or your deportation has been suspended.
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If your permit says: ‘Erwerbstätigkeit nicht gestattet’ (i.e. ‘Not permitted to work’), it means that you are forbidden to work. This will apply to you if you are an asylum seeker from a safe country of origin or if your deportation has been suspended but you have violated your duties to cooperate.
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If your permit says: ‘Beschäftigung für 120 Tage oder 240 halbe Tage gestattet’ (i.e. ‘Permitted to be employed for 120 days or 240 half-days’), it means that you can work temporarily. This will apply to you if you are a student or you have a residence permit under § 16 AufenthG (the German Residence Act).
I come from outside the EU but I possess a residence permit for an EU country. Can I work in Germany as a sex worker?
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If you are a non-EU citizen, but you possess a residence permit for another EU country (such as a Spain, Netherlands, Italy or elsewhere), that does not automatically mean you may work in Germany.
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Work migration is a highly complex subject and it is essential for you to obtain advice.
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You can get free legal advice from us at cara*SH.
Can practising prostitution endanger my right to reside?
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Basically, no. Prostitution is a permitted type of work and cannot endanger your right to reside. If you have a residence permit which allows you to take up work, then working as a sex worker is the same as doing any other kind of work.
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Note, however, that if you engage in criminal offences, including anything connected with the practice of prostitution, then that may endanger your right to reside.
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You can get free legal advice from us at cara*SH.
My spouse is a German. Am I allowed to work?
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Yes. You will get a residence permit according to § 28 Par. 1 No. 1 of the German Residence Act and you may be either employed of self-employed as a sex worker.
My spouse is an EU citizen. Am I allowed to work?
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Yes. That’s because you are governed not by the German Residence Act, but by the European Union’s right to the freedom of movement. So if you move to Germany with your spouse, then you may either be employed or self-employed as a sex worker.
But this requires that your spouse moves with you to Germany. If you move alone to Germany then you are not entitled to the same freedom of movement. You would then have to see whether you have the right to take up work under the German Residence Act. -
If you have questions, contact us at cara*SH.
Map
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