Western Balkans Regulation: The Employer’s Guide

Key points at a glance

• The quota is not enough: first-time approvals are capped at 50,000 per calendar year. According to the Federal Employment Agency (BA), that did not cover all applications in 2025, and the 2026 quota will again run out before the end of the year.
• A cut is planned from 2027: the federal government intends to halve the quota to 25,000 a year from January 2027 (BA, 16 October 2026). On 4 November 2026 the Bundestag rejected a motion to keep 50,000. As of 8 November 2026, § 26 (2) BeschV still says 50,000.
• It covers nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – not Croatia, which is in the EU.
• Any non-regulated job is allowed; qualifications do not have to be recognised.
• You need a signed contract or binding job offer on terms comparable to those of employees in Germany. Before the visa, the BA must approve; its Vorabzustimmung (pre-approval) is valid for 9 months.
• The visa is applied for at the German mission in one of the six countries, not in Germany.
• BA processing status (as of 14 October 2026): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia up to date; Albania at applications received on 25 July 2026; Kosovo at 9 March 2026.
• Temporary agency work and jobs arranged through unlawful placement are excluded. Every change of employer needs a new BA approval.

What is the Western Balkans Regulation?

The Western Balkans Regulation (Westbalkanregelung, § 26 (2) BeschV) allows nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to take up any non-regulated job in Germany without proof or recognition of a vocational qualification. They need a concrete job offer, approval from the Federal Employment Agency and a visa. First-time approvals are capped at 50,000 a year.

The legal basis is § 26 (2) of the Employment Ordinance (Beschäftigungsverordnung, BeschV) together with § 19c (1) of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG). It allows the BA to approve ‘any employment’. Recognition of professional qualifications in Germany is not required, except for regulated professions such as doctors.

The BA’s own figures show how important this labour market is: around 546,000 people from the six countries are in employment subject to social insurance contributions in Germany (data as of September 2026), 170,000 more than five years earlier.

One distinction matters: anyone entering visa-free for a short stay (up to 90 days in any 180 days) may not work during that time (Federal Foreign Office). This also applies to Kosovo nationals, who need no visa for short stays if they hold a biometric passport. Anyone coming to work needs an employment visa.

• Albania
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Kosovo
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• Serbia

Croatia is not one of them. It has been an EU member state since 2013, and Croatian nationals have been free to work in Germany without restrictions since 1 July 2015 – no visa, no BA approval, no quota. Many people from Bosnia and Herzegovina also hold Croatian citizenship. With a Croatian passport they are EU citizens, and the Western Balkans Regulation does not apply to them.

Requirements

The requirements concern your business, the worker and – for anyone aged 45 or over – the level of pay.

Your business: you provide a signed employment contract or a binding job offer. Working conditions must match those of comparable employees in Germany, and the pay must cover the cost of living – with the statutory minimum wage of €13.90 per hour (2026) as the lower limit.

The worker: they must hold the nationality of one of the six countries and must not have received benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz) in the 24 months before applying. The visa is applied for at the competent German mission in one of the six countries.

Aged 45 or over: if employment starts after the 45th birthday, § 1 (2) BeschV requires, for the first approval, a gross annual salary of at least 55 per cent of the statutory pension insurance contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze) – €55,770 in 2026 – or proof of adequate retirement provision.

Not required: recognition of qualifications, except for regulated professions. The law provides for a Vorrangprüfung (labour market priority check), but under BA instruction (Weisung) 202311002 of 3 November 2023 the BA does not carry it out ‘until further notice’.

• Signed employment contract or binding job offer
• Working conditions comparable to those of employees in Germany
• Pay covers the cost of living and is at least the statutory minimum wage
• Nationality of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Serbia
• No benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act in the last 24 months
• If employment starts after the 45th birthday: at least €55,770 gross a year (2026) or adequate retirement provision
• Direct employment in your business, no temporary agency work
• Visa application at the German mission in one of the six countries, not in Germany

The priority check is suspended, not abolished: the BA can reinstate it. We check the current position before each application.

Who does what: your part, our part, the authorities

Three authorities are involved: the Federal Employment Agency (BA) approves the employment, the German mission in the country of origin issues the visa, and the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) issues the residence permit after entry. We take care of the documents, the appointments and communication with the authorities.

We place workers only into direct employment with your company – we do not offer temporary agency work (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung).

• You, the employer: you decide on the hire, sign the employment contract on terms comparable to those of employees in Germany and meet your obligations on the first working day and throughout the employment.
• Balkan Recruiters: we find and assess candidates, prepare all documents, book the appointments at the embassy and handle communication with the authorities.
• Federal Employment Agency: it issues the Vorabzustimmung (pre-approval) while the monthly quota for the worker’s nationality has not been used up. The pre-approval is valid for 9 months, and the visa must be granted within that time.
• German mission: it decides on the visa. How long this takes varies by embassy (see the table below).
• After entry: the worker registers their address within two weeks of moving in (§ 17 (1) BMG) and receives the residence permit from the immigration office.

How long does it take? Waiting times by country

The overall time depends mainly on the BA’s processing status for the worker’s nationality and on the visa section of the embassy.

Where the BA processes applications without a backlog (as of 14 October 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia), we usually expect 10–12 weeks from signing with us to the first working day. For Kosovo and Albania, the BA’s queue adds months.

The BA gives its own example: you may receive a pre-approval for workers from Kosovo only in December, even though you applied in June. The reason is the monthly quota for each nationality.

The BA figures reflect the position as of 14 October 2026. Even an up-to-date status can change once the monthly quota for a nationality has been used up.

The 2026 quota and the planned cut for 2027

§ 26 (2) BeschV caps first-time approvals at 50,000 per calendar year. The approvals are divided by month and nationality, and the monthly quotas are set for the BA. Applications can only be processed as long as the monthly quota for the nationality concerned has not been used up.

According to the BA, the quota was not enough for all applications in 2025, and in 2026 it will again be used up before the end of the year (press release of 16 October 2026). The BA argues for keeping the quota at 50,000.

A cut is planned for 2027: according to the BA, the federal government intends to halve the quota from January 2027, leaving room for only 25,000 people a year. On 4 November 2026 the Bundestag rejected motion 21/2248, which called for keeping the quota at 50,000 workers a year; CDU/CSU, AfD and SPD voted against.

If the cut goes ahead, only half as many approvals would be available in 2027 – from a quota that is already too small. For your planning, this means:

• Plan early in the year: the BA processes applications for each nationality in order of receipt and only up to the monthly quota. Start late and there may be no quota left.
• Decide early: the BA application requires an employment contract or binding job offer. The sooner the selection is made, the sooner it can be filed. Once the pre-approval is issued, you have 9 months to obtain the visa.
• Consider other routes: depending on the profile, there are routes that are not subject to the quota. We check which one fits your vacancy before the application.
• Ask about nationality: anyone who also holds a Croatian passport falls outside the quota.
• Keep an eye on the processing status: the BA works through each nationality in order of receipt. We follow the status continuously and plan accordingly.

As of 8 November 2026: the cut is intended but not in force. § 26 (2) BeschV still provides for up to 50,000 approvals per calendar year. What counts is the wording of the ordinance in force at the time.

Costs

The table lists the amounts set by law and explains our fee model. Travel, accommodation and similar costs depend on the individual case and are not included.

Charging candidates fees for placement is prohibited by law. Placement costs are therefore borne by you as the employer – and only if a hire actually takes place.

Western Balkans Regulation or another route?

The Western Balkans Regulation is not the only way to hire workers from the six countries. Depending on qualifications and the job, there are routes that are not subject to the quota; according to the BA, such requests can be processed faster when the Western Balkans quota has been used up. Which route fits depends on the worker’s profile and the job – we check this before every application.

• No fast-track procedure: the accelerated skilled-worker procedure under § 81a AufenthG (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) is not available for entry under the Western Balkans Regulation.
• The age-45 salary threshold is not limited to the Western Balkans Regulation: § 1 (2) BeschV covers other routes as well.
• Workers with Croatian citizenship need none of these routes – EU free movement applies to them.

For professional drivers, the driving licence matters too: whether truck classes C and CE can be converted without a test depends on the issuing country under Annex 11 of the Driving Licence Ordinance (Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, FeV). For Bosnia and Herzegovina, C and CE are not listed; for Serbia (except probationary licences), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania they are. More on the country pages.

After hiring

The process does not end on arrival. The approval covers employment in your business, and some obligations continue for as long as the employment lasts.

For the health insurance of every worker we place, we work with BARMER.

• Change of employer: § 9 BeschV does not apply to the Western Balkans Regulation. Every change of employer therefore needs a new BA approval, obtained via the immigration office.
• Check the residence title and keep a copy: under § 4a (5) AufenthG you must check the residence title and keep a copy for the duration of the employment.
• Report early termination: if the employment ends early, you must inform the immigration office within four weeks (§ 4a (5) AufenthG).
• Information under § 45c AufenthG: on the first working day at the latest, point the worker in text form to the free information and advice service under § 45b AufenthG, with the contact details of the nearest advice centre. The obligation does not apply to cross-border placement within the meaning of § 299 SGB III.
• Working conditions: the approval requires conditions comparable to those of employees in Germany. Keep this in mind if the contract changes later.

Common mistakes

The following points lead to refusals, delays or bad hires. Most can be avoided before you apply.

• Using temporary agency work: if the person is to work as a temporary agency worker within the meaning of § 1 AÜG, approval must be refused (§ 40 (1) no. 2 AufenthG). Labour leasing is ruled out.
• Applying from Germany: for the first approval, the visa must be applied for at the competent German mission in one of the six countries, not from within Germany. Visa-free entry does not allow work either.
• Starting too late in the year: the quota fell short in 2025 and, according to the BA, will run out before the end of 2026 too. Start late and the monthly quota for the nationality may already be allocated.
• Overlooking a Croatian passport: if the person also holds Croatian citizenship, EU rules apply – no visa, no approval, no quota. We ask about nationality before every application.
• Hiring without seeing practical skills: under this regulation no authority checks qualifications. Whether someone can weld, wire an installation or drive a lorry safely is for you to establish.
• Missing the age-45 salary threshold: if employment starts after the 45th birthday, the first approval requires at least €55,770 gross a year (2026) or proof of adequate retirement provision.
• Letting the pre-approval lapse: it is valid for 9 months from issue, and the visa must be granted within that time. That is why we book the embassy appointment as soon as it arrives.
• Unlicensed intermediaries: if the employment came about through unlawful placement or recruitment, approval must be refused (§ 40 (1) no. 1 AufenthG). Work only with licensed or registered intermediaries.

Balkan Recruiters is a licensed private employment agency operated by SSC d.o.o. Jelah-Tešanj in Jelah, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and registered with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (decision no. UPI 03-30/12-125/26 EB).

Why a practical test before hiring makes sense

The Western Balkans Regulation requires no proof of qualifications. Nobody in the process checks whether a worker’s skills fit the job except you – the risk of a bad hire stays with the employer.

Depending on the profile, we use video interviews or practical tests and casting events. At our 680 m² test centre in Jelah, practical tests are recorded with 4K cameras. You can agree the task with us and review the results in the CRM portal without travelling. We also organise casting events with practical tests in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

More than 68,000 candidates are registered in our database – we agree with you which assessment makes sense for your vacancy. We look for candidates with at least A1/A2 German or good English where possible, and we can organise language courses before arrival on request.