Vermittlungsgutschein in Germany: What Professionals Can Do With It

CAREER CHANGE · NIV NICOLAS NOWBAKHT · Last updated: 25 October 2026

You got a Vermittlungsgutschein, a placement voucher from the Agentur für Arbeit, and nobody tells you where to use it. Fair question, because for professionals the answer is not obvious.

In short: A Vermittlungsgutschein is not funding for you. It is a payment promise from the employment agency or Jobcenter to a private recruiter, due only if that recruiter places you in a job. It costs you nothing, but in my experience it rarely leads to a good job for experienced knowledge workers. More useful: clarity on your goal, targeted applications and the right conversations.

• The Vermittlungsgutschein pays for a successful placement only, not for coaching (both are officially called AVGS)
• It expires, is sometimes limited to a region, and the job must start within its validity
• Before you sign anything: read the terms and ask in writing whether you could owe money
• For good knowledge-work jobs, conversations and targeted applications are usually the stronger lever

Who this is for

You have several years of experience and work with knowledge, for example in sales, marketing, project management, product, HR or consulting. You are registered as unemployed or job-seeking in Germany, and you do not want just any job but one that fits your profile. If you have just lost your job, start with your complete action plan.

What a Vermittlungsgutschein is (and what it is not)

The official name of the document is Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein (AVGS). It is printed at the top of your letter. There are three variants, all in § 45 of the German Social Code III (SGB III). The goal printed on the document tells you which one you have.

Voucher	Purpose	Who gets paid	Entitlement?
AVGS for private placement (AVGS MPAV, “Vermittlungsgutschein”)	Placement into a job with social insurance contributions	Private recruiter, on success only: 2,500 euros, up to 3,000 euros for long-term unemployed	Legal entitlement for unemployed people with a claim to unemployment benefit (ALG I) who are still not placed after six weeks of unemployment within three months. For Jobcenter clients, no legal entitlement according to the Federal Employment Agency
AVGS for coaching and qualification (AVGS MAT)	Measure for activation and professional integration	Approved measure provider	Caseworker’s discretion, written approval needed before you start
AVGS at an employer (AVGS MAG)	Measure at a company, up to six weeks	Employer	Discretion. According to one Jobcenter paper, rarely used in practice

Your Vermittlungsgutschein usually runs three to six months, sometimes for one region only. The recruiter only gets paid if your job starts within its validity. It must not be a fixed-term job of less than three months from the outset. And it must not be with a former employer where you worked more than three months in the last four years. Payment comes in two instalments: the first after six weeks in the job, the rest after six months.

How to use it if you want to try

The voucher costs you nothing as long as the agency pays. Trying does no harm. For the bigger picture on recruiters, read How to Work With Recruitment Agencies in Germany.

1. Ask about the licence: “Are you AZAV-certified?” (Akkreditierungs- und Zulassungsverordnung Arbeitsförderung.) According to the Federal Employment Agency, the recruiter cannot bill otherwise.
2. Ask for jobs at your level: “Do you currently have jobs in my field?” Name your role, goal and region. If the answer is vague, walk away.
3. Read the terms and ask in writing: “Do I owe you anything if the voucher is not paid out?” Some providers’ terms say you then pay yourself.
4. Do not hand over the original until you know the conditions.

Why I am sceptical for professionals

I know the market for careers, coaching and recruitment quite well. I do not know a recruiter who accepts these vouchers and whom I would recommend to experienced professionals. That does not mean none exists.

Among the recruiters I looked at, the jobs were mostly office, sales and logistics roles. There is also the logic of the voucher: the recruiter earns only if you start within the deadline. That rewards jobs that can be filled fast, not the ones that fit you. This is my conclusion, not a statistic. Try it, but do not bet your time on it.

The voucher does not answer the question you are asking yourself: Where do I actually want to go?

What helps instead

Placement only works if you know where you want to go. In my work, orientation comes first (what fits me, what does not, which environment), then the application.

• Talk to your caseworker at the agency or Jobcenter. Ask what they see for your profile and whether there are consequences if you do not use the voucher. A second conversation, even with a different person there, is always worth it.
• Talk to recruiters, headhunters and your network who know your field. Many good jobs are filled through conversations before they are advertised.
• Ask for a coaching voucher if you want clarity. You need the written approval (Bewilligungsbescheid) before the coaching starts, otherwise you pay yourself. Whether you can get one on top of the placement voucher is up to your caseworker. The process in detail: AVGS coaching in Germany, step by step.
• Talk to me. Yes, I offer coaching, and that is a conflict of interest, which is why everything else comes first. More about coaching with AVGS is on my AVGS page, more about my work under Career Coaching.

Three other services of the employment agency are often more relevant for professionals, even though they are not AVGS:

Service	Purpose	Entitlement?
Bildungsgutschein (training voucher, § 81 SGB III)	Further training with an approved provider, with prior counselling, valid up to three months according to the agency’s guidance	Case-by-case decision, entitlement only in certain cases
Vermittlungsbudget (placement budget, § 44 SGB III)	For example application and travel costs	No entitlement, apply before the costs arise
Gründungszuschuss (start-up grant, § 93 SGB III)	Grant for full-time self-employment, among other things with 150 days of unemployment benefit left and a business plan	No entitlement, discretion

Three questions for you

Take ten minutes and write down your answers:

• Which role do I want in two years?
• Which three people in my field could I call this week?
• What would I not accept, even if it were available tomorrow?

FAQ

What is a Vermittlungsgutschein?
A Vermittlungsgutschein (officially: AVGS for private placement) is a payment promise from the employment agency or Jobcenter to a private recruiter. The recruiter gets paid if they place you in a job with social insurance. For you it is free as long as it is paid out.

Is the Vermittlungsgutschein the same as an AVGS for coaching?
No, even though both are officially called AVGS. The Vermittlungsgutschein pays only for a successful placement. The AVGS for coaching and qualification pays for a measure with an approved provider.

Can I show the Vermittlungsgutschein to several recruiters?
You can talk to several. Do not hand over the original until you know the conditions. The recruiter only gets paid once you have actually started the job.

What happens when the voucher expires?
Then the recruiter usually cannot bill anything, because the job has to start within its validity. Check the expiry date and region on your voucher.

Your next step

You have a Vermittlungsgutschein and do not know what to do with it? Talk to me. In a free Clarity Call (30 minutes) we talk about exactly this: your voucher, your situation and what makes sense for you next. Over more than twelve years I have worked with many people in this situation and I know the pitfalls. It is a conversation, not a sales call.

This text is not legal or social-security advice. It reflects the state of October 2026 and is based on information from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) and § 45 SGB III. Rules can change and may differ in your case. For a binding answer, contact your local Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter.

Sources: § 45 SGB III, Federal Employment Agency: AVGS for private placement, Federal Employment Agency: AVGS for coaching and qualification, Bildungsgutschein, Vermittlungsbudget, Gründungszuschuss