Yes, there are plenty of remote jobs in Germany in English, especially in tech. On Germany Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026, 841 of 3,574 English-speaking tech jobs in Germany and Austria were fully remote (24%), at 205 companies, and another 678 were hybrid. Most remote jobs still expect you to live in Germany, Austria or the EU, though: only 98 of the 841 said you can apply from anywhere.
This guide shows where the remote and hybrid developer jobs are, what German law says about working from home, the home office tax allowance, and what happens if you want to work from another country. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so check the official links.
How many tech jobs in Germany are remote?
The board filters every job by workplace. On Germany Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026:
| Workplace | Jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| On-site | 2,056 | 58% |
| Remote | 841 | 24% |
| Hybrid | 678 | 19% |
A few more numbers from the remote jobs page on the same day:
- 98 of the 841 remote jobs said you can apply from anywhere. The rest expect you to live in Germany or Austria, or don’t say.
- 114 stated a yearly salary, mostly between €50,000 and €163,000.
- 13 mentioned visa sponsorship.
- Almost all, 839 of 841, asked for no German at all.
Remote ads often say where you must live. On the remote page you will see labels such as “Remote (Germany)”, “Remote (EU)”, “Remote (Austria)” and “Remote (EMEA)”. Read them carefully: “Remote (Germany)” means you must live in Germany.
Note that “hybrid” is the share of ads that explicitly say so. Many ads marked on-site in practice allow some home office days, so ask in the first interview.
Remote software developer jobs in Germany: where to look
- All remote jobs: remote tech jobs in Germany and Austria
- Hybrid jobs: hybrid jobs, then filter by city, for example Berlin or Munich
- By role: backend, frontend, DevOps and SRE, machine learning and AI
- By stack: Python, Go, TypeScript, Kubernetes
- From outside the EU: jobs open to applicants abroad and visa sponsorship jobs
Every job on the board is at a company where English is the working language, so “remote jobs in Germany for English speakers” is the default here rather than a special filter.
Home office law in Germany: is there a right to work from home?
No. Germany has no general legal right to work from home. Your employer decides the content, place and time of work, as long as these are not already fixed by your contract, a works agreement (Betriebsvereinbarung), a collective agreement or the law (§ 106 GewO). In practice that means:
- Your contract matters. If remote work is important to you, get it written into the contract or a signed side letter, not just promised in an interview. Our employment contracts guide explains other clauses to check.
- Company policies can change. A hybrid policy that is only in an internal handbook can usually be changed by the employer. A clause in your contract cannot be changed without your agreement.
- Works councils have a say. Where a company has a works council (Betriebsrat), it has a right of co-determination over how mobile work using IT is organised (§ 87(1) no. 14 BetrVG). Larger German employers often have a works agreement on mobile work.
Telework or mobile work?
German law separates two things:
- Telework (Telearbeit) means a workstation that the employer has set up permanently in your home, with agreed weekly hours, and with the furniture and equipment provided and installed by the employer (§ 2(7) ArbStättV). Workplace safety rules then apply to that home desk.
- Mobile work is everything else: working from home, a café or a train with a laptop, without a fixed home workstation set up by the employer. Most tech companies’ “remote” and “hybrid” policies are mobile work.
The difference matters mainly for who pays for your desk and chair. If the employer does not set up a telework station, ask whether there is a home office budget.
Working hours still apply at home
The Working Hours Act applies wherever you work. Daily working time may not exceed eight hours, or ten hours if it averages eight over six months or 24 weeks (§ 3 ArbZG). After work you need at least 11 hours of uninterrupted rest (§ 5 ArbZG). That is worth knowing if you work with a US team in the evening and start early the next day.
Home office tax allowance (Homeoffice-Pauschale)
If you work from home, you can deduct €6 for each day you work mainly at home and do not go to your regular workplace, up to €1,260 a year (210 days) (§ 4(5) no. 6c EStG). If no other workplace is permanently available to you, as is the case for fully remote employees, you can claim the daily amount even on days you also work elsewhere.
You claim it in your annual tax return. It counts towards your work-related expenses, which already include a general allowance, so it only helps if your total expenses exceed that. Our tax basics guide explains German tax returns.
Working remotely from another country
This is where remote work gets complicated. A German employer can usually employ you while you live in Germany. Living and working from another country brings in that country’s tax law, social security and, outside the EU, immigration rules.
Social security inside the EU
Social security depends on where you physically work. If you live in another EU country and work from home there for a German employer, this can change which country’s social security applies. According to the German liaison agency for health insurance abroad (DVKA), this would be the case, for example, if telework in your country of residence exceeds 25% of your working time (DVKA).
Since 1 July 2023, a multilateral framework agreement signed by more than 20 states, including Germany, lets cross-border teleworkers work up to 49.99% of their time from home in their country of residence and stay in the social security system of the employer’s country. Both countries must have signed it, the employer applies in Germany through the DVKA, and it does not cover the self-employed (DVKA). Above 50%, your home country’s social security normally applies, which many German employers are not set up to handle.
Tax residence
Germany taxes people who have their home or habitual residence in Germany on their worldwide income (§ 1 EStG). A continuous stay of more than six months always counts as habitual residence (§ 9 AO). If you live elsewhere, your country of residence will usually tax your salary too, and a double tax treaty decides who may tax what. Long periods of work abroad can also create tax obligations for your employer there. This is why many “Remote (Germany)” jobs really do mean Germany.
Work from anywhere and “workations”
Some employers allow a few weeks of work from abroad each year. Ask for the limit in writing, and check whether it covers countries outside the EU. Short trips are usually manageable; months abroad are not a small detail for payroll.
Remote work and your visa
If you hold a German residence permit, such as an EU Blue Card, your life has to be based in Germany. A residence permit generally expires if you leave Germany and do not return within six months, or a longer period set by the immigration office (§ 51(1) no. 7 AufenthG). For the EU Blue Card and family members’ permits, the period is twelve months (§ 51(10) AufenthG). Long stays abroad can also delay permanent residence; see our guide to permanent residence for Blue Card holders.
Two common situations:
- You live outside the EU and want a remote job at a German company. You do not need a German visa to work from your home country, but the employer has to be able to employ you there, usually through a local entity or an employer-of-record service. Filter for jobs that say you can apply from anywhere.
- You want to move to Germany for a remote job. You need a residence permit for employment, such as the EU Blue Card. Your employer must be willing to support the process. See the EU Blue Card guide.
How to negotiate remote or hybrid terms
- Ask early. Ask in the first call how many office days are expected and whether this is in the contract.
- Get specifics in writing: number of office days, core hours, equipment budget and how many weeks you can work from abroad.
- Check where the team is. A “remote” job with all colleagues in Munich may still need regular travel.
- Watch the salary. Some employers pay remote roles on a location-based scale. Compare offers with the salary after tax calculator and read our guide to negotiating a tech offer.
Freelancing can be another route to location independence, with its own rules; see freelancing as a developer in Germany.
Frequently asked questions
Are there remote jobs in Germany for English speakers?
Yes. On Germany Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026 there were 841 fully remote English-speaking tech jobs in Germany and Austria at 205 companies, and 839 of them asked for no German. Most expect you to live in Germany, Austria or the EU; 98 said you can apply from anywhere.
Can I get a remote job in Germany with no experience?
It is harder. Entry-level roles are a small part of the market: in the Germany Dev Jobs report for October 2026, only 87 of 3,583 live jobs were marked junior and 152 were internships. Hybrid and on-site roles give you more to choose from. See our guide to junior and graduate developer jobs.
Is there a law on home office in Germany?
There is no general legal right to work from home. Your employer decides the place of work unless your contract, a works agreement or a collective agreement says otherwise. Works councils have a say in how mobile work is organised, and the Working Hours Act still applies at home.
How much is the home office tax allowance in Germany?
You can deduct €6 for each day you work mainly from home, up to €1,260 a year. Fully remote employees with no other permanent workplace can claim it even on days they also work elsewhere. It counts towards your work-related expenses in your tax return.
Can I work remotely for a German company from another EU country?
Often, but check the rules first. Social security depends on where you physically work. Under a framework agreement in force since July 2023, you can usually work up to 49.99% from your home country and stay in German social security, if both countries signed it and your employer applies. Tax rules depend on the double tax treaty.
What is a hybrid job?
A hybrid job mixes office days and home office days, for example two or three days a week in the office. On Germany Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026, 678 jobs were marked hybrid. Ask how many office days are expected and get the arrangement in your contract.