60% of your salary for up to 24 months — ALG 1 for Blue Card holders
Arbeitslosengeld I replaces 60% (67% with a child) of your net salary if you lose your job in Germany. Blue Card and §19c holders qualify the same day an EU citizen does. Here is the 2026 playbook.
60% of your salary, up to 24 months
Arbeitslosengeld I is the first safety net when a job ends in Germany. Blue Card and §19c skilled-worker residents are fully eligible from day one of contributions. This is what ALG 1 actually pays in 2026.
of your last net salary
60–67%
Arbeitslosengeld I is not welfare. It is an insurance payout — you paid 1.3% of your gross every month, your employer matched it, and now the Arbeitsagentur pays you back when you need it. No asset check, no household check, no visa risk for skilled workers.
When ALG 1 runs out, Bürgergeld fills the gap. The Benefits Optimizer models Grundsicherung versus working so you can see how Bürgergeld, Wohngeld and Kinderzuschlag compare for your household.
What you actually get
60%
of last net salary
Standard rate
67%
with one+ child
If you or spouse have Kindergeld-eligible child
24 months
maximum duration
For workers aged 58 and above
The benefit is calculated on the average gross salary of the last 12 months, capped at the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze (€8,050/month west, €7,950/month east in 2026). That gross is converted to a notional net using a flat tax table — your actual tax bracket does not matter for the calculation.
Who qualifies (the non-EU angle)
- EU / EEA citizensAutomatic — same as Germans
- Blue Card holdersFull eligibility from first day of work
- §19c skilled workersFull eligibility, same as Blue Card
- NiederlassungserlaubnisFull eligibility, no visa risk at all
- Student visa, AusbildungLimited — depends on the work permit attached
Key point for South Asian readers: ALG 1 is an insurance. If your Blue Card or §19c permit allows employment (yours does), and your employer deducted unemployment insurance (they did — it is mandatory), then you have the same claim as a German citizen. Claiming it does not affect your residence permit because it is not "public funds" — it is money you paid in.
Qualifying period — the 12-in-30 rule
| Provider | Requirement | What counts |
|---|---|---|
12 months of contributions Best | Within the last 30 months (2.5 years) | Every job where unemployment insurance was deducted counts |
Registered with Arbeitsagentur | Within 3 days of learning your job ends | Delay = Sperrzeit (benefit cut) |
Available for work | Physically in Germany, able to start a new job | Must be willing to accept reasonable offers |
Not at retirement age | Under the regular retirement age | Different rules apply after |
- Requirement
- Within the last 30 months (2.5 years)
- What counts
- Every job where unemployment insurance was deducted counts
- Requirement
- Within 3 days of learning your job ends
- What counts
- Delay = Sperrzeit (benefit cut)
- Requirement
- Physically in Germany, able to start a new job
- What counts
- Must be willing to accept reasonable offers
- Requirement
- Under the regular retirement age
- What counts
- Different rules apply after
How much for how long
| Provider | Your age | Months of contributions needed | ALG 1 duration |
|---|---|---|---|
Under 50 | 12 months | 12 months — 6 minimum | |
50–54 | 24 months | 15 months | |
55–57 | 30 months | 18 months | |
58 and above Best Maximum ALG 1 duration in Germany | 48 months | 24 months |
- Your age
- 12 months
- Months of contributions needed
- 12 months — 6 minimum
- ALG 1 duration
- Your age
- 24 months
- Months of contributions needed
- 15 months
- ALG 1 duration
- Your age
- 30 months
- Months of contributions needed
- 18 months
- ALG 1 duration
Maximum ALG 1 duration in Germany
- Your age
- 48 months
- Months of contributions needed
- 24 months
- ALG 1 duration
The Sperrzeit trap
Do this
- Register as arbeitsuchend within 3 days of getting a termination letter — online at arbeitsagentur.de counts
- Keep every Arbeitsvertrag, payslip, and Lohnsteuerbescheinigung — the Agentur will ask for all 12 months
- Negotiate for a Kündigung by the employer instead of a mutual Aufhebungsvertrag — cleaner for ALG 1
- Apply for ALG 1 online via the Arbeitsagentur portal before your last working day
Avoid this
- Do not resign without a signed new contract — Sperrzeit is brutal
- Do not miss Agentur appointments — each miss can cost one week of benefit
- Do not refuse a "reasonable" job offer without written reason — triggers Sperrzeit
- Do not leave Germany for more than 3 weeks a year while claiming — you must stay "available"
Timeline — from termination to first payment
Day 0 — you receive notice
Same dayRegister arbeitsuchend online at arbeitsagentur.de immediately. The legal deadline is 3 days from the moment you learn the job will end.
Last working day — file ALG 1 Antrag
30 min onlineSubmit the Arbeitslosengeld application on the Agentur portal. You must register arbeitslos in person or by video appointment on the first day of unemployment, not before.
Weeks 1–4 — documents round
2–4 weeksUpload payslips for last 12 months, Arbeitsbescheinigung from employer (the Agentur sends a form), birth certificates for kids if claiming 67%.
Weeks 4–8 — first Bescheid arrives
4–8 weeksFormal decision letter with monthly amount. Payment is retroactive to day one of unemployment.
Month 2 onward — monthly payment
RecurringPaid around the end of each month. Pension, health, and long-term care contributions continue — the Agentur pays them on your behalf.
Month 6–24 — job search + training
The Agentur funds retraining (Bildungsgutschein) and language courses. If ALG 1 runs out before you find work, you transition to Bürgergeld.
What happens when ALG 1 runs out
If the 12 or 24 months end without a job, the next layer is Bürgergeld (the former ALG 2). That is means-tested and has much stricter visa rules for non-EU residents. Read the full breakdown here: Bürgergeld — €563/month plus rent for worst-case scenarios.
Health insurance while on ALG 1
Paid for
by the Agentur
GKV continues automatically
No gap
in coverage
Same insurer, same card
Pension
continues
Agentur pays RV contributions
This is often missed: while you receive ALG 1, the Agentur pays your full statutory health insurance, pension, and long-term care contributions. Your GKV card keeps working, your Riester / Rürup stays active, and the pension year still counts toward your retirement.
If you are on PKV (private health insurance)
PKV stays in force during ALG 1, but the Agentur only reimburses up to the GKV equivalent (around €290/month in 2026). If your PKV premium is higher, you pay the difference. Most Blue Card holders on PKV keep the contract and cover the gap from savings — switching back to GKV is only possible at age 55 under strict rules.
You are covered if the job ends
Bottom line for the South Asian newcomer. You are not alone on the first day after a layoff. ALG 1 pays 60–67% of your salary for up to 24 months, the Agentur pays your health and pension, and your residence permit is safe because this is insurance you paid for. Register within 3 days, do not quit voluntarily, and keep every payslip. The safety net works.
Related safety-net posts
- Bürgergeld: €563/month + rent when ALG 1 runs out
- Krankengeld: 78 weeks of sick pay
- Mutterschaftsgeld: 14 weeks full pay around birth
- Crisis scenarios page — what to do when everything goes wrong
Sources: Arbeitsagentur — Arbeitslosengeld, SGB III (gesetze-im-internet.de), Bundesagentur für Arbeit Tabelle 2026.
Last updated: 2026-04-23