Find Out How to Get a Job and Work in Regensburg

Employment in Regensburg

Local Economy

Historically an industrial city, Regensburg is today a major player in industrial, automotive and electrical engineering, and is home to a number of large, multinational corporations leading the market in these areas, including BMW, E.ON, General Electric, Siemens, and Toshiba. eCommerce giant Amazon also recently opened their first German customer service site just outside the city, adding a further boost to the jobs market and the economy.

Working in Regensburg is also ideal for those trained in the fields of biotechnology, as the city’s state of the art ‘biopark’ is home to several global biotech firms including 2bind GmbH and Bionorica SE. Information technology is also a major player in the economy of the city.

Typical jobs for expatriates that work in Regensburg are management positions in engineering, biotechnology, and information technology, as well as academic posts at one of the many universities or English teaching.

Work Permits for Regensburg

The process by which you obtain a permit to work in Regensburg depends on your current citizenship, your skills and qualifications, and the type of work you wish to do in the city. If you are moving to Regensburg and you are already an EU citizen, you will typcially not need a work permit to undertake employment.

If you are not an EU citizen, or you are from one of the newer EU member states, then you will need to apply for a work permit depending on the kind of employment you are looking for.

There are three different kinds of permits for work in Regensburg; the first is a general work permit, and to obtain one you will need to have a vocational qualification or a letter from a prospective employer — be advised that these can be hard to obtain.

The second type is a Specialist Professional Residence Permit, which is mainly for academics, managers, or those working in technical industries or engineering. Again, you will need an offer of employment and sufficient funds to support yourself in order to obtain one.

The third type is a self-employment permit, which is for expatriates looking to set up a business and work in Regensburg. You will need a detailed business plan, sufficient funds, and the skills necessary to do so and be of a benefit to the economy.

Income Taxation in Regensburg

Income taxation in Regensburg and the rest of Germany is modelled on a progressive system. This means that an average tax rate is established, which then increases monotonically alongside taxable income and earnings.

Income tax ranges from 0% to 45%, depending on your income, and no tax is payable on earnings that fall under the threshold of 8,354 EUR for single people and 16,708 EUR for married couples that are jointly assessed.

In addition to paying income tax, an extra solidarity charge is also deducted from the taxable income of those that work in Regensburg. This solidarity charge is set at 5.5% of the income tax for higher incomes, and not charged below the threshold of 972 EUR or 1,944 EUR for married couples.

For more in-depth information on the German tax system, please refer to our dedicated article on this topic.