Recruitment Agency Register

Official online lookupHas not ratified ILO C181

Recruitment agency licensing in Germany

Licensing authority: Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency), which carries out the AUeG under instructions from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Its leaflet names three Teams Arbeitnehmerueberlassung, in Duesseldorf, Nuernberg and Kiel, each covering a group of federal states.6,7,3

How to check an agency in Germany

The Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit publishes the names of licence holders online, updated daily, with search and filters by region. The site says binding information on whether a licence exists is given only by the responsible Agentur fuer Arbeit. Under the AUeG, the lender must state in its contract with the hirer whether it holds the licence, and the worker's written terms must name the licensing authority and the place and date the licence was granted.8,7,5,4

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Who needs a licence

Section 1(1) of the AUeG says employers who as lenders hire out workers to third parties in the course of their economic activity need a licence (Erlaubnis). There are limited exceptions, according to the IHK Schwaben. The Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit says that if a lender has no licence and no exception applies, an employment relationship with the hiring company arises by law.2,3,7

Licence conditions

Under section 11(2) of the AUeG the lender must give each temporary worker, at its own cost, an information leaflet from the licensing authority, in the worker's native language on request for non German workers. Under section 12(2) the lender must tell the hirer without delay when its licence lapses.4,5

Reporting an unlicensed agency

The Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit says any Agentur fuer Arbeit accepts complaints about breaches by licence holders, including anonymous reports, and needs at least the names of the lender and the hirer and a description of the breach. Its leaflet lists the teams in Duesseldorf (0211 692 4500), Nuernberg (0911 529 4343) and Kiel (0431 709 1010).7

ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention (C181)

Not ratified1

Main law

Checked 28 October 2026. This page describes the licensing system. It does not list or rate individual agencies.

Sources

  1. Government of the Netherlands, Treaty Database, Convention concerning Private Employment Agencies, Geneva, 19-06-1997 (29 January 2026)
  2. Federal Ministry of Justice, Gesetze im Internet, Arbeitnehmerueberlassungsgesetz, Section 1
  3. IHK Schwaben, Zeitarbeit (8 July 2026)
  4. Federal Ministry of Justice, Gesetze im Internet, Arbeitnehmerueberlassungsgesetz, Section 11
  5. Federal Ministry of Justice, Gesetze im Internet, Arbeitnehmerueberlassungsgesetz, Section 12
  6. Federal Ministry of Justice, Gesetze im Internet, Arbeitnehmerueberlassungsgesetz, Section 17
  7. Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit, Merkblatt fuer Leiharbeitnehmerinnen und Leiharbeitnehmer (July 2026)
  8. Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit, Inhaber einer Erlaubnis der Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit zur Arbeitnehmerueberlassung