An unemployed person is defined as someone without employment who has registered as seeking work with the AMS (Public Employment Service) and is both willing and able to work. Claims for transfer payments (Arbeitslosengeld) can only be made by those who have made employment insurance contributions for an appropriate period. For example, those who have interrupted their working careers for a long period of time (in particular returners) and school leavers receive no unemployment insurance benefit. In order to receive benefit a person must be registered with the AMS.

To be entitled to claim unemployment benefit, a person must be able and willing to work, available for work but unemployed and have been in insured employment for the appropriate qualifying period.